Sheared Off Rear Pulley Bolts
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Elizabeth, CO
For what it's worth, this happened to my 06 Street Bob with ~7800 miles. Similar damage as described throughout this thread. My dealer took care of the whole repair, no questions asked...whole new wheel (cheaper than labor to re-string a new hub), new pulley, new HD bolts, new axle, etc.
Sucks to have the problem but a good dealer makes it bearable...it certainly pays to maintain a good relationship with the service department.
Sucks to have the problem but a good dealer makes it bearable...it certainly pays to maintain a good relationship with the service department.
Stage IV
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Not just 06 and up!
I have an 03 Low Rider and sheared off all five bolts. Used locktite and a torque wrench too, but I do ride rather aggressively. The problem now is getting the fuc#@$@g broken bolts out of the $750.00 HD Mirror wheel without destroying it. there is slight damage on the surface of the wheel and pulley where the connect, but I think I can make it work. The bolts are broke off about 1/2 to 5/8" into the wheel. Any suggestions GREATLY appriciated. Even if you know someone in the Sacramento area that can do it for a fee
!
!
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,900
Likes: 12
I ride pretty aggressive as well. I am thinking it is due to engine breaking that the pulley gets slammed in the opposite direction.
Since I put my spokes back on, and started riding less aggressive by using the engine to break for me, and marked the bolts to tell if they are slipping. I have not had any issues.
I could not reuse my aluminum wheel. It completely exploded the hub when the bolts broke.
I could be wrong in my assessment of why the bolts broke, but mine broke in the same place that yours broke.
I know have them marked like I said, and I check them before I ride now. Every time I ride. Not just every now and then.
If mine would have broke 10 minutes earlier I'd be dead most likely as I would have been on a I-40 bridge crossing the Mississippi River @ 85 mph. Luckily I was at a stop light when they decided to give way completely.
I am glad I did not sell my original rims and hubs like I wanted to do. I'd have been up a creek. Good luck with your problem. I hope you didn't go down because of the issue.
Since I put my spokes back on, and started riding less aggressive by using the engine to break for me, and marked the bolts to tell if they are slipping. I have not had any issues.
I could not reuse my aluminum wheel. It completely exploded the hub when the bolts broke.
I could be wrong in my assessment of why the bolts broke, but mine broke in the same place that yours broke.
I know have them marked like I said, and I check them before I ride now. Every time I ride. Not just every now and then.
If mine would have broke 10 minutes earlier I'd be dead most likely as I would have been on a I-40 bridge crossing the Mississippi River @ 85 mph. Luckily I was at a stop light when they decided to give way completely.
I am glad I did not sell my original rims and hubs like I wanted to do. I'd have been up a creek. Good luck with your problem. I hope you didn't go down because of the issue.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,640
Likes: 6,445
From: Honah Lee
I spent 46 years in the machine shop field. First 14 years after finishing my apprenticeship as a toolmaker, as an instructor and out department removed that taps and such broken off stuff in ship parts with the elox and later edm equipment. Your actually hub face looks pretty bad. Not sure if wheel is even worth saving and even if it was would take quite a few hours. If may be possible you use the belt pulley as a drill jig to accurately get a drilled thru hole in the center of the studs. (They are plenty soft enough to drill) Since they are not bottomed, once you get the hub hot enough to release the loctite, (of course not too hot to damage chrome) they will actually be loose and come out with a left hand spiral e-z out. The trick is staying in the center so you can go large but not too large and jam wedge the stud in. If you just drill to minor and retap, no telling what you will have in aluminum. You need to find a low buck garage mechanic since a shop is minimum of $100 an out and I bet you are looking at 4 hour minimum with no guarantee. Doubt you can afford an EDM shop. The way you broke those bolts, they were obvious were not OEM Grade 8. Must have been Chrome China mild steel. Could have even been way over tightened and stretched since they broke down in there. For the life of me, I cannot figure how you could get enough grip with a Harley tire and then get the engine to ****** that off like that. You must be running an 8" slick with NOX bottle.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Aug 11, 2013 at 08:40 PM.
Stage IV
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Thanks for your input!
We did not go down when this happened (It was at a stop light). But the broken bolts were wedged against the swing arm (which I didn't know until I got on the side of the rode) and I couldn't even push it (till I got my fat *** off which took the wieght off the swingarm and released it).
RIPSAW - Thanks man! It's ironic you were in the machining industry for 40 years and I've been in the Lumber Industry for over 30 (RIPSAW).
I do not know the origin of the chrome bolts, as they were on the bike from the harley shop. As to the surface of the wheel, does it need to be machined smooth or just smoothed out? Is there something I can put between the pulley and the wheel to compensate for any surface loss? Can I use a countersink on the holes in the wheel just enough to remove the damaged metal that will impede bolt extraction? Is it obvious that I have never addressed this problern before? LOL
Thanks again for youir help!
RIPSAW - Thanks man! It's ironic you were in the machining industry for 40 years and I've been in the Lumber Industry for over 30 (RIPSAW).
I do not know the origin of the chrome bolts, as they were on the bike from the harley shop. As to the surface of the wheel, does it need to be machined smooth or just smoothed out? Is there something I can put between the pulley and the wheel to compensate for any surface loss? Can I use a countersink on the holes in the wheel just enough to remove the damaged metal that will impede bolt extraction? Is it obvious that I have never addressed this problern before? LOL
Thanks again for youir help!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,640
Likes: 6,445
From: Honah Lee
We did not go down when this happened (It was at a stop light). But the broken bolts were wedged against the swing arm (which I didn't know until I got on the side of the rode) and I couldn't even push it (till I got my fat *** off which took the wieght off the swingarm and released it).
RIPSAW - Thanks man! It's ironic you were in the machining industry for 40 years and I've been in the Lumber Industry for over 30 (RIPSAW).
I do not know the origin of the chrome bolts, as they were on the bike from the harley shop. As to the surface of the wheel, does it need to be machined smooth or just smoothed out? Is there something I can put between the pulley and the wheel to compensate for any surface loss? Can I use a countersink on the holes in the wheel just enough to remove the damaged metal that will impede bolt extraction? Is it obvious that I have never addressed this problern before? LOL
Thanks again for youir help!
RIPSAW - Thanks man! It's ironic you were in the machining industry for 40 years and I've been in the Lumber Industry for over 30 (RIPSAW).
I do not know the origin of the chrome bolts, as they were on the bike from the harley shop. As to the surface of the wheel, does it need to be machined smooth or just smoothed out? Is there something I can put between the pulley and the wheel to compensate for any surface loss? Can I use a countersink on the holes in the wheel just enough to remove the damaged metal that will impede bolt extraction? Is it obvious that I have never addressed this problern before? LOL
Thanks again for youir help!
My thought was it needed to be square to the bearing centerline. (so pulley does not wobble) Would be very hard to do without a big lathe. Pretty sure that diameter centers the pulley, and it looks bad also. If you look up under the bike at the front pulley, it is quite wide and the rear tracks the belt. I doubt 1/32" off would hurt nothing. However,you are talking big bucks to fix that. Looks like beer can metal to me. I have an old hand ripsaw along with a 100+ year old two man crosscut saw. Worked in wood since 18. I leave the tree cutting and chain saws to the pros. My Harleys is 10 times safer then that chain saw I have gathering dust for the last 30 years.
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Stage IV
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Plan B
Ok, I got the bolts out. but the threads are no good. Only two of the new bolts will even bite. In my effort to save a buck, I'm going to try helicoils. All five. I measured 7/16 @ 14 T/in x 1 1/4" of threads on a 2 3/8" chrome bolts (from Harley shop). The pulley surface running square with the bearing centerline is not something I can address, so if it has problems, I guess I'm back to buying a new wheel and pulley. Any thoughts or cautions about using helicoils?
Novice
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 22
Likes: 1
From: New Hampshire
Ok, I got the bolts out. but the threads are no good. Only two of the new bolts will even bite. In my effort to save a buck, I'm going to try helicoils. All five. I measured 7/16 @ 14 T/in x 1 1/4" of threads on a 2 3/8" chrome bolts (from Harley shop). The pulley surface running square with the bearing centerline is not something I can address, so if it has problems, I guess I'm back to buying a new wheel and pulley. Any thoughts or cautions about using helicoils?