# how to rivet braces on j.c. higgins fenders??



## mj99a (Apr 5, 2013)

i want to replace the braces on my fenders. who do i go to about having them riveted to the fender. or how do i do it myself?
thanks in advance mj


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## Mybluevw (Apr 5, 2013)

It depends on how concerned you are with being correct. I use threaded rivets for most of the stuff I do...basically a miniature carriage bolt. They look pretty close to a rivet from the outside of the fender, but have a nut on the inside. You can also buy fender rivets and a rivet press on ebay.


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## SirMike1983 (Apr 5, 2013)

Mybluevw said:


> It depends on how concerned you are with being correct. I use threaded rivets for most of the stuff I do...basically a miniature carriage bolt. They look pretty close to a rivet from the outside of the fender, but have a nut on the inside. You can also buy fender rivets and a rivet press on ebay.




When I replace rivets, I use riv-bolts as well. They can come in handy if you ever need to pull the braces again for whatever reason. I guess you'd need rivets to do a purely correct restoration. I bought a bundle of the riv-bolts from Memory Lane Classics a few years ago and am only now starting to run low.


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## mj99a (Apr 5, 2013)

SirMike1983 said:


> When I replace rivets, I use riv-bolts as well. They can come in handy if you ever need to pull the braces again for whatever reason. I guess you'd need rivets to do a purely correct restoration. I bought a bundle of the riv-bolts from Memory Lane Classics a few years ago and am only now starting to run low.



thank you both.   mj


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## mj99a (Apr 6, 2013)

*rivi-nut size?*



SirMike1983 said:


> When I replace rivets, I use riv-bolts as well. They can come in handy if you ever need to pull the braces again for whatever reason. I guess you'd need rivets to do a purely correct restoration. I bought a bundle of the riv-bolts from Memory Lane Classics a few years ago and am only now starting to run low.



on ebay i see 10-24 and 8-32 riv-nuts is one more suitable than the other for a j.c. higgins fender?
thx  mj


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## m_fumich (Apr 14, 2013)

Couldn't you adapt an arbor press to function as a rivet press?


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## John (Apr 15, 2013)

I used this for my Higgins.
http://www.hansonrivet.com/w78.htm


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## m_fumich (Apr 30, 2013)

Where do you get the rivets?


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## Djshakes (Apr 30, 2013)

m_fumich said:


> Where do you get the rivets?




Hanson Rivets.  For schwinn the part number is D3-7-ST.  I think it is a 5/32 or 9/64 tubular truss rivet.  I would imagine they are similar for all bikes.


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## catfish (May 1, 2013)

Djshakes said:


> Hanson Rivets.  For schwinn the part number is D3-7-ST.  I think it is a 5/32 or 9/64 tubular truss rivet.  I would imagine they are similar for all bikes.




Good to know! Thanks for the info.


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## Djshakes (May 6, 2013)

I bought a hand clincher like john posted but was not very happy with it.  There is a chance you will screw up your fenders while trying to hold it, hold the hammer and fender and hammer away.  *cough, cough*.

I bought a "rivet squeezer" off ebay for $79. I think it has a 3 inch reach.  You then need to buy the 5/32 rivet dies (.187 shanks).  I got them in the mail the other day and they squeeze a rivet perfectly with little effort.

John....you need one of these. No more hammering!


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## Stinky_Sullivan (May 6, 2013)

How about a pic of the squeezer?


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## Stinky_Sullivan (May 6, 2013)

The braces on my Higgins Colorflow are a bit different than the ones on my Murray and my Flightliner. I'm sure that makes the rivets different too. Where can I get those rivets? My Color flow braces go to the outside of the fender, not the inside.

Like this.....


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## Djshakes (May 7, 2013)

Here it is


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