Pesky axle clamp bolts!

[Slimjim]

Just spent the afternoon getting new front tyre fitted, new pads plus sorting a speedo problem. All was going well...too well in fact! In my enthusiasm to complete a good afternoons work I managed to shear one of the front axle clamp bolts completely. After the sickening feeling had passed and after some confusion why this had happened when my torque wrench was set right, I proceeded with the remaining three. Then ping...another one sheared!

Now after consulting with Mr Haynes I realise that I was tightening them in the wrong order (top ones first then bottom is the way to go) Silly mistake and one that I shall only be making once.

So what to do now? Those bolts are fitted into the forks. Anyone know a good solution?

The remaining 2 clamp nuts are just finger tight for now! (bike is off the road till I sort this)

Cheers

Jim

[FatFergie]

oh dear.
sorry I'm no help. when something like this happens I call in the pros (my local mechanic).

[T ALP]

Are you sure you were working on the correct torque scale?
I hav'nt looked at them but surely the studs are screwed into the fork leg is there anything still sticking out to grip and unscrew with? they are probably locktighted in as well so would be best to warm the leg bottom with a heat gun, if there is nothing to get hold of its a case of drilling them and using an extracter but they are of limited help really.
Iv'e actually drilled studs out almost to thread diameter then poked the remaining stud thread out which comes out in a spiral but it takes skill if you feel dubious take it to an engineer ---- Chris

[Mudwiz]

Did that to mine, but it broke with enough to get pliers onto. Tons of heat with a blow torch, and it came out. Now it just wears a long bolt insted!

[piguglyshandydrinker]

If part of the stud is showing it may come out with molegrips or else it will need heat, I'd check (or chuck) the torque wrench, they will not snap at the correct torque, a comon mistake is people often leave the torque wrinch under tension, slacken them off fully for storage.

It's also worth using a little common sense & 'feeling' when a bolt is tight enough & use the wrench to get the series of bolts to a uniform torque.

Phil

[Slimjim]

It was my mistake. I didn't have the torque set right and as it's a new wrench I haven't got a "feel" for it just yet. Tightening the nuts in the wrong sequence didn't help either! In hindsight I would have been better off using judgement and a normal spanner...

Anyway, I am encouraged by Mudwiz's comments because fortunateley both bolts have maybe half an inch showing with the clamp removed so there's some of the stud left to play with. I should easily be able to get some small molegrips onto them and I do have a heat gun. I'm also thinking of trying one of those socket style stud extractors that fit to a wrench. So I'm not quite into drilling stage just yet! If it works I'll definiteley replace the snapped studs with bolts!

[harrisphil]

sorry to hear your dilemma but you should be able to get the bolts out with a bit of application
when replacing the studs I would recomend again using studs with nuts as its far too easy to strip the threads in the soft alloy of the fork bottom with repeated use
uou can make a stud by cutting the head of a suitable set screw (fully threaded Bolt)

[YEN_POWELL]

If there's room to get 2 thin nuts on there, you can lock them together and use a spanner or socket to remove the studs.

[Slimjim]

Success! Had the afternoon off work so thought I'd have another crack at getting those studs out. Was hoping to use the 2 nut technique but not quite enough thread left for that. So I went out and bought a blow torch (always wanted one, now I had the excuse!) With quite a bit of heat, a set of straight jaw molegrips and a fair bit of patience both studs unscrewed fairly easily

Just need to get a couple of bolts to make new studs and I'll be back in business. So thanks for all the tips!

Cheers,

Jim

[Gotham]

Did it as well!
Is it OK to ride with 3 bolts that are correctly tightened until getting it fixed.
To get it out: what to heat – the bolt or the nest?