C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets

[George D. 31849]

How do you properly peen the rivets that attaches the brace to the spare tire tray?

[Bob R.]

Re: C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets

I took a peice of steel drilled a slight recess set it on the rivet and gently hit it. I did have to shorten the rivet a little bit on a grider. I found they were a little too long and would bend over instead of round over. The aluminum is very soft and bends easily.

[Charles A.]

Re: C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets

Brown Tool co. (look up on internet) sells a setting tool that goes on the end of a stock air hammer and will give you a perfect solution. Only costs 5 dollars.

[John H.]

Re: C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets

Lots of different styles of 3/16" rivet set tools that fit a .401" shank air hammer at Aircraft Tool Co., http://www.aircraft-tool.com .




Rivet Set Tools

[Donald T.]

Re: C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets

Long Island Corvette has rivet setting tools as well. A few good whacks with the hammer and your good to go!

[Mike M.]

Re: C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets

Greetings!
Sorry, I have to speak-up.
I've seen too many "restorations" with rivets that look like they have nearly been pounded and rounded into oblivion with a ball peen hammer, only to receive the appropriate judging deductions unnecessarily.
Originals were not peened, they appear to be neatly pressed on the very end.
After inserting the rivet through the tub and the "V" bar, the exposed end
of the rivet should be the same length as the rivet/opening diameter. The flat end punches mentioned in that same diameter would work best. It does not take much to attain the needed expansion, often a single blow will do it. The finished appearance should still be relatively straight and flat on the end, with a slight flat recess evident on the end from the punch and expanded enough to extend slightly beyond the hole.
H. a. N. D.

[Mike G.]

Re: C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets

On my survivor '65, there were several places on the V-strap where multiple circular impressions can be seen adjacent to the rivet. If these weren't the marks left by a rivet set in a pneumatic rivet gun, what could they have been?

[John H.]

Re: C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets

They're marks from a pneumatic rivet-set gun - that's what St. Louis used - LOTS of them, all over the Body Shop.

[John H.]

Re: C2 Spare Tire Tray Rivets - Addendum

And adjacent to the frame upside-down line, which is where the spare tire tub and lower tray was subassembled and installed.