Taking out rivets

[70CHEVY$$]

hello chevy people, is it safe to take out the rivets on the frame and replace with bolts(grade 8)? suspension brackets, cross members and such. thanks tommy

[my67chevytruck]

Yes sir, it happens all the time... make sure to use washers and locknuts, I prefer the nylocks.

[Longhorn Man]

you'll have to drill the holes out, they are inbetween normal sizes.
Personally, I would say leave them. The rivits will never loosen (not withoug some damage causing it) and it is a LOT of work to remove the rivits too.

[silverstreak]

If your frame has been tweaked over the years (driving through shallow ditches, steep driveway ramps, ect) it may be sprung a bit and could be a hassle to get the crossmember realigned again.
There's a small crossmember on my old Ford pick up that has to be removed in order to drop the transmission. It's bolted in from the factory and I usually need visegrips, ratchet straps, alignment tools, a dead blow hammer and a few choice words to get back in place.
Not saying you're going to have this problem, just something to keep in mind. Where you place your jackstands will have an effect on this as well.

[Zeke]

I agree with Longhorn Man leave them in. One thing to remember is rivets expand when installed and fit the hole tight and unless you need to replace a bracket or cross member I would not consider it an upgrade. If you do replace them use a bolt that has a shank (no threads) where it goes thru the metal, make the holes as close to the diameter of the shank as possible even to the point where you have to tap them in. I would also put everything together with wet epoxy primer to keep out water and prevent rusting.

[70CHEVY$$]

Hey thanks for all the info. Some of the rivets are rusted bad on the head, will replace them and leave the rest and paint it all. Thanks again everybody. Tommy