Archive Hanger Install Assistance/Motivation

I finally bit the bullet and started installing the hangers today. I've had them since September and kept putting it off knowing it was gonna be a doozy. 5 hours later and all I have to show for it are some holes in the damn rivets. Tomorrow I'll widen them and see if that's enough. Oh, just on the driver side. Haven't touched the passenger.

I did a crapton of digging to make sure I knew just how deep this rabbit hole was before I started. I figured it was simple but tedious. Even peeps on here make it seem so easy! A couple hours to get the rivets out, minutes to put everything back together.

I'd like to say I'm decently equipped to handle the task: I've got a good drill, angle grinder and spare disks, a crisp impact wrench, torque wrench, a million sockets, WD-40, duct tape, beer, and a prayer. I'm not unfamiliar with basic automotive mechanics and maintenance but by no means a wizard.

Anyway, this isn't me complaining. Very much excited about getting these installed and they're so beefy. Just looking for thoughts from others who have done it (or the BAMF/other brand equivalent). And reassurance/motivation. Mostly that.

Send help

 

I ground the rivet heads off and hammered a pry bar between the upper half and the frame. Once you pry it over the rivets you should be able to pry it down. Then you will have the rivets exposed on the frame.

Hopefully this motivates you

 

I have the BAMF ones and it was a bit more than I thought. I ground down the rivet heads then pryed the stock hanger off. Then I used a ball joint press on the ones I could get to which made it much easier. I did have to drill a few out and started small working my may up. I put a punch in there and was able to pound them out without drilling them all the way out. Patience is key and the will come out eventually.

 

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I need to buy a pry bar. And punches.

 

I remember doing these for my BAMF hangers. Hands down, 100% certain, it's the most PITA project I've done on my truck, and I've done a lot of them. Hang in there, the juice is worth the squeeze.

 

I ground off the rivet heads then took a small sledge to the brackets till I knocked them off. Then just drill out the rest. It's still a pain but I found that to be the easiest way.

 

NOTE - I have not attempted removing these rivets, and I have only glanced at the intall pictures previously, so I am just speaking in general terms that may have no assistance here.


For this job, grinding is probably easier on the rivet head.

Note, drilling down the rivet shank with a small size drill is the single most important item. If possible drill all the way thru the items, but not all the way thru the tail. This lets you remove the rivet shank by 'pulling' the material thru the stack up (with a pin punch down the middle). When trying to drive a rivet out, you are just swelling it more if you are just hammering on the top of the shank. If you drill thru the shank but not the tail, the material will shrink under axial stretch and help to come out. If you drill all the way thru, then you dont have anything to hammer on and you are stuck drilling (and elongating the hole, and risk the rivet spinning).

Make sure you have a pin punch to match the pilot size you drilled down the shank. If the rivet spins, you are in for some pain. Hopefully someone can hold the shank with pliers.

 

@Casper66
May be able to help.

 

As others have stated. I ground the heads off the 4 rivets, then got the stock hanger off. Ground off the rest of the rivet. All that was left was the little bit in the frame, and the head on the opposite side. Then start drilling. A lot less material to go through.

 

Pretty much exactly what @EatSleepTacos stated. I used a die grinder with a cut off wheel, because it’s a little easier to get into tighter places, to cut the rivet heads off flush with the OEM hangers. Then used a hammer, air chisel, and pry bar to loosen and remove the hanger. Note: if you don’t have the rivet heads ground flush and all the over lapping part of the head removed you’ll not be able to remove the hanger. Grind the remainder of the river flush with the frame, center punch, and drill. The washers that are tacked to the other side of the frame should stay in place.

 

To anybody out there getting ready to do this I will make a couple of suggestions. First EYE PROTECTION! Second, relax and take tour time with the grinding and drilling. This isn’t a race we hear how long it has taken others to do the job but that doesn’t mean we have to try and do it faster. You will b working in a semi tight space so have a good light to see with, take your time, enjoy it, and be safe. As somebody who has done metal work for a living I have had to have metal removed from my eyes 4 times with lazers, yes had safety glasses on. It’s not fun and in these times probably hard to get to an eye doctor. So be safe above anything else the job will get done

 

Getting metal removed from your eye sucks. I've done it twice. Second time was with glasses and a face shield. Now, I wear goggles and a face shield anytime I'm grinding or cutting.

 

For safety I use glasses and hearing protection. Eyes and ears just like when you go shooting. I'm not as young as I used to be and gave to save what little hearing I have left.

 

Yep forgot hearing protection. I guess I took that as a given as i always either have ear plus in or ear buds listening to music.

 

I followed this exact process when installing my bamf hangers and had both sides knocked out in about 3-4 hours total.

 

Getting rust ground out of your eye sucks. Especially when they hit the eyelid.

 

Ground? Thy always trimmed it out of mine with a lazer

 

They did mine with a drill. First had to pick the metal out, then clean up the rust. It didn't hurt at all while they were doing it, just an odd sensation.

The pain came later.

 

Shit I was stupid and went to urgent care last time and dude held me down and plucked it with a needle. I was at opthomologust the next day getting it fixed

 

Yeah he plucked it out then ground it with a mini Dremel lookin thing. I'm thoroughly convinced that every time they do work on your eyes, they leave the room with numbing eye drops out, so u can take it home haha.