HD 10mm 12pt Caliper Bolts - Spline Sockets?

[D.T.]

Not out yet??

Geez, what's the hold up??

Whack the bolt head with a hammer a few times too before you start. Vice grip if head strips. Metric bolts on a HD??

[HapHazard]

Originally Posted by ttpete

DO NOT use that socket. It's junk, and you'll bugger up the bolt head when it strips. Go buy a brand new one before you even try.

I was just amused at the quality of the ONLY 10mm 12pt socket and wanted to share - I must have eight 6 pointers!

Originally Posted by D.T.

Not out yet??

Geez, what's the hold up??

Whack the bolt head with a hammer a few times too before you start. Vice grip if head strips. Metric bolts on a HD??

OKAY! OKAY! (didn't you see the "slow & unsteady" description of my progress?)

I'm new with HDs, to me they're kinda like GM cars from the 80's - I'm never quite sure which kind of fastener will turn up.

Went to the maul this AM with a 10mm bolt (wanted to get the tightest fitting socket in stock) and bought this:



I followed everyone's advice - I sprayed Kroil on the back of the bolts and let it soak, I warmed the caliper with my heat gun, I tapped the bolt heads with a hammer, and applied my Ingersol-Rand impact in a counter-clockwise direction and wah-la!



They both shot out like shit from a goose! And there was almost zero corrosion (). No distortion on the bolt heads, so I can use 'em again.

Who's better than you guys?
Nobody!
Thanx to all!

[D.T.]

Damn, you would have lost the race if this shit takes this long...

I suppose you didn't get any anti seize either...

[Twilight Error]

Originally Posted by HapHazard

...

Went to the maul this AM with a 10mm bolt (wanted to get the tightest fitting socket in stock) and bought this:



...

Generally speaking, avoid using chrome sockets and extensions with impact tools. They're very hard and can shatter under the loads an impact wrench can impart. Impact sockets and extensions have a higher yield strength than their chrome cousins and can handle the abuse better. You were likely never in any danger of that with this job, you stated the bolts spun right out without drama. 12pt impact sockets are out there, but you've got to seek them out.

[HapHazard]

Originally Posted by D.T.

Damn, you would have lost the race if this shit takes this long...

I suppose you didn't get any anti seize either...

I know better than to race anybody.
I have more anti seize than Napa does - I even put it on my breakfast cereal.

Originally Posted by Twilight Error

Generally speaking, avoid using chrome sockets and extensions with impact tools. They're very hard and can shatter under the loads an impact wrench can impart. Impact sockets and extensions have a higher yield strength than their chrome cousins and can handle the abuse better. You were likely never in any danger of that with this job, you stated the bolts spun right out without drama. 12pt impact sockets are out there, but you've got to seek them out.

The Craftspeople stock had all kinds of bizarre sockets (even pass-thru spline looking things with a pass-thru ratchet) but no 12 pt impacts.

The right fork tube pulled out of the triple clamp with little trouble, the left is a pain in the ballz. I hit it top & bottom with Kroil, tapped a small chisel in the bottom of the lower clamp slot and a pry bar in the top of the slot (with Mrs Hazard applying 1 womanpower), even put my heat gun and put a spacer and hit it with my air impact hammer () on it, and the tube still won't come out. I might have to call in the Marines (my neighbor who is a large, fearless diesel mechanic).

I guess that it's rusted into the clamp, seeing as there was no corrosion on the caliper bolts, there has to be rust someplace annoying.

[ttpete]

Originally Posted by HapHazard

I know better than to race anybody.
I have more anti seize than Napa does - I even put it on my breakfast cereal.



The Craftspeople stock had all kinds of bizarre sockets (even pass-thru spline looking things with a pass-thru ratchet) but no 12 pt impacts.

The right fork tube pulled out of the triple clamp with little trouble, the left is a pain in the ballz. I hit it top & bottom with Kroil, tapped a small chisel in the bottom of the lower clamp slot and a pry bar in the top of the slot (with Mrs Hazard applying 1 womanpower), even put my heat gun and put a spacer and hit it with my air impact hammer () on it, and the tube still won't come out. I might have to call in the Marines (my neighbor who is a large, fearless diesel mechanic).

I guess that it's rusted into the clamp, seeing as there was no corrosion on the caliper bolts, there has to be rust someplace annoying.

Start the pinch bolts in backwards and put a piece of flat stock in the split. Tighten bolts against the stock to spread the clamp. Should help free things up.

[HapHazard]

^I ran out into the garage to give it a try. I tightened the bolt in as directed against steel stock in the slot as tight as I dared with a closed end wrench (pretty tight), twisted, pulled tapped with hammer on top with spacer - no joy.

I gave it another shot of penetrating oil. How much force should I tighten the bolt?

Many thanks!

[ttpete]

Originally Posted by HapHazard

^I ran out into the garage to give it a try. I tightened the bolt in as directed against steel stock in the slot as tight as I dared with a closed end wrench (pretty tight), twisted, pulled tapped with hammer on top with spacer - no joy.

I gave it another shot of penetrating oil. How much force should I tighten the bolt?

Many thanks!

Be careful. I wouldn't get too eager on that, especially if the triple is a casting. All you want to do is relax any tension it might have. Let it soak and occasionally tap the clamp with a plastic hammer. If you can get a strap wrench, you could try twisting the tube to free it up.

[bomber60015]

again, heat and kroil will be your friends in getting the leg to budge . . . and those triple trees are kinda fragile (learn from MY mistake and make your own new ones)

[HapHazard]

Originally Posted by ttpete

Be careful. I wouldn't get too eager on that, especially if the triple is a casting. All you want to do is relax any tension it might have. Let it soak and occasionally tap the clamp with a plastic hammer. If you can get a strap wrench, you could try twisting the tube to free it up.

Originally Posted by bomber60015

again, heat and kroil will be your friends in getting the leg to budge . . . and those triple trees are kinda fragile (learn from MY mistake and make your own new ones)

Yeah, I didn't think that really cranking on the pinch bolt was safe (and glad I didn't do it!).

I'll keep up the soaking (the other leg was really rusted on the lower clamp) and tapping it while I round up a strap wrench (excellent suggestion!). Online and locally there seem to be a lot of cheap strap wrenches that don't even survive one use. It's too bad for me my neighbor the plumber retired and moved south - he would probably have had 3 good ones!

Many thanks again, guys!

[anotherguy]

Take the top bolt (the 1 3/8" one) and loosen a couple turns. Then whack it (the bolt) with a dead blow hammer a few times driving the tube downward in the trees. You'll have to remove the bars to get a good shot at it.

[HapHazard]

Originally Posted by anotherguy

Take the top bolt (the 1 3/8" one) and loosen a couple turns. Then whack it (the bolt) with a dead blow hammer a few times driving the tube downward in the trees. You'll have to remove the bars to get a good shot at it.

Well, unfortunately I didn't do EXACTLY that. I had removed the top bolt, and had used an old, wasted deep socket as an extension/buffer to hammer the fork tube down. I was unable to twist the tube at all, and the only way to move it was by hitting it ALL the way down (it never seemed to loosen, and I continued to oil the tube). There was A LOT of rust in the lower clamp, and quite a bit in the upper, too. Unfortunately, the socket bouncing around buggered up the first thread in the "fork plug". Lacking a 16mm x 1.5 rethreading tap, I guess I will Dremel out the damaged part of the top thread (my diesel mechanic neighbor suggested that) unless someone has a different idea. Worse come to worst, I guess I can replace the "plug".

Here's my "handiwork"



(Plenty of rust visible)
I've never had to deal with such a stubborn fork leg before.
I don't know what else Mr. Murphy has in store for me after this...

[HapHazard]

Success! A friend of mine lent me a tapered end mill larger than the plug opening. We pushed a scrap of foam rubber into the fork to catch the metal filings. I used an air die grinder with the mill and cleaned up the top thread area. I could start the nut by hand, and worked it down with Tap Magic. Then took out the nut, used a shop vac to suck out the metal scraps and pulled out the foam. Now I can start putting the front end together! Thanks to all!