Using bolts instead of rivets for spring brackets. |
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Ryan_289
Member Joined: 17 Mar. 2013 Location: Russellville AR Status: Offline Points: 1297 |
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Posted: 06 July 2013 at 11:23pm |
Im replacing all of the spring hanger brackets on my frame. Ive got them all out and have the new ones ready to go back on. The holes in the brackets and the frame are larger than 3/8" but just slightly smaller than 7/16". Would I be better off using 7/16" bolts and drilling the holes out or just stick with 3/8" If I use 3/8" what do I need to do to make sure the brackets are lined up with the frame? Im also assuming that I need to at least hook up my leaf springs before I weld the sides of the hangers to make sure im lined up? I know these are probably dumb questions but I want to make sure I do this right so that everything lines up and drives down the road straight!
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jpet
Moderator Group Sponsor Member x 5 Joined: 30 Apr. 2008 Location: Ramsey, IL Status: Offline Points: 11173 |
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The faux rivets you can buy and that a lot of guys use have a 5/16" thread and are way weaker than a 3/8 bolt so I would not be afraid to use 3/8" bolts if you want. The shackle brackets are welded to the frame anyway. To align them, you can run a rod, through both brackets to square them up. I think the ID is about .860 or so.
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CJ2A #29110 "General Willys"
MB #204827 "BAM BAM" "We do what we can, and we try what we can't" |
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jpet
Moderator Group Sponsor Member x 5 Joined: 30 Apr. 2008 Location: Ramsey, IL Status: Offline Points: 11173 |
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I think a 1/2" ID water pipe has a .840 outside dia
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CJ2A #29110 "General Willys"
MB #204827 "BAM BAM" "We do what we can, and we try what we can't" |
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I got the Willys
Member Joined: 10 June 2012 Location: Western NY Status: Offline Points: 484 |
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I like the look of fresh bolts,rivets are boring
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47 CJ2A, 51 Willys PU,his and hers 99 XJ 5 speed 4x4
Willys Jeep,what the victorious US troops drove into Tokyo |
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Ryan_289
Member Joined: 17 Mar. 2013 Location: Russellville AR Status: Offline Points: 1297 |
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Yea the bolts wont bother me. I doubt anyone around my area would ever know the difference. Maybe the jeep police wont get too upset! I ran into another snag with my battery tray, im also using bolts and nuts to replace the rivets on that one as well. The front rivet hole close to the crossmember is a blind hole. Any tricks to getting a nut back there?
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jpet
Moderator Group Sponsor Member x 5 Joined: 30 Apr. 2008 Location: Ramsey, IL Status: Offline Points: 11173 |
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Well if you are not worried about the jeep police, I would just weld the front tab of the battery tray to the frame and call it done, otherwise, you will have to cut a hole in the inner boxing plate so that you can get a nut inside the frame. Afterwards you can put a patch in the boxing plate and weld it back shut again ..... or not.
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CJ2A #29110 "General Willys"
MB #204827 "BAM BAM" "We do what we can, and we try what we can't" |
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Ryan_289
Member Joined: 17 Mar. 2013 Location: Russellville AR Status: Offline Points: 1297 |
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Ive already drilled the hole in the tab, ill look through my bucket of frame pieces and find the other side of the rivets I punched out. Ill weld it from the bottom and then it will look like the rivet is there. Then ill weld the tab down secure. |
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jpet
Moderator Group Sponsor Member x 5 Joined: 30 Apr. 2008 Location: Ramsey, IL Status: Offline Points: 11173 |
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Gotcha
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CJ2A #29110 "General Willys"
MB #204827 "BAM BAM" "We do what we can, and we try what we can't" |
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Schimms15
Member Joined: 17 Jan. 2011 Location: milwaukee, Wisc Status: Offline Points: 2953 |
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Or tap the hole and use a stud.
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46 2a
51 truck project named Karen |
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Adrian
Member Joined: 01 Oct. 2011 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 1517 |
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I "domed" the head of some my bolts, so the ones that I could not hot rivet still look like rivets but are full size bolts.
One good way to dome them is to clamp a grinder down to the bench and then put the bolt you want to dome in a drill chuck and then grind away with the drill and grinder all going, use a pistol grip drill and move it through an arc as the grinder slowly removes metal, the end result is real good. Even bolts I have domed in the lathe get finished this way.... Adrian |
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1946 CJ-2A Column Change 14605
1973 Saab 96 |
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Jeff_Davis
Member Joined: 15 July 2012 Location: Argentina & FL Status: Offline Points: 551 |
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I recently replaced and remounted all 4 shackles to my frame with the larger bolts and then welded. I used grade 8 bolts and flat washers
A little caution on mounting the springs and using them as an alignment jig - even my new springs eyes were not parallel. They are crudely twisted and bent spring steel at best. I like the pipe or rod alignment method mentioned above the best..... I wish I had thought of that! Happy welding! Jeff
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Jeff
1947 Willys CJ2A Las Flores, Provinca de Buenos Aires, Argentina 1951 Willys M38 Flightline jeep (Southeast Florida) 1954 M-100 USMC Trailer 1954 FORD F-100 parts chaser, 292 V8 Y-Block |
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bkreutz
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 17 Oct. 2006 Location: Fruitland Idaho Status: Offline Points: 7037 |
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When I was confronted with the "rivet vs bolt" question. I ended up using button head bolts (the ones with the round heads and an Allen socket). After I got them tight I welded the nut to the bolt on the backside (least visible) and then filled in the socket head with weld and ground it smooth. You can see examples in my photo album in the "front bumper" gallery.
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