I need to swap a crossmember from my parts truck to my `76 clubcab and would like to use rivets instead of bolts, anyone have a source to buy from as I can`t seem to find much available? I did find these guys - http://www.bigflatsrivet.com/steel_rivets.php

How do you plan on installing them? It takes a good amount of pressure to flare them and make them fit tightly.

Don't waste your time. Its just about impossible to duplicate the factory installed rivet's. Just find a grade 8 fine thread that fits the hole or drill larger to fit the bolt. Use grade 8 fine thread, flat washers and stover nuts.

I use the shouldered bolts used to bolt the rear bumper brackets to the frame

I have good air hammer and I use to work on Grumman trucks so I have the right bits. I plan on welding it in also so the rivets are more for the correct look.

The local tractor supply chain sells rivets for farm equipment. Not sure how big they have though, it's only place I can think of.

You should be able to find what you need from the usual suspects (McMaster-Carr, Grainger, etc.)

most truck spring shops also correctly replace those frame rivets by putting red hot rivets into the hole then mushrooming the end just like at the factory....

Another option, we did this on some street rod stuff. Take a grade 8 bolt and grind it down to look like a carriage bolt top. Zip it in with an impact and it'll be good.

Most of the carriage bolts we come across are of a lower quality than grade 8

Boy, it sounds like a lot of work. I had a similar situation 30 years ago with the rear spring hangers on a 2-ton grain truck. We swapped in a different rear end out of a different truck and wanted to use the different truck's springs, which were longer. I settled on bolting the spring hangers in with Grade 8 bolts, torqued to spec (80% of yield) and never had a bit of trouble. I don't believe the rivets do any more than a decent bolt. They're not supposed to be in shear, they are stretched to provide clamping force. The rivet is stretched to provide clamping force by nature of it being installed hot and then shrinking while cooling down.

You'll do what feels best to you, but from a technical point of view I don't think you'll gain anything mechanically over a properly torqued Grade 8 bolt. And unless the rivet goes in red hot or hotter, you won't get as much force as the bolt provides.

R.

"Three major tests are used to ensure that rivets comply with the requirements of IFI
114, shear strength, tensile strength and mandrel break load.
• Other tests such as blind head formation (usually in conjunction"

I think rivets need to work in shear by where they are used?