front idler wheel

[Jim Leap]

Hello Cletrac forum,

I have one good idler hub with warn out idler wheels and one bad hub with decent idler wheels and from these two units I need to make one good unit. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the best method of rivit removal? My press is not big enough to get the wheel into. If I can locate a larger press can they be pressed out easily? I have cut the heads off and they seem to be slighlyt countersunk. They sure won't come out with a punch and hammer. I've tried that. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim Leap

[Blake Malkamaki]

Jim, rivets expand all the way through as they are riveted over. That's why they hold so well and don't allow movement between the two pieces. Drilling the center out of them may be the easiest way. I have not tried this, but you could drill the center out big enough to get a welding rod into (mig would probably work better), then weld the hole you drilled back up. The rivet would shrink and loosen up. Then it may drive out easier.

Good luck.

[Bill Seal]

If you're really skillful with a cutting torch, you could drill out the center and CAREFULLY burn out the shell. If you don't get the hub too hot, the burning will stop at the parting line. I've seen an iron worker blast out a 3/8 tap that I stupidly broke off inside an antenna flange. (We were 1500 ft up on a tower, and he really saved my backside)

[Jim Leap]

Thanks for the responses.

Took a bit if time but I ended up cutting off both ends of the rivets with a cutting torch. I then carefully cut into the rivet to remove the little bit of taper and weaken the rivet. I then was able to pry off the idler wheels from the hubs. I then took the good hub and ground off the rivets flush with the hub and clamped the hub in the drill press and drilled 5/16 holes through each of the rivets. I was then ablel to use a punch and drive out the rivets. BTW the rivets are 3/8 inch. I used grade 8 bolts and an impact wrench to put it all back together. Once I had it torqued down real good I welded the nuts to the bolts. Should work O.K.

Jim

[Blake Malkamaki]

I would think that would work ok Jim. The bolts may allow more movement between the pieces than the rivets, but it may not matter. You can probably buy new rivets at a farm supply, make a rivet head for an air chissel, heat the rivets up red hot and re-rivet it. Then, when they cool, you know everything would be really tight.