Shock Bolt sheared again !
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Banned
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From: Connecticut / Amsterdam
Oh your with Howard ? it sounds like you hack in the sack together , I won't obfuscate my response either.
Last edited by Wonkaboy; Jul 1, 2010 at 06:21 PM.
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From: Connecticut / Amsterdam
All fixed
Well if you read from the beginning of this thread i had an on going battle with my shock bolts shearing off hopefully i cured it today, both fender struts have new shims made from 38 caliber bullet slugs which fits nice and snug after a few taps up to where there is no thread from the factory which is the beginning of the hole ( why i don't know ) , installed a 5 inch grade 8 bolt and nut on the stripped side and a 4 inch bolt grade 8 with a shim on the other side ( we were able to unloosen this one so no drilling ) turned the preload up 3 times on the shocks ( never did that before ) well i think whole my problem was i was bottoming out and did not know it and it was putting strain on the shock bolts i put on about 30 miles today after we were done and what a difference over the bumps compared to the progressive factory settings when i received them , Why would the factory only put threads halfway though the strut it does not make sense ? The shim filled in that unthreaded area's and it's nice and tight now i think it was flexing inside and with the shocks the way they were factory set did not help , i leave tomorrow for for upstate New York road trip and can't wait to really try it out , i'm sure with the three upgrades the bike should be fine , ok lets here the negative comments .....
Last edited by Wonkaboy; Jul 2, 2010 at 09:10 PM.
Not really correct.
A grade 8 will flex and break just as a grade 5 would and a grade 5 will fail before a grade 8.
Good reference here
http://www.rockcrawler.com/techrepor...ners/index.asp
That said the stock hardware should be sufficient, I don't see any identifying marks on the stock hardware.
Which loctite did you use, Blue or red? Factory uses blue so this causes a problem how? You should run a thread chaser through the tapped hole to clean it out and then add the loctite blue.
I agree with the second point for sure, sounds to me as if there was a failure due to the work performed on the bike.
When you go to remove the broken portion make sure you drill as close to center as you can and all the way though the broken fastener, this relaxes the broken fastener. I would start with a small diameter drill and move up successively in size to remove as much of the broken piece you can so you can use the largest extractor possible. After you get it out, use a thread chaser, not a tap as a tap will remove material, loctite blue and the proper torque and you're good to go.
CB
A grade 8 will flex and break just as a grade 5 would and a grade 5 will fail before a grade 8.
Good reference here
http://www.rockcrawler.com/techrepor...ners/index.asp
That said the stock hardware should be sufficient, I don't see any identifying marks on the stock hardware.
Which loctite did you use, Blue or red? Factory uses blue so this causes a problem how? You should run a thread chaser through the tapped hole to clean it out and then add the loctite blue.
I agree with the second point for sure, sounds to me as if there was a failure due to the work performed on the bike.
When you go to remove the broken portion make sure you drill as close to center as you can and all the way though the broken fastener, this relaxes the broken fastener. I would start with a small diameter drill and move up successively in size to remove as much of the broken piece you can so you can use the largest extractor possible. After you get it out, use a thread chaser, not a tap as a tap will remove material, loctite blue and the proper torque and you're good to go.
CB
To the OP, I was always told to buy your fasteners for a reputable supplier, and that is the only way you can be for certain you are actually betting a grade 5, or grade 8 bolt instead of a cheap imitation or a defective bolt. If I had this problem I would consider a stainless steel grade 5 bolt as stainless steel if a little stronger than mile steel, but there are other options out there such as aircraft grade, and military grade.
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From: Connecticut / Amsterdam
I read the same article as you, But that article list the pressure it takes to deform the bolt, not break it, a grade 8 bolt will break before a grade 5 due to the extra hardening process of the grade 8 tends to make them more brittle
To the OP, I was always told to buy your fasteners for a reputable supplier, and that is the only way you can be for certain you are actually betting a grade 5, or grade 8 bolt instead of a cheap imitation or a defective bolt. If I had this problem I would consider a stainless steel grade 5 bolt as stainless steel if a little stronger than mile steel, but there are other options out there such as aircraft grade, and military grade.
To the OP, I was always told to buy your fasteners for a reputable supplier, and that is the only way you can be for certain you are actually betting a grade 5, or grade 8 bolt instead of a cheap imitation or a defective bolt. If I had this problem I would consider a stainless steel grade 5 bolt as stainless steel if a little stronger than mile steel, but there are other options out there such as aircraft grade, and military grade.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,606
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From: Baytown Tx.
I'm no metal expert like some of the repliers in this thread. I can tell you this though. The manufacturers of heavy duty trucks and trailers (i.e. 18 wheelers), use nothing but grade 8 bolts in the frame and suspension components, and pretty much throughout the trucks. These bolts see a hell of a lot more stress than those on a motorsickle.
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I read the same article as you, But that article list the pressure it takes to deform the bolt, not break it, a grade 8 bolt will break before a grade 5 due to the extra hardening process of the grade 8 tends to make them more brittle
To the OP, I was always told to buy your fasteners for a reputable supplier, and that is the only way you can be for certain you are actually betting a grade 5, or grade 8 bolt instead of a cheap imitation or a defective bolt. If I had this problem I would consider a stainless steel grade 5 bolt as stainless steel if a little stronger than mile steel, but there are other options out there such as aircraft grade, and military grade.
To the OP, I was always told to buy your fasteners for a reputable supplier, and that is the only way you can be for certain you are actually betting a grade 5, or grade 8 bolt instead of a cheap imitation or a defective bolt. If I had this problem I would consider a stainless steel grade 5 bolt as stainless steel if a little stronger than mile steel, but there are other options out there such as aircraft grade, and military grade.
CB
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From: Connecticut / Amsterdam
Problem Solved
I Went on a 350 mile trip today in upstate N.Y. everything went fine no bottoming out and it rode great i even went over some rough terrain on purpose , my conclusion is all this time it was only the shocks that needed a preload adjustment to take the pressure of the bolts but as a precaution we installed some aircraft grade bolts this morning that my friend made for me last night at Sikorsky's , and to think some forum sponsor kept giving me the salesman **** and bull story saying the answer was to buy HIS 2 springs and 2 dampers for $1,000 which is the same answer he gives everybody i would too if my markup was 80 % 
Last edited by Wonkaboy; Jul 3, 2010 at 09:33 PM.
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Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Richmond, VA
I wholeheartedly agree with you. The grade 8 hardware and setting the shocks up correctly was exactly the correct thing to do. My money is on you have no more issues for the remainder of time you own that bike.
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Banned
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Connecticut / Amsterdam
Yes it was an easy fix , you have to get out of bed alot earlier to fool Wonka and his Oompa-Loompas with a sales pitch
