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10-22-2014, 01:46 PM
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#1 |
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Smyrna, GA
Posts: 809
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Check Your Bolts!!!
Lately I've been busy with life...kids, new house, new truck, work, Masons, etc. I haven't ridden the bike as much as normal, but I still ride it 1-2 days per week. I rode it yesterday. I rode it to work this morning, and back home for lunch (1 benefit of moving to a new house). So I'm on my way back to work, enjoying the beautiful weather (sunny, 64 degrees), and pull up to the badge scan at the parking deck...and almost run into the freaking door because my front brake didn't work. Pulled my brake again...no problem. Weird. Scan my badge, go into the bike parking area. Check out my brake fluid, connections....all good. About to walk away and chalk it up to me going crazy when I noticed that my front left brake caliper lower bolt is completely gone! The top is loose, and the top brake caliper is normal, but the lower is fully extended onto nothing but the brake shoes! WTF!
A month or so ago I added SS brake lines, but we torqued the bolts when we reinstalled the calipers. Well, either someone tampered with it (maybe the old lady is going for the insurance payoff) or vibration loosened them. Either way, I should have checked them before now. I've got my wife checking our driveway for the bolt, but I doubt she'll find it. I've gotta get home, so I'm going to tighten the crap out of the top bolt and zip tie the heck out of the bottom until I can get home (10 mins away), being more careful than even when it was sleeting last year. I tell you all this to say, please take a little while to go out and check the bolts on your bike. This could have easily ended very badly for me. Not 3 minutes before that I was going 60 mph down a 4-lane road that is VERY busy during lunch. Is there any chance of going to a local hardware store and finding this bolt? I doubt it, but before I order one online, I want to check. It's 12mm head, 2" long not counting the head, and threaded only on the last 1/2 inch.
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 VBA #02442 VROC Member PGR (Patriot Guard Riders) MMCI (Masonic Motorcycle Club International) "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" - Author Unknown 01 Kaw Nomad 1500 (Vintage Red) Login or Register to Remove Ads
Last edited by Bamabrat; 10-22-2014 at 01:54 PM.
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10-22-2014, 02:27 PM
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#2 |
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Advanced Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Cape Cod Massachusetts
Posts: 822
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Yikes!!!
It's definitely worth checking your local hardware store for that bolt, auto parts store too. It's funny how one hardware store can carry lots of a particular type of fastener like stainless steel or metric sizes where another store won't carry hardly any. Good luck.
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2004 Nomad 1500FI - weeeeeeeeee! 
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10-22-2014, 03:42 PM
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#4 |
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Top Contributor
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Ontario
Posts: 6,923
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From your description it is probably 8mm diameter x 1.25 thread pitch (standard for 8mm) x 50mm long.
Most bolts after a certain length will have some of its length that is not threaded. Hope you get home safely. Get some blue Loctite while you are at the store :) |
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10-22-2014, 04:16 PM
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#5 |
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Pitt meadows BC Canada
Posts: 75
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I had the same thing happened to me on my dirtbike, I was coming down a very steep trail grabbed a handful of front break and there was nothing there, I looked down to see my front brake caliper just swinging on the cable, The top bolt had backed out and the bottom one had disappeared altogether, I manage to tighten the top bolt and jam a stick in the bottom hole I made it back to my truck, I remembered when we put the bike together my son put the front wheel on I did not remind him to put Loctite on the bolts, my fault.
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 What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,2004 nomad/ 2006 KLX 250. Login or Register to Remove Ads |
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10-22-2014, 05:31 PM
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#6 |
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Psychiatric Ward FL
Posts: 3,429
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Ron Ayers fiche says that it is a 10x47.
MT
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MT 2016 FLHP Psychiatric Ward FL VBA 936 |
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10-22-2014, 08:38 PM
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#9 | |
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 357
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Quote:
Do you guys really use Loc-Tite on your calipers? Unless the manual indicates Loc-Tite I don't used it.
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 VBA# 02595 2004 Nomad VN1500L5 FI 1999 HD Superglide Sport (SOLD) 2009 BMW F650GS |
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10-23-2014, 08:29 AM
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#12 |
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Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Thrae Tenalp
Posts: 132
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Guys --
TIGHTEN YER NUTS! 
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Wanna go, pretty boy? Illegitimati non carborundum -Gen. Joseph Stilwell 1999 VN 1500 Nomad |
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10-23-2014, 10:32 AM
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#13 |
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Montreal QC
Posts: 12,034
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Before you run out and buy a bolt from the hardware store, check the grade of the bolt. If you replace a bolt with an inferior grade of bolt it could sheer off under stress.
http://www.k-tbolt.com/bolt_chart.html
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 Norm Ward 2008 blue / silver nomad kawanow / VBA #01136 |
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10-23-2014, 01:03 PM
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#14 |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: New Castle, In.
Posts: 365
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Since you still have the one bolt, you can take it with you to match up the type and size. Bad news is, most hardware stores only carry metric bolts in 5mm incriments so wont have exact length, and shorter would be bad and longer may have clearance issues.
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2005 800 Classic 2012 Voyager ABS |
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10-23-2014, 01:07 PM
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#15 | |
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Sr. Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: The Newforest, England
Posts: 4,664
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Quote:
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