I'm in the process of resurecting an old Kenworth. The cab is my next major challenge on this project. I'm looking at replacing all the cab rivets as about 25-30% of them are corroded to the point of almost ready to fall out. Just not sure what's all involved with installing rivets or what kind of rivets I'd need. Cab is already removed from the truck, gutted and stripped down to just a shell so it "should" be a fairly straightforward task (I hope).
I don't know what they used for rivets. If you don't already have a bunch of Cleco's your gonna want some before you start unrivieting big sections.
Had to Google search what Clecos are. Pretty slick. I'll likely be stripping the cab down to the steel frame for cleaning and painting so those would definitely help with re-assembly.
The other mechanic in our shop did cab, fender and hood repair on Pete's and KW's years back I will check with him tomorrow morning and see what he say's. Truck Shop
An old neighbor of mine used to work at the body shop for KW. They used to call those rivets "huck bolts". They had a special tool for them. As I recall it looked just about like a pop rivet tool. You could probably just call any KW or Pete dealer and find out what they are and how much they cost.
I always used aluminium buck rivets. You can get them from McMaster-Carr along with the tooling to set them. I always just used a air chisel with tooling for the head of the rivets.
I happened to be looking at a mid 90's Peterbilt door today, The skin was riveted with a round head tube shank rivet with a washer, The tube appeared to be set with a "rolled rivet set" similar to an old brake shoe rivet, no doubt a "bucked rivet" The outer door handle is done with Huck rivets. A collar crimped on the shank of the rivet. I need to buy a huck gun now, or use some Stainless bolts.
This pic is of a 256 huck gun it will pull 1/4 to 3/8 Magna Grip rivets, blind and huck. There are several air powered models, we have two 256 guns in the shop mainly for trailer repair. The two guns with an assortment of nose pieces is around $7,500 smackers probably, closer to $8,000. Truck Shop
Yeah, I know... Not exactly what I need for a door handle.
Every year I say I’m going to get a huck gun. Then I get sidetracked.
Yeah.... no. That's like $10k Canadian lol. I guess what I need is a cost effective alternative to the OEM style rivets. I really don't feel like paying the Peterbilt body shop big bucks to rivet my cab panels back on either. Starting to think either I'm cheap or that I should have bought a Western Star instead lol.
We just bought a huck gun that does 3/16 and 1/4 inch, that thing is sweet. It was about 2500 bucks for genuine Huck brand stuff but you can get them alot cheaper for foreign made that probably would have suited us fine. There is no end to the fasteners available, you can pretty much find something for everything.
Those are aluminum 3/16 buck rivets and those rivets use a brazer head tool #AJAX 1620 in a air chisel. Three hits per rivet is about it, don't miss or you will put a stress pucker in it. 3/16 Magna Grip for the for any others that require a collar type rivet. Truck Shop
So pretty much a 2 man job to do a cab I guess. How's the clamping force doing that with an air hammer?
I will have to dig thru my crap again, cannot remember the make of it but a old man at a Paccar dealer had a rivet swedge tool look like a C/clamp with a attitude. No air hammer, no beating the rivets just squeezed them tight, air operated. Was also a tactic as to which panel to first and the ones to do last so would still work easy and accessible.
Look up hi loc rivets. We use on air planes looks kind of like a Huck but you don’t need the gun
Yes two man. They are strong enough but practice on some junk before you jump on the door. The tool that matches the rivet is one of the keys for a neat job. Keep the pressure down.
I used the solid rivets and i was lucky and found a air riveter like a air chisel at a used tool store. I didnt have any bits so i borroowed one and machined my own. It was easy and turned out good.You can use about any thing on the backside. I made a cuter to cut the rivets to lenght before they were used.