When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I just bought a 2012 SG couple weeks ago. So I bought the 4 point docking system and I went to install it last night. When I took the Bags off and looked in the 2 holes thats didnt have bolts in them previously, they were rusty. I put my lock tight on my bolts tried to thread them in, Nothing. I took everything back off, took just a bolt and put it in there and had a hellacious time trying to get the bolt to thread (no it was not cross threaded) so I finally get them all in part way, and they have a 5/32 hex bit head and they get rounded out half way installed,
Should I try to go get better bolts?
Maybe something with like a torq head?
Ideas/suggestions please.
.
If you're sure about the size and thread, I'd suggest running a tap through it to clean out the threads. Forcing a bolt in there could result in ruining the threads. If you don't have access to a tap you might contact O'Reilly Auto Parts. They "rent" tools. You give them the money for the tool, and when you return it you get back all the money. (If you keep the tool, they keep all the money.)
You could also meander by a local auto shop or machine shop and see if they'd do it. Wouldn't take but 5 minutes.
So I bought a die and tap set. Which worked great for the welded nuts. Bought had a hard time getting the old lock thread off from yesterday. But finally got it. Then when I finally got it all done and put the sissy bar on. It's way too narrow. So I had to redneck up some thoughts. And I grinded down the spacers, which took forever since I don't have a vise. But all in all after 2 days I finally got that bitch on!
Agreed, as soon as it starts getting tight, back that bolt back outta there and clean those threads. I had a bolt do that on the engine block, the ones that hold the muffler bracket on, man did I back that bastage out and clean those threads.
Had to do the same thing to my bike when I bought it. I bought a tap and went to town. The junk that came out was nasty. No way the bolts would have threaded and tightened correctly. 20 minute job took a few hours and more than a few beers
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.