wracked frame

[ralph j lawrie]

checking 2 frames i have and they are diamond shape by one half inch back on drivers side is this normal or should they be straighten.

[700rpm]

Must be straightened.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by ralph j lawrie

checking 2 frames i have and they are diamond shape by one half inch back on drivers side is this normal or should they be straighten.

As already indicated, they really should be straightened as this is not how Henry's crew sent them out the doors.

Personally, I think you will find it best to remove any sag in the frame rails by using a heat-shrinking method first (--not cold bending!!). Next using a pulling device such as a Porta-Power or Come-along Hand winch, pull diagonally until the frame is square again and holds the proper dimensions without any tension from the pulling device. Then, using a 3X Rivet Gun and a heavy-mass bucking bar, tighten each rivet in the entire frame. This is accomplished by using a torch that can throw a concentrated flame and then bucking the rivet.

There are two key elements here that should be followed to get correct results. You must use a Rivet Gun and not an air hammer! While the two guns do look similar, they do not work the same way. Also, using a regular torch head allows the head of the rivet to become cherry red however the heat is not transferred down into the shank of the rivet to make it soft. I use a Dillon Torch for this operation because I can heat the head and the shank simultaneously where the rivet actually swells inside the hole when it is bucked.