Frame rivets

i’m in the process of de-rusting my frame and i’m wondering if anyone has cut the rivets to get the rust out from between where toyota laminated another piece inside the frame to “reinforce” it. Think it’d be okay to lop em off and just replace them with grade 8 bolts?

 

I wouldn’t. Unless you are going to somehow pry the whole frame apart it won’t be worth the effort anyway because you won’t get all the rust. I’d get the flakes at the edge the best you can, using a needle scaler if you have a compressor, then shoot a bunch of something like Eastwood internal frame spray up in there then let cure and fire some fluid film on top of that and call it a day.

Eastwood Internal frame spray is super thin and will get into most cracks and crevices. The fluid film on top (or similar product) will be a final protectant layer.

Hypothetically if you do select to do your cut the rivets and use bolts, you need to select something as close if not same as the frame material, otherwise now you’ll deal with galvanic corrosion.

 

If that is your truck in the picture you have your work cut out.

Just where does that truck live??

 

where!

 

You can grind off the head and punch it out the opposite end.

 

It’s been around but has spent most of its life in bc on the coast so the salt in the air didn’t treat it well but i ended up just cutting all the rivets and prying that piece out to get the rust finally

 

I wouldn't. Jdevtec has some really strong points.

Also the rivet is a completely different force of fastener to a bolt. The tension will not be enough, nor consistent.