Rivetted frames are that way on purpose


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Posted by casebro on Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 8:05PM :

In Reply to: welding a double frame posted by Junkyard dog on Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 6:18PM :

The rivets allow a limited amount of flex, which prevents the cracking that a welded frame of the same materials would suffer.

P.S.- how rivets hold things together: As the red hot rivet cools, it contracts- in length as well as girth. The shrunken length puts tension between the 2 layers. Thie tension causes friction between the parts, and it is this friction that keeps things together. As the rivet body shrinks in diameter, it allows the parts to move slightly whenever the torsion overcomes the friction between the parts. This limited give prevents the fatigue that would crack a frame much earlier in a welded construction. It also precludes the neccessity for locking differentials, since a 40 year old truck has plenty of flex in the frame and allows each wheel to contact the ground, I've seen 6ft beds twisted 45 degrees and not loose traction (lost clutch control from pedal binding, but pulling it up w/ boot toe drove me out.)
So, no, I wouldn't weld the frame layers, but I might lube my frame.



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