Bolts snapped off in wheel

[dcarver]

If you are wondering why I did this....just look at my avatar. It pretty much explains me in a nut shell.I have a Suzuki SV650 which shifts like butter.

A co-worker has a Hayabusa which shifted not so good.

He heard that worn damper blocks or "cush dampers" might cause harsh shift-itis so he put in new ones and claims it cured the affliction.

My FJR shifts harsher than I would like so just before I took the wheels in to have new rubber mounted I thought I'd have a peek at the damper blocks.

And that is how I ended up in this 12 step support group :dribble:

By the way, once when I looked at my SV650's damper blocks there was a "rubber dust" of some description inside the hub so I thought I might find the same within the FJR hub. Maybe it's more common to chain drive bikes....who the **** knows. :blink: (It was clean inside)

Anywho... I've got the wheel on a work surface and have carefully drilled out the first two bolts. They are metric and appear to be slightly larger than a number 10 standard bolt. I've only got taps for standard sizes and the next one up is a quarter twenty which I think I will use (it is however a fair bit larger). If I bought the same size metric tap and bolt I doubt I'd be able to install it in the original hole as I am doing this all free hand and as brilliant and skilled as I am, the hole I made isn't perfectly centered on the original. But its very close.

I figure I'll get a button cap bolt like the one Iggy shows in a quarter twenty and use the wimpiest loctite like he suggested. B)

Oh gawd no.. not another metric bike with sae shit? Just sayin'... keep it all metric.. the only way to go.

 

[Fred W]

The mechanic I use seems to be a knowledgeable and experienced guy who's been wrenching bikes for 30-40 years. He sees my FJR every 27k for a valve check. In the beginning, I would ask him if my FJR needed this or that - many things presribed by the service interval, and he told me that a lot of these maintenance evolutions are more likely to cause problems. Bearings, once worn and 'set' are better left alone. At first I was skeptical, but have learned to trust his advice.
So, in 179k, I have never serviced my head bearings or swingarm bearings for example. If I were to find play or looseness, well then sure, that would be a good time to address that issue. But why do it before?

I like this line of thinking...

At work we see this all the time. A machine that is otherwise working perfectly, suddenly develops problems after a "preventive maintenance". The best part is the equipment owners paid for the PM and they pay for the repairs too... :blink:

 

[just roy]

this was the retards post

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

this was the retards post

:rofl:

Everyone is confessing in this thread!

 

[Zolton]

Seems as if the OEM bolt was an M5. I'm going to try and replace it with an M6 (so's not to mix metric and SAE as per recommendations :huh: )

On another thread running as I write this regarding this same issue, a softer hex head bolt has been recommended. I have aquired a M6 x 1.0 bolt from our machine shop at work but it has a rather large philips head. I was concerned about clearance of the head once the wheel is reassembled but if others have used hex head bolts then I guess clearance won't be a problem with the three I've got. I'd still rather get a button head, allen type stainless steel bolt as a replacement as Iggy mentioned. Maybe I'll go to a bolt supplier after work to see what they've got.

What a pain in the ass. :angry2:

 

[Patriot]

Seems as if the OEM bolt was an M5. I'm going to try and replace it with an M6 (so's not to mix metric and SAE as per recommendations :huh: )On another thread running as I write this regarding this same issue, a softer hex head bolt has been recommended. I have aquired a M6 x 1.0 bolt from our machine shop at work but it has a rather large philips head. I was concerned about clearance of the head once the wheel is reassembled but if others have used hex head bolts then I guess clearance won't be a problem with the three I've got. I'd still rather get a button head, allen type stainless steel bolt as a replacement as Iggy mentioned. Maybe I'll go to a bolt supplier after work to see what they've got.

What a pain in the ass. :angry2:

it's OK...you and we have learned a lesson in the school of hard knocks and it'll be fixed soon

it's the non-fixable screw ups I've done that really get to me

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Seems as if the OEM bolt was an M5. I'm going to try and replace it with an M6 (so's not to mix metric and SAE as per recommendations :huh: )On another thread running as I write this regarding this same issue, a softer hex head bolt has been recommended. I have aquired a M6 x 1.0 bolt from our machine shop at work but it has a rather large philips head. I was concerned about clearance of the head once the wheel is reassembled but if others have used hex head bolts then I guess clearance won't be a problem with the three I've got. I'd still rather get a button head, allen type stainless steel bolt as a replacement as Iggy mentioned. Maybe I'll go to a bolt supplier after work to see what they've got.

Since you're already in there -- a 5mm helicoil repair would put everything back to spec (and no one would be the wiser -- as long as no one, here, tells... ). Helicoils work especially well in these types of repairs -- where repeated remove/replace isn't an issue. and provide good, strong, threads.

While stainless looks nice (where it shows), it may not be the fastener of choice? Stainless fasteners tend to 'gall' threads and, often, are provided with extra clearance when manufactured -- thus lending themselves to needing loctite on them to keep them from loosening.

Nothing wrong with a nice mild-steel fastener, here -- maybe with a tiny bit of blue loctite? :huh:

 

[Zolton]

Well I've got both stainless with nice small button / allen socket heads and mild galvanized ones with larger philips heads. The mild ones would be easier to drill out should this happen again however I thought they would be more apt to rust given their application. I suppose it would take some time for that to happen though

So you recommend the mild steel ones I take it.

Shit...this gets more complicated as it goes on... :blink:

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

Shit...this gets more complicated as it goes on... :blink:

Not really. Just take a deep breath.

Nothing wrong with a nice mild-steel fastener, here -- maybe with a tiny bit of blue loctite? :huh:

I think that was meant to simplify things for you. As in; "Nothing wrong with a philips pan head screw from the hardware store, here --"

I don't remember what I replaced mine with when I went down this road two years ago, but I'll betcha a beer... that was it. I should have the rear wheel off this weekend. I'll try to remember to check on that.

The mild ones would be easier to drill out should this happen again however I thought they would be more apt to rust given their application.

Don't worry about rust here. The stock fasteners were steel.

 

[jestal]

On the general topic of drilling out broken bolts and such........once upon a time I was unaware of such things as carbide drill bits which are much harder than conventional drills and will easily drill out hardened fasteners and such. The difference in performance (and price...!!!) between carbide drill bits and conventional drill bits is amazing. They make drilling out broken bolts much much easier. Check with your local commercial/production tooling suppiers.

Be aware that carbide drill bits are somewhat fragile themselves being very brittle because of their hardness. If you think a broken "easy out" is hard then don't even think of snapping off a carbide bit in a hole you are drilling...... Carbide bits like lots of RPM, low pressure and some sort of lube/coolant such as "tap-ease" . Lots of trouble and expense but they are magic for drilling hardened material. An absolute must if you like to drill bolts for safety wire and such.

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

Carbide drills can be used to drill hardened steel, but you need the right carbide drill. I wouldn't recommend carbide twist drills.

Use carbide spade drills

or carbide straight flute drills

I usually run 'em dry with an air blast to clear chips.

If you break off a carbide drill in your easy out, your really screwed... then it's EDM time.