32 Ford crossmember rivets

[Yellowfordcoupe]

My buddy Rusty from Ohio wants to know if the 32 crossmember rivets are the same like them from the Model A and if not, where can he get the correct rivets for his disassembled 32 frame?
Thanks for your help,
Alex

[Steve Staysko]

I bought rivets for my 34 frame from Roy Nacewicz www.fordbolts.com Phone: 734-654-9450 and I'm sure that he has rivets for a 32.

[DavidG]

If Roy doesn't have them, Big Flats Rivet does at www.bigflatsrivet.com.

[BR549]

Your John Deere Imp. dealer will have iron revets in many sizes and shapes and there cheap.

[Rascal]

Yes, any farm machinery supply store will have rivets.
i used Massey harris old stock ones that held the Knives [ sharp triangular Blades] on to the long sickle bars.
Just a tip, Alternatively you can use very High grade , usa made 5/16 oval head coach bolts, the nuts are concealed underneath ,when tightened. work great.

[Yellowfordcoupe]

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Thanks for all your help. That should work. Think they used the same size rivets on the whole chassis, too. Alex

[jim1932]

So.... umm...what is the answer to the question? Are they the same as the A? Just curious.

[PeteVS]

Pretty sure they're the same diameter, so I guess the answer would be "yes." Only thing to watch out for are different lengths. Most go thru only two thickness's of material but some go through three, so length of those would be longer. Other consideration is that Model A frame is heavier gauge material than the '32. I think you want rivet length to be about one and a half diameters greater than the combined thickness of material being riveted.

[DavidG]

They certainly are not all the same rivet. The six rivets attaching the top of the front cross member to the frame side rails have countersunk flat head whereas the remainder have round heads. The proper installation of the front fenders is dependent on the heads of those six rivets to be flush with the surface of the top of the frame side rails.

[PeteVS]

Originally Posted by DavidG

They certainly are not all the same rivet. The six rivets attaching the top of the front cross member to the frame side rails have countersunk flat head whereas the remainder have round heads. The proper installation of the front fenders is dependent on the heads of those six rivets to be flush with the surface of the top of the frame side rails.

Wouldn't the front crossmember rivets be round head rivets installed from the inside with the shank being driven down into the countersunk holes and finished off to be flush with the top of the frame rails? If the heads were "countersunk flat" and installed from the outside, that would entail forming a nice round head on the inside of the frame.

[russcc]

Contact Big Flats rivets in NY. They have the answers to the questions you are all guessing at.

[DavidG]

With the right equipment, creating a round head underneath is do-able and what was done originally, but likely beyond the resources of a restorer. You could always fake it by creating a round head underneath with a wire welder as a substitute or finish off a round-head rivet inserted from the bottom as suggested. As for what was done originally, that is not a guess.

The frame shop was one of the noisiest places to work in those days given the extensive use of rivets. I imagine the degree of deafness induced by working under such conditions was considerable.

[tiquer]

Originally Posted by PeteVS

Wouldn't the front crossmember rivets be round head rivets installed from the inside with the shank being driven down into the countersunk holes and finished off to be flush with the top of the frame rails? If the heads were "countersunk flat" and installed from the outside, that would entail forming a nice round head on the inside of the frame.

I believe you are correct .

[DavidG]

Not to beat this to death, but according to the original engineering drawing for the frame assembly, the six rivets in question are specified as "flat c/s hd" and the part number of the rivet was 352025-S.

[jerseyboy]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Not to beat this to death, but according to the original engineering drawing for the frame assembly, the six rivets in question are specified as "flat c/s hd" and the part number of the rivet was 352025-S.

Thanks Dave, seeing as you had pointed out that my front cross member was an replacement bolted in, I now know what to replace them with.

Although I think this has been covered in another thread, this thread is more specific.

Keep V-8ing and 4-banging!

[true blue 32 man]

Hello Just picked up a beautiful stock frame . Near mint except that the rear crossmember was bolted in. I found that my local FASTENALL dealer Has nearly every imaginable size and length round head rivet. These round head rivets are about .25 to .27 cents each The 5/16 dia X 5/8 shank length were right for the tabs and 5/16 x 7/8 worked well for the side and top rivets. The longer top and side ones were needed because this frame was the later type with the long style inner reinforcments. Macs and Snyders both sell the bucking tool that fit a standard air hammer and will make a nicely formed rounded stock looking job with a little care and practice. Wear ear plugs when riveting because this is a very noisy process. When doing the FRONT crossmembers years ago i used the round head 5/16 x1/2 length and for the (3) countersunk ones on top of the rails I installed them with the heads at the inside bottom and mushed the rivet till it filled the countersunk area on top and then ground off the excess til it was flush with the frame rail. Looked exactly like Henry's originals. Hope this helps. Pete the true blue 32 man