[gmac]

Dooooh !

I went to lossen the binding bolt on my 20mm axle and it (5mm allen) stripped. It was really in there tight. So I lubed it and tapped it w/ a rubber mallet first. Didn't work obviously.

Not the threads. The head of the bolt where the hex wrench goes in. Any suggesstions ? Dremel the head to straight slot or a cross for two screwdrivers opposing ? Drill it out ? Shop time ? help

 

[kidwoo]

Do you know what an "easy out" is?

 

[gmac]

Nope

I bet it pulls stripped bolts out though.

 

[buildyourown]

Originally posted by kidwoo
Do you know what an "easy out" is?

Remember, there is no such thing as an "easy" out.

I would try to slot it first. If that doesn't work, then try the screw extractor (easy out). If the easy out doesn't work you're kinda F'ed so make it you last resort. Plus, you might not have to buy an easy out.

 

[Kornphlake]

funny my fork has 4mm socket head bolts, a friend had 3mm socket head bolts and now you are saying you have 5mm. Geeze why can't somebody standardize???

Oh yeah about the bolt. Use an easy out like mentioned. Basically you drill a small hole in the center of the bolt, insert what looks like a tapered drill bit with a reverse spiral and you turn the bolt out. I wish somebody would take some picutres of how to do this and make a sticky in the tech talk forum or somewhere. This comes up at least once a month if not more. Of course you don't see me getting my camera out now do you.

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by gmac
Nope

I bet it pulls stripped bolts out though.

Sho nuff.

You can buy individual bits that aren't more than a few dollars. A full kit is good to have anyway.

It's like a drill bit that has threads that bite when spun counter-clockwise. That way as the bit digs in, you're also unthreading the stripped bolt. You drill a pilot hole into the bolt first so that the easy out bit fits in. Any decent hardware store should have them.

If you can get a dremel bit to cut a groove across the top of the head, you may be able to back it out with a flathead screwdriver like buildyourown said.

good luck

 

[BostonBullit]

"easy outs" aren't a great idea if the bolt is really stuck in there. they are made from carbide steel so that they can cut into the bolt, but that makes them really brittle. can you guess what usually happens? yup, ya get the easy out threaded into the busted bolt and once there's a little resistance SNAP. and you can't drill an easy out very easily (it's hardened remember?).

I would try to slot it and if that didn't work drill it....you don't even have to tap it out a size bigger, just slowly work your way up to the bit that's just a little smaller than the bolt and you'll have an "eggshell" of threads. clean it up with a tap, but be carefull cause a tap has a lot of the same issues as an easy out!

my $.02

 

[gmac]

I'm trying the slot.

I'll report back as soon as I'm totally "screwed"

Where is a good place to find easy out kits ? I wonder if one of them would fit into the predrilled 5mm opening ? That way the easyout would have to be a pretty burly bit. 7/64ths ?

 

[Ifelloffabike]

what sort of fork is this for?


i did that once on my sherman and just used a pair of needle nose pliers

 

[gmac]

Shiver SC

 

[Threepointtwo]

I assume this is a pair of pinch bolts? You might also try tightening the other bolt first to take the tension off of the stuck one. I actually got one out this past weekend by jamming a flat blade screwdriver in diagonally and using a Crescent wrench to turn it.

 

[gmac]

I tightened the other bolt first, hit w/ that mallet, lubed it... Probhably not greased or lubed or moved in a year.

 

[goin' medium]

If the bolt on the Axel (I know you said binding bolt, but I thought I'd check) Did you make sure to loosen all the clamping bolts on the fork. Many forks clamp onto the through axel. Make sure that if your fork does this, the clamp bolts are loose first. (you may need to hold the other end with another wrench)

If it is one of the 4? binding bolts:
Torque the one next to it down as tight as you are comfortable with, it will help minimize the loading on the seized bolt. You may also want to loosen the other side/crowns. All that may just help minimize the loading on the bolt head.

If this is obvious, sorry, just trying to help.

Scott

 

[Kornphlake]

one other thing you can try is to pound a close fitting torx bit into the hex head, sometimes it'll give you enough to grab onto to screw out the bolt, if that doesn't work try slitting it with a dremel, and as a final resort use the easy out. A good hardware store, IE true value or ace, not a home depot would be a good place to start, if they don't have one maybe try a good auto parts store, ie not autozone or pep boys. Sears also makes a doodad that looks like a left handed ceterdrill, it's supposed to do the same thing but you don't have to pre drill, I am not sure I'd trust it, but if you can't find an easy out it may be worth trying.

 

[gmac]

New Sponsors:

Ridemonkey/ Vise Grips / Dremel Racing

I can do it !

Dremeled slot. Attempted opposing levers w/o success. Placed large straight slot driver in cut. Levered screwdriver w/ vice grips.

BAAAM !

Thanks to everyone who helped.