lowering 'keiths way'

[xs-style]

As many of you know our resident gm guru Kieth showed us how they used to do mild lowerin jobs with spring hanger relocation. His write up for it is in 'the drop thread'. Its a good write up, but I beleve he did his when it was fairly new. Age seems to have added a few degrees of difficulty, so I need a few tips on this. I've ground the heads off the bolts on one side of the hanger. The prolem from there is that the rivets are invincible. I've tried steel drill bits. They barely make an indention. I've tried heatin them up then drilling with no success. A chisel and a BFH just makes noise (although its good stress relief). Has anyone ever done this and actually succeeded? Id sure like to know how..
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[jitteryguy]

a high quality drill bit will cut right thru the rivet's however now that you've heat'd em they may be harder now. I recently removed all the rivet's on my '87 I found if ya drive a chisle between the fram and the hanger it will pop off allow'n you to get a good hit on the rivet.
I also found it almost impossible with the bed on and quite easy with it off.

good luck and post befor and after picture's.

[thesickc10]

Hit it with a grinding disc and a 4 1/2 inch grinder. Grind it like your trying to make it a flat head screw and then smack it with a chisel. After you do that drive a chisel into between the frame and the bracket like jitteryguy said and it will pop right off.

[homemade87]

The best way I have found to get them off is to step drill them. No way you are going to push a large drill bit into them. Start with a center punch and put you a punch in the center. Start with a 3/16 or even smaller drill bit and put you a hole about half way in the the rivet. Then go with a 1/4 or smaller and drill again. Work your way to a 3/8 bit. I use a 4 bit process. Once you get to the 3/8 take a chisel and pop the head off. It will come right off. I have done this many times in the junk yard with a cordless drill. Best to use a 1700 to 2000 rpm on the smaller bits and slow it down as you get larger. May be a little harder for you if you have the bed still on. May be worth raising the bed a little. Give it a try. You will find that it works really well. Good luck with your project.

[chebyshortbox65]

After working in the heavy trucking and off-road industries as a mechanic for rhe last 12 years and building cars for as long as i can remember the best way and quickest way to remove the rivets is to cut the head on two all the way then use an air hammer with a sharp chisel and split it in two then change to a drift bit and drive them out sometimes you have to grind the remaining rivit flush with the frame to get them out
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[str8axle55]

I heated mine up cherry red with the torch, then hit them with the air hammer with a sharp chisel bit.

[74 stepside]

If you have access to a plasma cutter, thats the fastest and easiest way. I did all 4 hangers on my truck before powdercoating then used 3/8 grade 8s.

[piecesparts]

Originally Posted by thesickc10

Hit it with a grinding disc and a 4 1/2 inch grinder. Grind it like your trying to make it a flat head screw and then smack it with a chisel. After you do that drive a chisel into between the frame and the bracket like jitteryguy said and it will pop right off.

YEEESSS! Works like a charm and you do not have to drill anything

[Keith Seymore]

"...'my way' is not very sportsman-like". (Andre the Giant - "The Princess Bride").

Originally Posted by thesickc10

Hit it with a grinding disc and a 4 1/2 inch grinder. Grind it like your trying to make it a flat head screw and then smack it with a chisel. After you do that drive a chisel into between the frame and the bracket like jitteryguy said and it will pop right off.

x3. That's how I do it.

When I followed my truck down the line I tried to get the assemblers to use all 3/8" bolts (not rivets), since that is the factory repair for a bad or mis-hit rivet.

They wouldn't do it.

K

[silvereagle07]

x4 That's how I do it. It's alot easier if you X it , chisel it and hit it with an air hammer if you can get to it. Or a good BFH always works.

[xs-style]

I ended up grinding down flat to the hanger, then poping the hanger out with the chisel. after that the BFH worked like a charm. Now another snag. When your repositioning the hanger closest to the cab, do you drill new holes on one side? It looks like the bottom two holes may line up, but no way your moving the bottom holes up to the top one.
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[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by xs-style

I ended up grinding down flat to the hanger, then poping the hanger out with the chisel. after that the BFH worked like a charm. Now another snag. When your repositioning the hanger closest to the cab, do you drill new holes on one side? It looks like the bottom two holes may line up, but no way your moving the bottom holes up to the top one.
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You have to split the difference.

That hanger has to translate straight up, since the forward spring eye (and bolt) is what sets the rear axle location. If you move front or rear slightly you run the risk of mislocating the axle and inducing dog tracking.

K

[xs-style]

ok good deal. Are you still moving that hanger up 3 inches?
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[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by xs-style

ok good deal. Are you still moving that hanger up 3 inches?
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Yes - for a 3" drop both the front and rear hanger have to move up 3".

On the rear, if you put the bottom hole of the hanger in the top hole of the frame that gives you 2&7/8" IIRC. You will also need to create a spacer and run the eye bolt through the frame rail for additional support.

K