Disassembly of rear roof pantograph brackets

[batgins]

Hi everybody!! Can you help me how to disassembly roof pantograph brackets? and how to remove the pins without ruining them..or at least where I can find the spare pins ..thank you so much

[alaskadan]

You will have to ruin those by either drilling them out or grinding the heads off and punching them out. You would have to replace them with bolts or new steel rivets. Bolts would be the easiest.

[batgins]

thanks..I thought maybe bolts nuts interfere with canvas..

[alaskadan]

Well, I don't own a westy so that's a valid concern. You can peen over steel replacement rivets but it may be tough without the proper tooling and may create a binding hinge.

[Ahwahnee]

May I ask... why do you want to take them apart?

[Jake de Villiers]

[batgins]

because of i am restoring my vanagon..

I'm a bit undecided whether to disassemble it or not .. because you can see little when it is mounted .. sorry for the bad English

[Ahwahnee]

You're doing a beautiful job of it - but I would be inclined to leave those parts 'as is'.

They look pretty good now (just the usual discoloration) but it could be very hard to get the 'tight but not too tight' fit of the originals.

[batgins]

I'm very undecided too .. but all the other pieces I have already dust painted them and I wouldnt' be beautiful if you could see this ugly piece

[Robw_z]

Could they be dipped and nickel-plated as is? A little use may break through any gumming up of the plating at pivot points.

-Rob