Peel rivets

Jim Wilkins

unread,

Jul 26, 2015, 9:16:10 PM7/26/15

to

Specifically the 1/4" rivets in car doors that peel open like a banana
on the back side. How are you supposed to remove them?

I hit the stem as hard as I dared with a center punch, but a drill
wouldn't bite, so the van's owner used an angle grinder which was
kinda messy.

-jsw

Techman

unread,

Jul 26, 2015, 10:00:19 PM7/26/15

to

Pincers?

Ed Huntress

unread,

Jul 26, 2015, 10:03:21 PM7/26/15

to

They're like any single-side pop rivet. You either drill into the
head, using a drill about the same size as the hole, centering on the
hole; or you cut them off with a thin cutoff wheel in a Dremel. The
former is preferred.

Is the steel mandrel shank still showing in the hole? Sometimes they
break off near the top of the hole and you first have to drive them
down with a punch. That can be a problem in very thin metal.

I hate removing those damned things, but they are a slick device for
initial assembly. The peel types are made for weak materials and the
"petals" spread the load. The mandrel has four little cutters on it to
cut and expand the petals.

--
Ed Huntress

Larry Jaques

unread,

Jul 26, 2015, 10:03:35 PM7/26/15

to

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 21:16:57 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
<murat...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Specifically the 1/4" rivets in car doors that peel open like a banana
>on the back side. How are you supposed to remove them?

I worked on cars for 25 years (15+ of those for a living) and at a
body shop for over 5 years, but I can't say that I've seen the
backside of a door ever riveted on. Most door frames are pressed and
punched sheet steel, with a skin which is folded over the outer edges.
Only some of the stiffeners were riveted in, but most were spot
welded. Got a pic?!?

>I hit the stem as hard as I dared with a center punch, but a drill
>wouldn't bite, so the van's owner used an angle grinder which was
>kinda messy.

Put a 1/4" drill bit in the chuck, tighten down a stop 1/16" from the
tip, and drill away?

--
My desire to be well-informed is currently
at odds with my desire to remain sane. --Sipkess

Jim Wilkins

unread,

Jul 26, 2015, 10:37:40 PM7/26/15

to

"Larry Jaques" <lja...@invalid.diversifycomm.com> wrote in message
news:m54brat278p7inlhs...@4ax.com...

> On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 21:16:57 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
> <murat...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Specifically the 1/4" rivets in car doors that peel open like a
>>banana
>>on the back side. How are you supposed to remove them?
>
> I worked on cars for 25 years (15+ of those for a living) and at a
> body shop for over 5 years, but I can't say that I've seen the
> backside of a door ever riveted on. Most door frames are pressed
> and
> punched sheet steel, with a skin which is folded over the outer
> edges.
> Only some of the stiffeners were riveted in, but most were spot
> welded. Got a pic?!?
>
>>I hit the stem as hard as I dared with a center punch, but a drill
>>wouldn't bite, so the van's owner used an angle grinder which was
>>kinda messy.
>
> Put a 1/4" drill bit in the chuck, tighten down a stop 1/16" from
> the
> tip, and drill away?

They attach locks and window regulators, things I don't want to pound
on too hard to knock the rivet stem out.

-jsw

Terry Coombs

unread,

Jul 26, 2015, 10:46:17 PM7/26/15

to

If you're talking about those used to mount window power units he did the
right thing . Only way I ever found to get them out .

--
Snag

Larry Jaques

unread,

Jul 26, 2015, 11:17:10 PM7/26/15

to

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 21:46:18 -0500, "Terry Coombs" <snag...@msn.com>
wrote:

I've always drilled out rivets, including door window motors in doors
and tailgates. It sometimes took a pair of needlenose visegrips on
the back, but they came off easily.

With enough room (prop the window up), wiggle the banana peels back
and forth 4 times and they break right off.

Larry Jaques

unread,

Jul 26, 2015, 11:19:44 PM7/26/15

to

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 22:38:14 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"

<murat...@gmail.com> wrote:

>"Larry Jaques" <lja...@invalid.diversifycomm.com> wrote in message
>news:m54brat278p7inlhs...@4ax.com...
>> On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 21:16:57 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
>> <murat...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Specifically the 1/4" rivets in car doors that peel open like a
>>>banana
>>>on the back side. How are you supposed to remove them?
>>
>> I worked on cars for 25 years (15+ of those for a living) and at a
>> body shop for over 5 years, but I can't say that I've seen the
>> backside of a door ever riveted on. Most door frames are pressed
>> and
>> punched sheet steel, with a skin which is folded over the outer
>> edges.
>> Only some of the stiffeners were riveted in, but most were spot
>> welded. Got a pic?!?
>>
>>>I hit the stem as hard as I dared with a center punch, but a drill
>>>wouldn't bite, so the van's owner used an angle grinder which was
>>>kinda messy.
>>
>> Put a 1/4" drill bit in the chuck, tighten down a stop 1/16" from
>> the
>> tip, and drill away?
>
>They attach locks and window regulators, things I don't want to pound
>on too hard to knock the rivet stem out.

Oh, well why didn't you -say- so? <g> That's "window regulator
rivets", not "door back". (see my other posts on it)

cl...@snyder.on.ca

unread,

Jul 27, 2015, 2:06:52 PM7/27/15

to

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 21:46:18 -0500, "Terry Coombs" <snag...@msn.com>
wrote:

AKA "Knuckle Peelers". The grinder is the easiest, fastest, and safest
way to remove them.

David Billington

unread,

Jul 27, 2015, 3:06:50 PM7/27/15

to

The first time I came across them was when I was working at a motor
racing company and they called them "shit fight" rivets because they
were often used to repair damaged body work during a race, hence the
shit fight.