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4 inch shackle flip!!

B

backwoodsblazerk5

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houston
Ok so I started on my one ton swap into my k5 saturday, its now sunday and i am just now got the gas tank off and attempting to cut off all the rivets so I can get the shackle flip installed.
The gas tank was the biggest pain but it had to be done........:doah:

Any tips or tricks that might help me get this going a little faster?
oh, and its my DD too.........bummin a ride to work tomorrow:dunno:

Oh and the swaybar disconnect went on great, just needed a little coaxing to get in, Im waiting on the back to sit level with the front so I can get the left side done the rest of the way

Thanks for all the good parts ORD
-4 inch shackle flip kit
-1 ton u bolt flip kit
-extended brake lines
-swaybar disconnect
-bushings
 
FWIW, I dropped the tank from the rear but left it connected, took some wet towels along the top of the frame to protect the tank from sparks, and went to town with the grinder...both a flap disc and cutoff wheel. After you get the rivet ground smooth, HIT it with a punch to drive it out.

Wear safety goggles and watch the funny angles the sparks get thrown so you don't end up in the hospital!
 
Ive had good luck by grinding the head off the rivet, and using a air chisel on the hanger.
 
i tried a torch and that way sucked. Ended up cutting a X in the rivet heads and air hammering them out. This is extremely loud by the way, so i got some computer game headphones and hooked them up to my phone for my iPod thing, makes the air-hammer tolerable. I dropped my Subs tank all the way out and cleaned the tank out while i was at it. Put a new sock on the Walbro and got the dirt out of the tank and repainted it again.
 
I just use a plazma cutter and then quick clean up with a grinder.
it take me about 10 minutes per side.
 
I have done about 10 trucks & blazers, I have never dropped the tank & I use a torch.
 
A GOOD quality air hammer and chisel bits from say... Snapon or matco(which the chisel bits are warrantied) is my vote. No sparks flying, and IN GENERAL can get in more places with the air hammer. Spend MAYBE 10 sec per rivet.

Just moved the spring mounts to the front of the front body mounts for 52" spring swap, and breezed....(ok not a breeze a strong wind) thru them where a grinder wouldn't have gotten.

Right tool for the job!!
 
I think I have a pretty decent air chisel, but it won't touch a factory rivet. The way I do it os to use a cut off disc and cut straight down just shy of hitting the frame, don't want ugle gring marks in my frame. Then, once "X" cut, my air chisel pops the four smaller pieces easily and I don't gouge the frame because its not having to work so hard to get thru such a much bigger shank. Pop the four pieces off, use a punch and a BFH and knock the rivet out. IF it's still too hard to knock out due to the swell of the rivet from when it was formed, I drill the center of the rivet out, just past the fram material to relieve the swell pressure in the rivet shank and then knock it out. DOn't forget to center punch before drilling so the drill stays on center.
 
One thing I have learned bout airhammers and their bits, unless you gotta Snapon matco Mac etc, ya don't gotta good one. They are expensive, but as they say in the bizniz... You get what you pay for.
 
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