Pulling Wires Through My Apes
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Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Washington
Pulling Wires Through My Apes
Just bought the 15" Santee Bonanza Narrow Ape hangers. They have some tight angles does anyone have any tips for pulling the wires through the bars without destroying them? I bought new switches and wires with plenty of length but they wont feed through the bars without damage.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 64
From: Southern Maryland
I had some tight turns like that when I installed by case guards from Kuryakyn. I used some plastic grass trimmer string stuff to push through the bars. It moved around the 90 degree bends after spinning it a little and since it was some what stiff worked just fine. To pull the wires back i just shrink wrapped the electrical wires to the plastic trimmer string and pulled,, worked great.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 14,670
Likes: 139
From: East of the Sun, West of the Moon
easiest way to is to get a ball of string and an air compressor. blow the string through, then pull your wires through slowly... if the wires are not inside of a plastic type of sleeve, because of the 70 or so degree angle I would certainly shrink wrap the entire length of the wires so they don't chafe at those bends due to vibrations
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 8,750
Likes: 261
From: back home in Michigan
Either way, remember you aren't just 'pulling' the wires through. Use the pull wire to help guide the wires through those sharp turns. It takes 2 hands, one pulling just enough to guide the wires as the other hand is pushing them into the bars. I would also use some wire pulling lubricant, the kind that electricians use for pulling wires.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,766
Likes: 16
From: Roseville, CA
A buddy of mine got even more radically bent apes, another had a kit from his job that wraps the wires with a lead and they really had to pull hard but they all came through, no problem.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,115
Likes: 5
From: SoCal
Get some flexible plastic tubing with a big enough ID to run wires freely but small enough OD to fit through the bars / angles. Hard enough to "shove" through the angles but flexible enough to curve through them not just create more right angles. Run the tubing first, maybe even slick it up a tad, then run the control wiring through the tubing. I usually put the wires all together and heat shrink a "condom" on the end. That seems to help, too.
Run the tubing a little longer so it pokes out one end or the other so you can pull it out, OR, heck...just leave it if you want...I've done both.
Run the tubing a little longer so it pokes out one end or the other so you can pull it out, OR, heck...just leave it if you want...I've done both.
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Stage I
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix
Is it OK to pull them from the top down thru to the bottom so the wiring stays hooked up to the controls on the bars? I really don't want to have to rewire the controls if I don't have to.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: B-More ,Md
Another trick is to use a cotton ball tied to a string and Vacuum it out the bottom. You should be able to pull them either way that your comfortable with doing the rewiring. I always take pictures and do a drawing before taking apart a harness with pin removal
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 66,948
Likes: 4,573
From: TOAK western branch
Have fun with that and stay sober. I have the same bars and after a few rum n coke's I started and was really happy with my first set of wires till I realized I pulled them through the wrong side and they wouldnt come out. Good luck!