Hey everyone out there. I am looking for pointers on my winter front suspension and steering rebuild. I just put new control arm bushings and ball joints in my 69 Z. I bought a set of original style rivets to re-attach my upper ball joints into the upper control arm. I have never installed these or even heard of how it is done. I would like the factory look instead of the bolts that the ball joints came with. I had my local machine shop install the bushings but they told me they don't know how to do the rivets either. I stopped at a large brake and clutch machine shop in Des Moines and they said the rivets needed to be heated red hot and then a special air hammer rivet gun rounds the top off. But they don't do that either. Any suggestions?

Go to your local Kenworth or Peterbuilt dealership. I know they have tooling to work with rivets similar to that or you can try these:

http://www.ss396.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=camaro6769&Product_Code=DRVT-33&Category_Code=BALLJOINTS

There is an attachment for an air hammer that hammers the. you have to do it all at once as the rivet work hardens and if you stop before it is flush you can't go back... you have to drill it out and start over.

Here's some information I was able to locate. Hope it helps.

Safety Note:

This procedure is intended to be used by competent adults who are familiar with the proper safety precautions to be taken when using welding equipment and the other tools mentioned.

Please take proper precautions to avoid burns to yourself and the area around you.

ALWAYS use eye protection when you are welding, using tools including hammers and bucking bars, make sure your helpers are protected as well.

If you feel these procedures are beyond your abilities or equipment, locate a professional to do the job.

Choose the correct size rivet.

There should be about 1/32 or less clearance between the rivet and the hole. (A ¼ inch rivet should be in a hole no larger than 9/32 diameter.) If the hole is more than 1/32 larger, you should either go to the next diameter rivet or the hole should be welded shut and redrilled. When drilling, use the same size drill as the rivet. If installed correctly, the rivet will expand to fill the hole.

The length of the rivet is determined by the thicknesses of the material being held together. To make a round head you will need about 1 ½ times the diameter of the rivet. If you are using ¼ inch diameter rivet, you will need a rivet 3/8 inch longer than the combined thicknesses of the metal you are holding together. This should be used as a starting point, you may find that slightly more or less will produce a better head.

Installing the rivet.

Begin by bolting the assembly together. Be sure the alignments are satisfactory and everything is tight.

Remove one bolt and replace it with a rivet. Place the head on the side that is hardest to get to, and the end you will be working on the side easiest to work on. Hold the head of the rivet in place with a steel bar clamped with "c-clamps" or Vice Grips or however you can, to support the rivet SECURELY so that it will not move when you begin hitting the rivet.

When the rivet is secure, begin heating the exposed shank of the rivet with a welding torch with a medium tip. If the tip is to small you will heat the surrounding area too much, if too large, the rivet will be overheated and distort. You are not welding the rivet into the hole!

Heat the shank of the rivet "cherry red' and begin working it with a ball peen hammer. You want to expand the rivet into the hole then have it swell to begin to make the head. You will need to reheat the rivet as it cools. Form a rough head using heat and the hammer. Once you have a rough head the final thing to do is to finish the head with the appropriate bucking bar. Place the bucking bar over the head and strike the bucking bar with your hammer to form the head and tighten the rivet. When the rivet cools it should tighten the assembly. If there is a ring around the head of the rivet when you finish, the rivet was probably too long, try the next one slightly (1/32) shorter, if the head doesn't fill, try a little longer.

When using an air tool:

Heat the rivet as above. When the rivet is cherry red, place the cavity of the air tool over the end of the rivet and turn on the tool. This works great and is much quicker than a bucking bar. If necessary you can heat and re do with the air tool.

The finished job should look like the factory rivets or better and should be stronger than if the assembly were bolted together. This is not the easiest project in restoring an automobile but can be mastered with patience and common sense.

Heartbeat City has a vendor that does them if you can't find anyone local. You obviously have to ship the A arms in that case.
I worked mine by hand- cold. It wasn't easy.
Unlikely the factory drove them hot in my humble opinion.

Thanks for the info. I may give Heartbeat City a call if I cant find someone local.