trikester
05-01-2008, 02:40 PM
I just installed the handle bar riser. Hence the subject statement "freak'in nightmare" I can't imagine they could have designed the steering with more difficult bolts to remove if they had been trying (maybe they were trying). If it hadn't been an inch higher, with the new riser, I'd still be trying to get the bolts back in.......or maybe just killing myself.
One of the pairs of bolts doesn't have enough room underneath to get a 1/4 inch drive socket and wrench in there, so I had to hold the socket up on the bolt head with a finger, while gripping the body of the socket with pliers to turn it without the wrench.
Of course all through this process of removal and installation I was aware of the "black hole" lying just below, that could swallow up any bolt I might drop. I was wondering how much of the bike I would have to disassemble in order to get something back out of that black hole. Fortunately, I didn't have to find that out the hard way. :bigthumbsup:
I did this using the factory instructions so maybe there was some information posted on this forum that would have helped. I read the postings here, about this, but not recently enough to remember any details but I felt the factory stuff was clear enough when I started - maybe not. One thing, I wish they had given the sizes of the hex-heads involved, so I wouldn't have had to reach into blind areas with various size metric sockets until I could feel one fitting the bolt. All the time fearing having a socket go down the black hole.
Remembering about the guy who broke the 10mm threaded end of the shaft and postings about wrong torque figures, I did two things: First I tapped the new spacer down on the spline with a plastic mallet until it stopped so I wouldn't be pulling it down with the nut. Then I used a shortie handle socket wrench to tighten it, to lessen the possibility of over tightening it. It only has to be snug, because the spline will prevent slipping of the fitting. There wasn't a new locknut in the kit and it says to through away the old nut. Since I didn't have a new nut, to be sure it doesn't come loose, I put a little Locktite on the threads.
All in all about three hours to do the "one hour" job according to the factory instructions. :edit:
Bottom line; I like the higher bar. I'm 6'3" The nightmare is over. Sweet dreams 8)
Frank
One of the pairs of bolts doesn't have enough room underneath to get a 1/4 inch drive socket and wrench in there, so I had to hold the socket up on the bolt head with a finger, while gripping the body of the socket with pliers to turn it without the wrench.
Of course all through this process of removal and installation I was aware of the "black hole" lying just below, that could swallow up any bolt I might drop. I was wondering how much of the bike I would have to disassemble in order to get something back out of that black hole. Fortunately, I didn't have to find that out the hard way. :bigthumbsup:
I did this using the factory instructions so maybe there was some information posted on this forum that would have helped. I read the postings here, about this, but not recently enough to remember any details but I felt the factory stuff was clear enough when I started - maybe not. One thing, I wish they had given the sizes of the hex-heads involved, so I wouldn't have had to reach into blind areas with various size metric sockets until I could feel one fitting the bolt. All the time fearing having a socket go down the black hole.
Remembering about the guy who broke the 10mm threaded end of the shaft and postings about wrong torque figures, I did two things: First I tapped the new spacer down on the spline with a plastic mallet until it stopped so I wouldn't be pulling it down with the nut. Then I used a shortie handle socket wrench to tighten it, to lessen the possibility of over tightening it. It only has to be snug, because the spline will prevent slipping of the fitting. There wasn't a new locknut in the kit and it says to through away the old nut. Since I didn't have a new nut, to be sure it doesn't come loose, I put a little Locktite on the threads.
All in all about three hours to do the "one hour" job according to the factory instructions. :edit:
Bottom line; I like the higher bar. I'm 6'3" The nightmare is over. Sweet dreams 8)
Frank