Upper ball joint rivets

**ssl78** · #1 02-25-2002, 02:22 AM

I am redoing the front end of my 1969 Chevelle and am having a hard time finding the correct 1/4 inch upper steel buck rivets for the upper ball joints. Anybody have any idea where to get them. I have ordered them through a Corvette and Camaro parts catalog and recieved 5/16 rivets both times.

**SS427** · #2 02-25-2002, 03:03 AM

Shoot me an e-mail with your address. I believe I have enough for one set of control arms left over. These are the actual rivets used by GM.

CamarosRus · #3 02-27-2002, 03:58 AM

When I was doing my 70 Z-28 upper control arms I searched all over metro Seattle talking with every large frame and alignment shop......I came to the conclusion thats it's a lost art installing riveted ball joints....I finally had Don Dorfman at ASL in Nevada install them for me.....He had built a special little fixture to support joint/control arm and used some kind of punch press or ???......anyway whos doing them now? for how much?? and are the upper ball joints still readily available from G.M.
What about just finding another set of control arms with GOOD used ball joints??
thanks, Chuck

**Stefano** · #4 02-27-2002, 04:06 AM

D&M Corvette in Downers Grove, IL. will rivet the ball joints to the control arms.

**ssl78** · #5 02-27-2002, 09:08 PM

The problem using a corvette place is that Corvettes use 5/16 rivets not 1/4in. There is places that do it but I could do it myself if I could get the rivets.

68 COPO II · #6 03-14-2002, 08:22 PM

ssl78,
I finally reached this same point on my subframe. Did we ever find a source for the 1/4 inch rivets?

fpcopo · #7 02-20-2003, 02:51 AM

Flying "A" in Omaha has the rivets and also has a fixture to install them. They can do Camaros,Chevelles, Vettes, fullsize, and 55-57s. 402 593 1090. They did mine and came out perfect. It's best to wait to paint the a frame til last because the rivet has to be heated red and bucked in place. Then the cooling shrinks it tight.

Enoch · #8 02-20-2003, 03:14 AM

FYI I can install the rivets also, I just thought you were looking for a supplier of rivets. As the one I had it cost only pennies per rivet.
I still have almost 1000 of them and will send out sets to those intrested or if you want them installed let me know too. e-mail address is [email protected] I'll get them out asap.

Jeff H · #9 02-20-2003, 01:33 PM

I wasn't sure which rivets you had and assumed they were the Corvette rivets. Since I know my car won't be 100% factory correct I wasn't too concerned, but the closer it is, the better.

T Billigen · #10 02-21-2003, 08:51 PM

Does anyone have some NOS upper and lower ball joints for sale? (69 camaro)

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