What the **** do you have to do to get these to loosen up? I have a set of Viking saddlebags I would love to install but when an impact drill and a heat gun can't loosen the bolts on the side of the rear fender, I know this is going to be an issue!

Anyone have some advice getting these ****ers loose?

 

Patience,frustration will kill the deal walk away come back tomorrow.

 

Heat and patience. If you don't use either than you get to do like I did and become relatively adept as using a drill to drill out the bolts. Harley uses some kind of yellow locktite that is a pain in the butt.

 

i have the 2010 fatboy lo i just changed the fender bolts with chrome, my fender bolts were almost hand tight . they came off to easy lol

 

Mine are the exact same way,.....

 

This is going to come across as a real a-hole response although I promise I am not trying to be...

Are you turning them the right way?

I ask because the first time I took mine off they came loose with nothing more than a ratchet and socket. They had that "yellow loctite" that someone else mentioned and it was still relatively easy to get them off.

I would not recommend the use of any power tools, especially impact drivers on your bike. I've never seen it done nor have needed it myself. I have heard plenty of stories from folks who use such tools and how they often strip or break off bolts.

If I were you, I'd get a good quality socket that fits properly and then use a breaker bar and just use good old fashioned muscle to try and crack them lose. They shouldn't be that tight.

 

The fender bolts should come off relatively easily. They shouldn't be done up that tight. (I can check the manual for the torque wrench settings if you like, but I just put bag mounting hardware on mine and didn't break a sweat.)

 

When I added saddle bags my strut bolts were super tight. I used a heat gun and a cheater bar, Make sure you have the right size torx or you will strip out the heads.
Tom

 

Use a soldering gun to heat up the bolts really good. A heat gun may work but the soldering gun will heat them hotter with out blistering your paint.

 

Thanks for the responses fellas. I'm going to go back at it tonight since it's going to rain all weekend. I'm going to get a socket instead of using the impact drill. Also a metal funnel so i can direct the heat gun to the bolt only, and not worry about the chrome or paint getting scorched.

And yes, I'm turning them the right way,lol. Righty tighty, lefty loosy

This shouldn't be so hard to loosen!