Arrrrgh.....ARRRRRRRGH!!!

[AApple]

:sensored: :sensored: :sensored: :rant:
So.....I got my new rear tire on, and put the rest of the "farkles" back on tonight....bags, trunk, light bars, etc. Then I happen to notice the nut for the left upper shock stud is gone. WTF??? It was just on there a couple of minutes ago, and I never even took it off to start with.
I look around on the floor and find the nut, still wondering how the heck it got off. Long story short, the threads on the end of the stud are buggered up, so the nut won't tighten up. I check the other side....same friggin issue. I gotta now think that little Hardly gremlins have been fartin around in the garage at night, just messin wit me head.
So, my kweschun IS....will the upper shock studs actually come out of the frame somehow? I looked under the fender, and see a hole in the frame there, and it kinda looks like there is a boss welded to the frame for the stud to thread into, but I couldn't really see. Does anyone know for sure how that stud is fastened? Am I scwud? :beg: oh2:

 

[joedrum]

man this tire change has been the deal for you apple .....ive never had one out but it seems to me that the stud threads off ....but in your case the way things are going im sure it must be welded in place ..... :fiddle: :headscratch: :doh: :rant: :beer: :mrgreen:

 

[AApple]

....but in your case the way things are going im sure it must be welded in place ..... :fiddle: :headscratch: :doh: :rant: :beer: :mrgreen:

Yeah....yer prolly right! :smilie_happy: :mrgreen: :smilie_happy:
I'll prolly wind up taking the trunk mount and shocks off, and re-threading the dang things. I don't remember having a problem with them when I did the shocks, but I guess that's when the snafu must have occurred. I just loosened them and flipped the trunk mount up to get the tire/wheel off this time, but I know they were tight then.
Dang harley gremlins.... :rant:

:hihihi:

 

[dan filipi]

On the '83 parts bike they look welded on

I tried a good vise grip on it to try and break them loose but no go.

Hmmm, if they ARE welded then it looks like a repair is going to be a PITA.
Maybe could thread the stud one size smaller?

 

[thewhiterhino]

Thats the only good thing I can think of having to deal with Metric and SAE often you can re-thread to the opposite system without having to go crazy trying to reduce the size of your stud... (I hope that came out right)
:good: :good: :good:

 

[AApple]

Ya...I already decided I would try to rethread smaller. The problem is that only the very ends(7-8 threads) of the studs are damaged...the rest of the threads are fine. I'm just gonna hold off on it for a while for now. I'll have to tear the back apart again to get the shocks off.... :sensored:

 

[kirkwilson]

Hacksaw them off at the frame, drill through what's left, and use bolts instead of the studs- and there should be somewhere in there You can use a hammer....

 

[Winger 82]

:cool!: Boy for a minute there I thought this post was about a Pirate ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHH

 

[AApple]

Hacksaw them off at the frame, drill through what's left, and use bolts instead of the studs- and there should be somewhere in there You can use a hammer....

The hammer was close to being the tool of choice last night!! :rant: :builder:
I did think about drilling/tapping the stud. I need to investigate further first. It seems weird that the stud would be welded to the frame, even tho it may be. I know it is not painted, and I also know that if it was welded to the frame, then the frame would have been painted afterward, which means the stud should also be painted....just going by what I know about Corvette restorations, and the way stuff is done at factories.
One way or another, I'll fix it. If anyone happens to have a couple of extra nuts for the upper shock mounts, I'd prolly be interested. :yes: The nuts are "special", in that they have a shoulder on them to allow them to be tight on both the shock, and the luggage/saddlebag mounts. I think the same nut is used on the lower shock on the right side, where it mounts to the diff stud.


I wondered who would be the first to think this was a Pirate thread!! :smilie_happy: :mrgreen: :smilie_happy:

 

[kirkwilson]

Aren't these just acorn nuts? You torque them down until the stud bottoms in the closed end of the nut? Then the nut is tight but there is slack so that the shock can move? The stud has to be the right length so that when the acorn nut bottoms out there is the right slack for the shock to move.

Drill the stud out and put a bolt through the hole- assemble the grab bar or what is supposd to be there and the shock on the bolt- use two nuts you know how to do a jam nut thing- you end up with enough slack but it isn't going to come loose. Might need to use an extra washer or two-

 

[AApple]

They are acorn type nutz, but they also have a shoulder. The shoulder is to align the grab bar/saddlebag mount. There are only a few threads actually sticking out past the bar mounts, but the shoulder of the nut will fit inside of the bars, and therefore have more threads holding than are showing...if that makes any sense. I'll try to snap some pics this eve. :mrgreen:

 

[dan filipi]

The stud has a smooth section for the shock bushing. I'd think the bushing would get eaten away over time if it was sitting on threads. There are studs available, I've seem 'em.

 

[AApple]

...There are studs available, I've seem 'em.

What a tease!!! Where has you seen em? That might give me an idea of how they are attached to da frame...I think. :read:
I have some automotive shock mounts, with threads on both ends, and the larger, non-threaded area for the shock bushing. I was thinking I might wind up using something like that if I have to cut the studs off, and drill/re-thread the hole in the frame.
The saga continues.... :builder: :builder: :builder:
:mrgreen:

 

[dan filipi]

I've seen them around like at auto parts stores and online bike parts.

I would try to go that route rather than a bolt so the rubber bushing will sit on a smooth part like it should.

If you find those studs are threaded in or the studs I have can be of any use to you let me know.

 

[kirkwilson]

I agree you dfon't want bushings sitting on threads. Longer bolts have a smooth section by the head then the threads start farther down. You'd have to find a bolt with the right length smooth part, then cut it to length. Easy to do, just thread a nut or two on the bolt, hacksaw it to length, thread off the nuts. That repairs the the threads you hacked up with the hacksaw.

I agree- if you can get the right stud and they are threaded into the bike replacing the stud is the way to go. But if you can't remove the stock stripped stud a bolt should work.

 

[mortiki]

Do not know if this would help but look here:
https://www.fastenal.com/web/search/prod ... 4we4&Nty=0

Maybe that could give you an idea on how to fix it right.
The nibs is the smooth part of the shaft.

 

[AApple]

Thanx!
I think I can either re-thread the ends, or drill them out and replace them. It'll be a while before I get into that... :good: