Broken Brackets
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
I suggest welding them. If anyones brackets are not broken yet, better to weld now. No work trying to align small pieces of metal to get the same angle...just run a bead of weld down the length of each bracket and they hold great.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
Thanks for the info Old Gray Beard. Weather sucked yesterday, Gustav rain all day. I'll pick it up after work today and check it out. With the fabircation experience I have and the tools I have, I know I can come up with something better. My only concern is if you fix the weak brackets, where is the next weak point that will break? I guess we'll all find out sooner or later.
Simple mending plates semi skillfully bent a drill and a screw into the original bracket and done IMHO the guys that are pulling the brackets may be doing a bit of overkill and in some cases I don't think that, at least some of the welds I've seen, they have really resolved the problem the metals used on most mending plates and corner brackets are a bit softer and more pliable than the original bracket material and way less likely to shear...
I now have 600 miles on my repair and I honestly believe the original brackets were already broken in the first 500 to 600 miles I owned the pig.
If yours aren't broken when you go in there may as well spend the 20 minutes it would take to reinforce them now and never have to worry about the problem again.
We in the Northeast are expecting a visit from Hannah today.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
You at least have to take the outer fairing off but you really should be doing that every now and then to check for loose bolts and if nothing else just to clean behind there that in itself is a good 5 minute project lol and then just look at the brackets the speaker support brackets are very obvious if they are broken and if they are most likely the others are too. The other brackets are easy to see too if they are broken it will be where they mount to the inner fairing on the top of the bracket one of the mounts is next to the speedo the other the tach
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,212
Likes: 1
From: Maryland
Been there, done that, two years ago. This year, my front motor mount lost a nut on a trip. Stopped by a dealer, bought a new nut and washer, all OK for now I think! Not sure if the two were related or not. How long was that motor mount loose? It is anyone's guess.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
did the same thing but I had to buy some mending plates was fresh