Is a rivet tool a must for relining brake bands and drums or can they be installed with a little ingenuity?
On what machine? A steel block and a punch are all that is absolutely required, but I haven't heard of anybody riveting the own brakes except old crane guys in years.
It's a 1967 Case 580CK. I'm thinking I need something the same diameter as the rivet to fit in the recessed hole of the brake lining.
That reminds me of another one of those old tools I wish I had talked someone out of years ago. One of the old quarries the company had for many years in the back of an unused part of the small shop was a rivet machine. About the size of a drill press and I believe it was foot operated. Just hold brake shoe and lining under the "anvil" and stomp down on foot peddle with one foot. Just remembered if you look at that picture over to the left of the old Mack, well that truck was pulled out of the hedge row at that quarry so that rivet tool may have been used for the brakes on that truck back in the day! Actually found a picture online that looks similar to the one I recall: or here is one on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/CHICAGO-RI...125347?hash=item1ce3372163:g:7FMAAOSwIV5eAAA~
Can be done with basic tools, did some brake shoes just the other week. Get the biggest punch you have that'll fit in the hole in the linings, doesn't have to be the full size of the rivet but the bigger the better. Clamp this firmly in a vice. Then I think I used a centre punch to start opening the rivet out. Followed by a rounded punch (which was actually a piece of hard steel rod shaped on the bench grinder, works fine) to get the rest of the shape. Finish with a very small ball peen hammer afterwards. The results aren't as pretty as the factory did it, but they're tight and mushroomed over such that there's no question of them not working correctly. Points worth noting... You don't normally get any spare rivets in the kits, so you can't afford any mistakes. Some shoes require longer rivets at the ends and longer rivets should be supplied for this, check which is which before it's too late. Don't go hammering away madly and allow the shoe/lining to jump off the punch that you've got held in the vice. It can happen, and if the lining ends up on the punch rather than the rivet it'll break. It isn't a job I like, but it is possible without any real tools. If there's a local brake place nearby that can do it (ideally bond them on), that's a better option.
Like Bill says, regular brake and clutch shops bond them on also and they don't charge much for putting them on either.. at least around here. Last time I took in a set of 580's I think it was less than 30 bucks and they did all the removal and prep work basides a nice professional job on the install!!!
Snap On make air hammer adaptors of different sizes which do a neat job of it. TIP - The linings will last alot longer if you take them to an old school brake shop & get them bonded.