Loose front fork pinch bolt
Discussion
Had a quick question which hopefully someone will be able to answer. I've had the front wheel off my bike today and when putting it back together noticed that the outer pinch bolt on the left hand fork (when looking at the bike from the front) won't tighten up, it also won't un-tighten just spins in place and certainly isn't loose as to fall out. All the others have torqued up fine. Does anyone know what might be causing this? All I can think is some numpty in the past has possibly overtightened it stripping the thread?
Cheers!
Cheers!
Isn’t ‘the left hand fork when looking at the bike from the front’ be what most would actually just call the right hand fork??
A visit to the Doctors with you must be a confusing time when you’re trying describe which knee / eyeball / testicle / ear lobe / whatever is hurting.
Sorry, slightly bored.
Bike make & model might help too as some you only ever need to undo one side.
A visit to the Doctors with you must be a confusing time when you’re trying describe which knee / eyeball / testicle / ear lobe / whatever is hurting.
Sorry, slightly bored.
Bike make & model might help too as some you only ever need to undo one side.
Agree it’s probably stripped threads. If the hole goes all the way through the fork then you’re lucky, and certainly all the bikes I’ve had form pinch bolts don’t have blind holes. So press from the back with a smaller bolt or something while unscrewing. And the fixes are much easier too.
If you’re then exceptionally lucky then the bolt may not have gone right to the end of the threads and a longer bolt might have enough to catch.
Bodge fix would be a longer bolt and a nut. Bodge 2 would be just to drill out and tap the next side up and use a thicker bolt if there’s enough meat around.
Proper fix would be a helicoil. Problem putting in the helicoil from the back would be the remainder of the tab would be at the front and depending on how it snaps off might stop the bolt screwing in. I wonder if you can ‘unscrew’ a helicoil in so the tab is still at the back. Never tried that...
Plan B and what I’ve done before on blind pinch bolts (had to do it on a kick starter recently) is helicoil from the ‘proper’ side. But it means drilling out the non threaded side of the pinch fitting to get the tap and helicoil through. Then you need to make up small sleeve to go back in the hole to take it back to the original diameter.
If you’re then exceptionally lucky then the bolt may not have gone right to the end of the threads and a longer bolt might have enough to catch.
Bodge fix would be a longer bolt and a nut. Bodge 2 would be just to drill out and tap the next side up and use a thicker bolt if there’s enough meat around.
Proper fix would be a helicoil. Problem putting in the helicoil from the back would be the remainder of the tab would be at the front and depending on how it snaps off might stop the bolt screwing in. I wonder if you can ‘unscrew’ a helicoil in so the tab is still at the back. Never tried that...
Plan B and what I’ve done before on blind pinch bolts (had to do it on a kick starter recently) is helicoil from the ‘proper’ side. But it means drilling out the non threaded side of the pinch fitting to get the tap and helicoil through. Then you need to make up small sleeve to go back in the hole to take it back to the original diameter.
moto_traxport said:
Isn’t ‘the left hand fork when looking at the bike from the front’ be what most would actually just call the right hand fork??
A visit to the Doctors with you must be a confusing time when you’re trying describe which knee / eyeball / testicle / ear lobe / whatever is hurting.
Sorry, slightly bored.
Bike make & model might help too as some you only ever need to undo one side.
It's a 1998 GSXR 600.A visit to the Doctors with you must be a confusing time when you’re trying describe which knee / eyeball / testicle / ear lobe / whatever is hurting.
Sorry, slightly bored.
Bike make & model might help too as some you only ever need to undo one side.
tvrolet said:
Agree it’s probably stripped threads. If the hole goes all the way through the fork then you’re lucky, and certainly all the bikes I’ve had form pinch bolts don’t have blind holes. So press from the back with a smaller bolt or something while unscrewing. And the fixes are much easier too.
If you’re then exceptionally lucky then the bolt may not have gone right to the end of the threads and a longer bolt might have enough to catch.
Bodge fix would be a longer bolt and a nut. Bodge 2 would be just to drill out and tap the next side up and use a thicker bolt if there’s enough meat around.
Proper fix would be a helicoil. Problem putting in the helicoil from the back would be the remainder of the tab would be at the front and depending on how it snaps off might stop the bolt screwing in. I wonder if you can ‘unscrew’ a helicoil in so the tab is still at the back. Never tried that...
Plan B and what I’ve done before on blind pinch bolts (had to do it on a kick starter recently) is helicoil from the ‘proper’ side. But it means drilling out the non threaded side of the pinch fitting to get the tap and helicoil through. Then you need to make up small sleeve to go back in the hole to take it back to the original diameter.
Unfortunately the hole doesn't go all the way through! If you’re then exceptionally lucky then the bolt may not have gone right to the end of the threads and a longer bolt might have enough to catch.
Bodge fix would be a longer bolt and a nut. Bodge 2 would be just to drill out and tap the next side up and use a thicker bolt if there’s enough meat around.
Proper fix would be a helicoil. Problem putting in the helicoil from the back would be the remainder of the tab would be at the front and depending on how it snaps off might stop the bolt screwing in. I wonder if you can ‘unscrew’ a helicoil in so the tab is still at the back. Never tried that...
Plan B and what I’ve done before on blind pinch bolts (had to do it on a kick starter recently) is helicoil from the ‘proper’ side. But it means drilling out the non threaded side of the pinch fitting to get the tap and helicoil through. Then you need to make up small sleeve to go back in the hole to take it back to the original diameter.
I think I'm going to try and get the existing one out and then use a longer bolt. Oh, the joys of working on a 20+ year old bike!
ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
Unfortunately the hole doesn't go all the way through!
I think I'm going to try and get the existing one out and then use a longer bolt. Oh, the joys of working on a 20+ year old bike!
Good luck with it. I think I'm going to try and get the existing one out and then use a longer bolt. Oh, the joys of working on a 20+ year old bike!
More fun working on a 70+ year old bike
It’s where I’ve being doing a few helicoils and sleeves on blind holes of late.
ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
Unfortunately the hole doesn't go all the way through!
I think I'm going to try and get the existing one out and then use a longer bolt. Oh, the joys of working on a 20+ year old bike!
Drill in to the head of the bolt and then screw in a long self-tapper with a washer round it.I think I'm going to try and get the existing one out and then use a longer bolt. Oh, the joys of working on a 20+ year old bike!
Use a drill/driver to unscrew the bolt while also pressing it out with a spanner behind the washer.
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