newbie question about strippping a frame

[sleazytiki]

Hey guys I am going to strip and repaint the frame this weekend. Most of the parts are in really good shape but I want to remove the shock mounts, and a few other pieces so I can scape away the surface rust and repaint them. Right now everything is still held in place with the factory rivets but I am not sure what to replace them with. I am figuring that grade 8 bolts would do the job but i was just curious if you guys had any better ideas.
Thanks!!

[David Flores]

Nope. grade 8 bolts.

have fun with those rivets.

[greg64]

Yep, grade 8 bolts is the way to go. I used lockwashers under the nuts.

I agree with David that that those rivets are going to be fun... I've tired drilling them out (you never hit the center), and grinding them off. Hard work.

[ChiefRocka]

I use Grade 8 bolts, washers (both sides), and nylocks where possible.

Those rivets aren't that bad !!

The BEST way to get those out is like this:

Drill a hole thru the center of the rivet, using a sharp 3/16 or so bit, then a couple of blows with an air-chisel and they come right off quick. Center punch the rivet to keep the bit centered.

The key is to drill that center hole first.

I would remove everything you could from that frame, and paint every nook and cranny !!

[badriand]

I used a air chisel, grinder and tons of hammering to get those rivets out. PAIN,,
I looked like a monkey humping a basketball but after i was exhausted they finally gave in.

[greg64]

Hey guys, while on the subject of frame work, I've been tossing around a rarely seen idea for my 'burb. I want to hot-dip galvanize the whole thing. There's a local place that can galvanize this sort of size, and it's cheap (like a few hundred).

Everything I've read suggests that galvanizing beats paint, powdercoat, etc. hands down. And it inherently gets into all the nooks and crannies because of how it is applied. Of course, the frame has to be bare before doing this because the process will melt any rubber, etc.

The downside is you can't easily weld to the frame later because it will mess up the galvanizing, but I'm going more resto, so I don't see that being a problem.

Anybody else interested in this?

[62 short step]

That sounds intresting!

[slug]

i'v seen in a jeep magazine where a company was selling galvanized frames for jeeps. if you live where they use salt in the winter time i think it would be worth it. just have your frame blasted or acid dipped before galvanizing it.

[LILRED66]

Galvanizing sounds like a novel concept and would look pretty cool.

I have removed frame rivets with a reciprocating saw and a good quality blade. The rivets are not as hard as they seem when I hit them with the drill or air chisel.

I would not remove all the frame cross members, because the frame gets it's structural rigidity and integrity from the entire assembly. If you go this route, I would take lots of measurements, to ensure the chassis goes back together properly. I also use Grade 8 fasteners, however I prefer thread lock over nylock nuts.

In any case, good luck with your project.

[sleazytiki]

Thanks for the help guys I''ll let you know how it comes out.

The galvanizing idea sounds cool, is the cost about the same as other coatings?

[62 short step]

I used a grinder and cut a x on top of the rivit, then used an air chisel to remove the rest. Then an air punch to knock the rivit out. That work very well for me. 2 or 3 minutes the rivit was out!!