Frame repair/ resto

[BlazerKrazy]

Help!! I am starting a complete rebuild of my K5, I am starting with a frame from a parts blazer. I have the frame completely stripped down. I am looking at sandblasting it. I want to do a nice job (I don't really want to do this twice) I am thinking about cutting all the rivets out and bolting the frame back together. I was wondering if anyone has done this? Is it a good idea or bad? I really want to get into all the areas to clean and paint, so I don't have rust problems in the future. I live in Pa so we like using salt in the winters.

 

[Babaganoosh]

Rivets are not fun at all, I would just leave them alone. They provide plenty of strength.

 

[Teck]

That would be a lot of work.
I had mine sandblasted and painted and it has hold up good but I don't drive it in bad weather either.

 

[dyeager535]

I did an entire frame (which turned out to be bent afterwards) and removing the rivets is a REAL time consuming process.

This time I'm not doing it. I will replace as/if necessary. IMO this is one of those "if its not broke" situations, unless you KNOW you are going to have problems later.

The absolute fastest way I ended up with (torch may be faster, dunno didn't try that) was to use an electric cutoff (air sucks IMO) with very thin wheels, and cut deep slots in the rivet head. Then take an electric grinder with a good grinding wheel, and grind the rest of the head off. Probably a minute or two per rivet, except the ones around spring hangars or body mounts, where the cutter or grinder wouldn't reach very well. Those took more time. The cutoff and grinding wheels seemed to last a long time this way, and both work faster/cleaner (wheel is likely to cut into the frame just as readily as a rivet if you go deep with it) than using solely either one.

 

[Deuling]

Whats wrong with rivets. They are already there, they are not coming out on there own, and you don't need to spend money and time removing and putting bolts in.

 

[dyeager535]

Some people run into loose rivets. If you are flexing the frame a lot, I'm sure the likelihood of them loosening up is more, although even then it doesn't seem to be a big issue.

As I said, if you aren't having problems with them coming loose, I wouldn't waste the time. If you are really concerned, weld the mounts to the frame, leave the rivets there.

 

[diesel4me]

I noticed when I removed several cab mounts from GM frames at the junkyard to sell customers who had ones that rotted badly,the area of the frame where they were riveted too was often still clean, with black paint still intact under the cab mount--even if the rest of the frame was pretty rusty!..

I wouldn't go thru all that work unless you know it has issues under the mounts or the rivets are sheared on the front crossmembers,which is not uncommon on Gm 4x4's,ones that are lifted,especially..

 

[blazinzuk]

I might check the rivets for looseness I have seen that a couple times.

Although I would not undo the rivets I would weld the mounts to the frame if I ran into any loose ones