[Shop-talk] Welding v. Rivets

[Jim Juhas]

My thought was that I can seal the area with a silicone adhesive or automotive bonding agents that will not be compromised by welding, and so superior to weld through coatings and the like. The bed is attached to the truck frame with eight 1/2 inch bolts so the rivets (or welds) do not add much structural integrity to the structure.

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Jim Juhas

> On Jul 31, 2016, at 6:33 PM, rwil at sbcglobal.net wrote:
> 
> Based on owning an Austin Healey with steel fenders and aluminum
> shroud I would vote for the rosette welds.  You can probably get to
> much of the heated metal around the welds with some paint or LPS2.
> There is even weld through primer but I don't know how successful it
> is.  If you are using MIG or TIG the heat affected zone will be small,
> but if you use oxyacetelene it will be pretty big and you will need to
> respond accordingly.
> 
> If you use aluminum rivets you will need to take the same precautions
> to keep the rivet area dry or sealed, too.  If you do, the result will
> probably last for longer than you will have the truck anyhow.
> 
> -Roland
>> On Thu, 28 Jul 2016 18:27:08 -0400, you wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> I am replacing the support rails for the bed of my 2007 F250.  (I 
>> thought about a bed replacement but it seems the rails are the only 
>> rotten parts.  NO RUST in the fender wells!)
>> 
>> Once the old rails are removed, my plan was to rosette-weld in the new 
>> ones.  But, I have the ability to use aircraft rivets, probably 3/16" 
>> size.  If I do this, I can seal the entire junction with silicone, as 
>> I've done in my FFR Roadster. Welding will leave a place for corrosion, 
>> but would the exposure be better or worse with the dissimilar metal of 
>> the rivets, aluminum v. steel?
> 
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