steveo
Well-Known Member
- Posts
- 449
- Location
- north Surrey
Usual story, rattly windows, normally due to sheared rivets, so I thought I would re-rivet today. Having previously used M3 panhead screws and nuts, which works as long as you use washers and have an assistant to help, or 5 foot long arms.
I found out a few things:
1. the nearest metric equivalent rivet to 1/6 x 1/2 (measurement gleaned from lr4x4) is 4 x 12 - these seemed to be too long, so I used 4 x 10. The grip length of the rivet needed I measured at 5mm. 4.2 + 5 = 9.2, making 10mm perfect. Apparently this is the way to calculate rivet length : diameter plus width of rivet = length. Screw do 500 for a tenner, and they are blind ones
2. The rivets are inserted at factory without any cleaning up of the back of the drilled hole - this leaves loads of burrs on the back that the rivet is compressing. Whether this is the cause of loose / sheared rivets, I don't know, but I cleaned them up before riveting. Any rivets that I could spin were replaced, but this was only the ones on the bottom row.
3. The holes through the frame are not necessarily in the middle of the channel. This makes riveting tricky, as you can't push the rivet properly against the frame, resulting in a loose rivet. twice.
4. some holes are bigger than others, resulting in one rivet being replaced with an M4 screw and nut.
5. Its too cold outside to get the seal back in the groove without the use of hot water.
6. Tomorrow, I get to do the other side......
I found out a few things:
1. the nearest metric equivalent rivet to 1/6 x 1/2 (measurement gleaned from lr4x4) is 4 x 12 - these seemed to be too long, so I used 4 x 10. The grip length of the rivet needed I measured at 5mm. 4.2 + 5 = 9.2, making 10mm perfect. Apparently this is the way to calculate rivet length : diameter plus width of rivet = length. Screw do 500 for a tenner, and they are blind ones
2. The rivets are inserted at factory without any cleaning up of the back of the drilled hole - this leaves loads of burrs on the back that the rivet is compressing. Whether this is the cause of loose / sheared rivets, I don't know, but I cleaned them up before riveting. Any rivets that I could spin were replaced, but this was only the ones on the bottom row.
3. The holes through the frame are not necessarily in the middle of the channel. This makes riveting tricky, as you can't push the rivet properly against the frame, resulting in a loose rivet. twice.
4. some holes are bigger than others, resulting in one rivet being replaced with an M4 screw and nut.
5. Its too cold outside to get the seal back in the groove without the use of hot water.
6. Tomorrow, I get to do the other side......
