ralph j lawrie
Junior Member
checking 2 frames i have and they are diamond shape by one half inch back on drivers side is this normal or should they be straighten.
wracked frame
- Thread starter ralph j lawrie
- Start date
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
As already indicated, they really should be straightened as this is not how Henry's crew sent them out the doors.
Personally, I think you will find it best to remove any sag in the frame rails by using a heat-shrinking method first (--not cold bending!!). Next using a pulling device such as a Porta-Power or Come-along Hand winch, pull diagonally until the frame is square again and holds the proper dimensions without any tension from the pulling device. Then, using a 3X Rivet Gun and a heavy-mass bucking bar, tighten each rivet in the entire frame. This is accomplished by using a torch that can throw a concentrated flame and then bucking the rivet.
There are two key elements here that should be followed to get correct results. You must use a Rivet Gun and not an air hammer! While the two guns do look similar, they do not work the same way. Also, using a regular torch head allows the head of the rivet to become cherry red however the heat is not transferred down into the shank of the rivet to make it soft. I use a Dillon Torch for this operation because I can heat the head and the shank simultaneously where the rivet actually swells inside the hole when it is bucked.