I'm rebuilding the regulators in my 71 Challenger. I've purchased replacement sliders for the regulator arms from RT Specialties. Upon grinding out the old riveted studs, I find the hole in the regulator arm is close to 0.200 inch. The stud on the RT Spec replacement part is 0.120 inch in diameter and shorter than the original. This makes it very hard to rivit the replacement sliders onto the arms. Any idea where to get the correct part or how to make this work?

Astrobuf

BUMP

Hello Astrobuf, I also ordered the new slides and went to school on how to install them. As you stated they do not look like they will work but you have to place the stud thru the regulator arm and using a hammer,a flat punch that is larger than the hole in the arm and a piece of hardened steel to set the slide on you will proceed to spread the stud. It will spread and fill the hole and tighten up.You will have to to keep spreading the stud until it is almost flat on the arm. It will help if you have someone help hold the regulator while you hammer away. Good Luck

Streaker,

Thanks for the post. I in fact did this on two arms of the 4 I need to fix! It works, but just barely. The old sliders had about 1/8" of stud projecting from the arm after the stud/rivit had been spread. Using your method, indeed the stud spreads to fill the hole, but it ends up almost flush with the arms sheet metal. I ended up using a center punch to try to swell the rivit out so it would roll over the arms sheetmetal and thus avoid a loosening problem some day.

My point I guess is that the part is wrong. There should be a better solution. I talked to Tom Race at RT, he advises one tack weld the stud to the arm. Not quite what I wanted to do, but perhaps good advice.

Thanks

Astrobuf

Hello Astrobuf, You are correct as mine was almost flush with the arm like you stated. I think I will go back and use the center punch as you advise. Thanks,Streaker I really like that hammer