Topic: Ball joint rivets instead of bolts

[mulletmobile]

Maybe I am dreaming, but I thought I had read somewhere about using the corvette rivet style bolts to install our upper ball joints?  I can not seem to find the info, but does anyone else have info on this?  Anyone else done this?  I am not going for full out resto, but I though they might cool to try out.  This link is what I am referring to.

http://www.volvette.com/SU02B.html

[Transatrom]

The reason that solid rivets are used is because they are a 'hole-filling' fastener, i.e., when they are completely shot they fit very tightly against the wall of their attach holes allowing for no movement within the holes. The only way to properly duplicate this is to replace the new balljoints with the same type rivets. This is done by using a rivet gun with the proper driver or 'set' placed against the rivet head and a 'bucking bar' against the tail. Generally not a job for a novice car mechanic, unless you happen to have experience working on aircraft. If you absolutely must install bolts, they should be grade 8 with a good securing mechanism for the nuts (a lockwasher AND Loctite) and the holes in the control arms should be no more than .001"-.002" larger than the bolts.

[mulletmobile]

Thanks for the info.  I understand about the riveting, but for a cosmetic restoration or just for kicks type of rebuild most of us truly end up being able to afford, I thought the rivet head style bolts might be fun to try.  The ones I had linked to were only available to Corvette restorers and if I remember correctly, they were larger diameter.  Someone somewhere on one of the multitude of forum boards had used them, but again if I remember correctly, they had to drill out the holes in the F-body uppers to accept them.  Since ours are not a press-fit upper, bolts are the only remedy.   I had seen these somewhere and could not find them until I looked in the catalog:

http://www.classicindustries.com/product/nova/parts/a8500200.html

They include Grade-8 bolt with lock washer and nut.  The top of the bolt head is styled like a rivet but the underside of it has small teeth that bite into the metal of the control arm when tightened and preventing it from spinning (allegedly).  Odds of having to cut them off I am sure is high and true the bottom side will still require an exposed nut, but for a little closer to original they might be fun to try.  I am still on the fence for $20 it might be interesting to try.

[Wallington]

As long as they really bite in then I think they are great, you really count on those teeth though for tightening. A neat detail feature that likely no one else will notice though.

[mulletmobile]

Yeah, it would be the novelty item I am sure.  This one is going to be driven so not likely they would ever see daylight outside of my garage.