Peening Brake Camshaft Pins

[Mark]

I'm looking for advice on how to peen the parking brake camshaft pins. I'm replacing my brake bushings on my 26 coupe and had to also get new cams. Now that I'm ready to replace everything, I'm looking for information on the best way to peen each side of the pin on the cam. Each side of the pin has to be peened while on the car. It's going to be difficult to hit BOTH sides of the pin exactly at the same time. I haven't figured out a way to successfully do this. Has anyone completed this task before? And if so, how did you go about peening the pin?
Thanks.


UPDATE
I've discovered that the brake cam pins that come from two different well known suppliers are not the same size. The reason that I posted my question above was because the 1st set of pins you can push all the way through with your fingers with NO resistance at all. In fact they can fall out if you're not careful. I had to order parts again the other day and ordered a second set of pins in case I messed one up. I've discovered that the second suppliers pins are 0.003" larger and you have to finish driving them in. You can't just push them through. This should make it much easier to peen the ends. With the first set I got, I was trying to figure out how to keep the pin centered during the peen process, and why i posted my question.
Thank you to everyone that gave advice! And why I enjoy the forum.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Hold a big hammer against one side of the pin while you hit the other side to peen it. Then, switch sides and repeat.

[Allan]

Jerry nailed it, pun intended.

Allan from down under.

[DanTreace]

Did that too, one hammer on backside and strike with another ball peen hammer on the other end of the rivet to form over, the rivet is rather soft steel and forms rather quickly.

Of course was easier with axle housing on the work bench, you'll have to get out and get under

[Craig Leach]

Hi Mark,
I'm going to be doing this soon-ish on a rear end in the car & have wondered the same, on the stand its not to difficult but on the car by yourself
I will assume it's a PITA. My thought & I have not tried it yet, was to use a nut splitter to force a groove in the pin then turn 90* & make a second
one. Then turn the nut splitter around & repeat. Making a X in the ends of the pin & will not put any undue force on the shaft of the cam or the
bushing. I made a press for removing & installing valve linkage pins on fire trucks I will be trying it also.
I do something similar on U/joint pins. I center drill the pin in the lathe both ends then install a bolt with a very shallow point into the bottom
hole until it supports the pin, then flair the top side with a shallow pointed punch. Turn 180* & repeat until satisfied with the end of the pin.
This takes the load off of the drive shaft bushing.

[Allan]

It's not really a pita in the car. I just did it on the barn fresh car I am working on. Two hammers, one to strike with, the second to back the rivet. You can turn the cam and arm through 180 degrees to get the same set on both ends of the rivet. I did it all sitting on a stool!

Allan from down under.

[Craig Leach]

Back in June I made a suggestion for peening brake cam pins/rivets using a nut splitter to press & flare the pins. I'm still thinking it will work
when doing this with the rear end out but there is little need as you have good access to do this when the rear is out. How ever the question was
for ideas when it is in the car. This proved to be undoable if in the car especially if you have RM brakes. So I had to punt on this one! There is
little room to access the pins with radius rods & RM brakes. In fact it's darn hard! so came up with a solution that may be of interest to those
that like making their own tools. Using a valve guide impact driver ( that was miss ordered ) cut the end off & drilled recess in the end with a
ball end mill ( a drill Will work ) This worked great for peening the rivets when backed up with a dolly.

I noticed in one photo a worn backing plate where the brake cam had cut into it. I found a solution
to this by counter boring the backing plate & installing a washer for the cam to run on which should prevent that issue.

Craig.

[CudaMan]

It's been a while, but I seem to remember squeezing mine with a big pair of vice grips.