What Did These Split Rivits Hold?

[rboltz]

Took the front end apart yesterday as part of the restoration. The fenders and pans will be media blasted, as well as all the rest of the truck. On the fenders at the rear splash pans is a row of split rivets holding nothing. Must have been a weather strip in there at one time? You can see them in the pictures.

 

[MWMULES]

Yep, they were used to hold the fender welting

 

[maddawg308]

Mine were all rotted off, and I couldn't find a local source for them, so I used small 4x40 bolts with washers to hold the new welting on. I know, it's a bubba fix, but when you can't find the parts, you improvise.

 

[JGBallew]

You probably could have used those plastic trim rivets, or "fir trees" as well.

 

[T. Highway]

You can buy those split rivets from McMaster-Carr online. I also saw them at my local hardware store.

 

[rboltz]

Yep, they were used to hold the fender welting

Now I wonder what that looked like. There is none there now and nothing in the parts "exploded" views. So a strip from the rear of the fender to the rear splash pan I guess to keep water out. Probably did not last too long down there. Not sure what I will do when I put it all back together.

 

[M-37Bruce]

I will see if I can post a pic of them, John Bizal has them too.

 

[Bill W]

Yes as mentioned its the split rivets for the fender welting.
I used wide head aluminum pop rivets instead, the old split rivets had small heads and would eventually pull through the welting, no chance of that happening with the wide head pop rivets.

 

[foxtrk2]

vintage power wagons has all th ewelting and weather strips fo rthat application just got it all for my contact truck

 

[rboltz]

Yes as mentioned its the split rivets for the fender welting.
I used wide head aluminum pop rivets instead, the old split rivets had small heads and would eventually pull through the welting, no chance of that happening with the wide head pop rivets.

I don't think we are on the same page. I know about the welting for the engine compartment side panels being rivited on and I have those pieces. The rivits in my pictures are on the rear of the front fender flange where the rear splash pans meet. It seems there was some weather strip between the fender and the splash pans, out of view. The rivits are on the verticle fender flange, not horizontal like the engine side pans.

 

[Bill W]

You mean down here by the running board???? If so its the same welting

 

[vtdeucedriver]

You know bill, you can post more pics of that truck

 

[M-37Bruce]

I know Bill wishes he still had that one?

 

[1943ht]

If you are talking about the inner fender splash cover (Driver side cover fits over the dimmer switch, brake and clutch clevis pins etc), you are correct .. there was a gasket / welting that fit between the upper part of the inner fender splash cover and the fender ....otherwise as others have mentioned, the fender welting does run all the way down the fender to just above the running board support.

 

[rboltz]

You mean down here by the running board???? If so its the same welting

OK, that makes sense. Of all the trucks I have looked at, none had the welting on the lower part of the fenders. I got a "set" or welting with the truck and figured out the top part but the bottom seemed too long so possibly it needs cut to fit. Thanks to all!

 

[rboltz]

Split Rivet Replacement

I found a great replacement for the split rivets discussed here. I have used plastic retainers in other projects and thought I would see if one would work on the M37 weather strips. A company called Au-ve-co makes thousands of body shop items so I went though the specifications of hundreds of retainers looking for the proper head, length and stem diameter. There are several that may work but the best is catalog #14021. Just push them in through a hole in the strip and into the hole in the steel and you're done! To remove, cut it off with a knife or other cutter.

No more bending the rivet legs trying to get a tight fit!! It's not "stock" but a darn good substitute.

 

[WarrenD]

I'll have to look into that, thanks!!!

 

[rboltz]

A Few Pictures of The Retainers

$5 a box of 25. Picture of old rivet and new retainer. Head is the same diameter and the shaft fits the holes as stock.

 

[M-37Bruce]

Rear Fenders?

No rust/stain, nice catch rboltz. I'm thinking about the rear fenders now?

 

[WarrenD]

Here in the Communist state of CT I paid $7 for my box. Should get the missing section installed soon while waiting for my pinion seal set to show up.