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Advice on loose rotor bolt


pauloc

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Hi Guys,

 

I recently installed my brand new XT brake set onto my bike, but one of the bolts on the front rotor won't take. It just keeps turning and turning. The other 5 are fine.

 

I've tried putting more loc-tite but still no joy. I also tried swapping it out with another bolt on the rotor, but that didn't help either. The other bolt also just turns.

 

Is it possible that I over-tightened the bolt and sheared the rotor? Anyone have any advice on how to fix this? :)

 

Thanks!

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it sounds like you have stripped the tread on your hub... unfortunately this is not an easy one to fix...

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It sounds like you've stripped the thread, most likely in the hub (female thread).

 

You could fill the hole with a metal epoxy, and then drill and tap it again.

 

If it was a hack bike, I would run it without the bolt, or just super glue it in for the looks and balance.

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Whatever you do don't leave it in with the locktite and hope for the best :angry:

 

I broke 2 ribs because of the very same thing ...... over time it worked loose and came out just enough to lock the front wheel on the way down the rock garden at Rietvlei :(

 

I have been riding that frontwheel with just 5 bolts for a long time and no issue, I am sure that the hub 'ekspets' will come and tell me why I shouldn't but ja whateva :lol:

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HI

 

These hex bolts usually strip due to excess force when tightning. A torque wrench will stop this from happening again but they are not cheap.

 

To fix this, a Helicoil nees to be inserted into the sripped thread.This is done by first drilling out the old thread with a special size drill bit(usually .6mm bigger than the thread size. Then the thread is tapped with a left hand thread tap and the helicoil is inserted into the tapped hole using a special tool.

 

I am sure that most engineering companies who deal with aluminium heads can do this for you as the tools are quite expensive to buy for a once off job.

 

You can PM me if you dont come right as i am in PMB. I think that i still have the tools to do it as i used to bulid up old motor bikes.

 

I will have to look what i have as i have not done this in years

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Some weight weenies actually removes three of the bolts from their discs and they are still alive. Christoph Sauser is one of them. I would not take a chance though.

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If it was a hack bike, I would run it without the bolt, or just super glue it in for the looks and balance.

 

Unfortunately it's on my brand new easton wheelset so definitely need to get this fixed :(

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Some weight weenies ride with only 3 bolts, I think 5 will do. If you're really adament to have 6 the only thing you can do is tap the stripped hole one size up if there is enough meat on the hub and put in a bigger bolt. You would however have to make the bolt hole in the disc bigger too to accomodate the bigger bolt. You could do this with a small round file or drill.

Edited by manbearpig
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Unfortunately it's on my brand new easton wheelset so definitely need to get this fixed :(

 

Pop round to an engineering works and get them to install a helicoil. Will be as good as new and cost less than R100.

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HI

 

These hex bolts usually strip due to excess force when tightning. A torque wrench will stop this from happening again but they are not cheap.

 

To fix this, a Helicoil nees to be inserted into the sripped thread.This is done by first drilling out the old thread with a special size drill bit(usually .6mm bigger than the thread size. Then the thread is tapped with a left hand thread tap and the helicoil is inserted into the tapped hole using a special tool.

 

I am sure that most engineering companies who deal with aluminium heads can do this for you as the tools are quite expensive to buy for a once off job.

 

You can PM me if you dont come right as i am in PMB. I think that i still have the tools to do it as i used to bulid up old motor bikes.

 

I will have to look what i have as i have not done this in years

 

Thanks for the offer Dustman - do you reckon local bike shops would be able to assist with this?

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:clap: That must have been a spectacular fall!

 

Apparently it was from my laaities viewpoint just behind me :blush:

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Possible the old school bike shops but i doubt it very much. I would call a few engineering shops first as they will do the job correctly.

 

You will have to give them the size of the thread as the tool used to insert the helicoil only has a limited range of sizes it can insert.

 

regards

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