Window smashed out AGAIN!!..rivets..??

[shlompyboy]

hey guys..

for the third time in 2 years my front/passenger window got smashed out..once again. they only got 51 cents or something like that...anyways this time, instead of paying $135 (the cheapest) to have someone replace it, i have taken it upon myself...i found a piece of glass at the junk yard for only $65 (ah..much better), but after having reviewed the replacement proccess in my haynes manual, i realized i needed replacement 'rivets', and no car parts store around here seems to know where i can find them...can anybody shed some light on this for me, i mean where to find them..or can i just use bolts instead??..it is monsoon season here in portland..much appreiciaated..peace..

jeremy

 

[RangerX]

My rivets wore out, and I replaced them with bolts.

 

[97BlackX5.0]

word of warning if you do use bolts you cant tighten them too much. i swapped a window out once and i was just getting done tigtening them and went for one more bite on the nut and BAM i had a lot of very small pieces..... Ive heard the rivets are a special type that only crush so far and because the glass is usually curved you have to be very careful on putting to much force to "straigten it" .... go to a body shop... they would probably be able to hook you up ...with at least the rivets that is

 

[Rhett]

If you use bolts, be careful tightening them, and use blue loc-tite on the threads, so it won't vibrate loose over time.

 

[doradexplorer]

Home depot has a bin of small rubber washers, if you put two of those on each bolt against the glass on each side, and double nut the bolt/ loc-tite at such a point so that they are not to tight, that should work. Just check clearances on the ends of teh bolts against door lock rods/ etc.
Scott

 

[shlompyboy]

hmmm..

ok , so here's my experience with this for future reference..i decided to take it down to a body shop to get there take on it, and see if they had the rivets..he ended up showing me the trick..since that rail is pretty flimsy, it's hard to knock the center of the rivet out, so he took a pretty large deep socket, and put it in between the outside door and the rail/rivet..using this as support he knocked out the center of the rivet..i then proceeded to drill out the rest of the hole with a 1/4 inch bit, and used 1/4 inch bolts to put the new glass back on..hope this helps someone in the future..peace..

jeremy..