Stripped yet ANOTHER bolt!!!

[MONK]

I'm to the point where I truly wish someone would come along and f'in steal this thing. Seriously. If it wasn't illegal, I'd pay someone to steal it. I WAS going to take a nice long ride up the BRP Saturday. Now, I have to run across town, buy a pair of vice grips (cuz I can't find mine....could be during some previous vehicle work, I may have heaved them into the next county....who can remember), remove yet ANOTHER stripped bolt, bring the bolt back across town to buy another (cuz I have no idea what size I need), back home and hope I didn't cross thread it too bad.

I'm installing a set of Pierres floating highway boards. The VERY FIRST bolt I cross threaded. I tried a couple heavy duty pair of channel locks but it won't budge. It's MY fault as I was 99.4% sure the heads were torx (cuz everything else on the stupid bike is). They're hex. I must have watched his install video 20 times just to make sure I got everything right and I STILL got it wrong!

And to think I was talking to the dealership just today about installing a set of Tri Axis bars. (I mean, I wouldn't be installing them, thank God.) I...just...can't...do...anything...right...on...th is.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Ouch! That hurts, even over here in Idaho, clear across the country! I've cross threaded a few bolts, even when I knew it could happen and was being super careful.

[ThreeWheels]

We've all been there.
And DON'T ask me about my adventures in plumbing.

Oh, I think I found your vise-grips in my yard.

[Peter Aawen]

That's definitely NOT a great thing to hear, Monk!! I do feel for you, only don't you feel too badly about it, cos if we're really honest with ourselves, anyone who's ever spun a spanner has cross threaded a bolt or two, and it invariably happens at exactly the most inconvenient time!! At least you're only across town from the new vice grips & bolts, and not 1000 km of almost insurmountable sand dunes away from the nearest help!!

Still, not trying to teach anyone who already knows/does this anything new, but for those who don't.... and I certainly dunno how much it'll help you now, Monk, but for whatever it's worth.... Read on!

Remember the old 'Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey' saying & recite it whenever you insert or undo a bolt juuuust to make sure you're at least likely to be turning the bolt the correct way; and then also practice making it a habit to ALWAYS turn any bolt at least a couple of turns LEFT (ie. counter clockwise) when you're first inserting it. If you do this with a little inwards pressure on the bolt as you turn, you should feel a slight 'click' as the first catch-point of the thread on the bolt passes over the engagement point of the starting thread in the hole. So if you feel for this 'click' before you start trying to tighten the bolt by turning it to the RIGHT (ie. clockwise) you should be more likely to engage the threads properly and thereby minimise the chances of cross-threading!

No guarantees of course, and that little pearl of unsolicited electronically shared wisdom is, as always, only worth the paper it's printed upon. But here's hoping it might help someone!

and Good Luck!

[Peacekeeper6]

I think it’s time for you to start another hobby, preferably something that doesn’t have anything to do with tools.

Either that, or get REALLY acquainted with a good mechanic, lol.

[Tango]

Monk. You are no different than I am! We have all done that at one time or another. And I am still doing things like this. Hang in there. Tom

[Valkrocket]

And getting the damn bolt out is usually just the beginning of the fun. (don't ask me how I know ) I believe tap & dye sets were invented for just this purpose. Hang in there Brother.

[YIRYDE]

And getting the damn bolt out is usually just the beginning of the fun. (don't ask me how I know ) I believe tap & dye sets were invented for just this purpose. Hang in there Brother.

I couldn't agree more. I have crossed threaded a few in my time and quickly brought a tap and die set.

[Trbayth]

Don't be too hard on yourself Monk. First time I went to check the oil level on my then new bike, I cross-threaded the dipstick putting it back in.

[jcoats1]

I don't believe ANY of this is the bikes fault!!?

[ARtraveler]

When your in that "other country," looking for the vice grips, see if there is a Maglite (the 20" one) floating around. I lost mine when I was installing the Seal floorboards around 2011. Poof...it was gone forever. There must be something going on about missing tools and floorboards.

[MONK]

I don't believe ANY of this is the bikes fault!!?

It's my bike and my aggrevation. It can be anybodys (or anythings) fault I want it to be.

[MONK]

When your in that "other country," looking for the vice grips, see if there is a Maglite (the 20" one) floating around. I lost mine when I was installing the Seal floorboards around 2011. Poof...it was gone forever. There must be something going on about missing tools and floorboards.

I've got a collection of Maglites. One might be yours. I think I've got (3) of the (6) D cell and (2) of the (8) D cell lights plus more (2) and (4) D cell lights than I could ever use. Most of them were given to me as job related. Work "upgraded" and didn't want the old ones back. Work didn't go to LEDs and/or rechargable batteries until just before I left.

[troop]

Did the handlebar bolt get fixed ?

[cptjam]

Wow! Next time that urge kicks in, and you reach for a tool, STOP! Go directly to the fridge, open a beer. Drink it. Keep that process going until the urge to touch a tool passes. You’ll be fine. It might take a few cases of beer, but eventually, that urge will stop. Then, you can just enjoy the ride. I gotta admit, you are tenacious! LOL! I m like that with singing. I keep trying, but I’m terrible. Generally, I drink first, then think I can karaoke like Buble’. It seems, I can’t. So there’s that!

[MONK]

Did the handlebar bolt get fixed ?

I'm still waiting to hear back from the dealership to see if it will be fixed under warranty. I spoke w/them yesterday. They said if it's fixed under warranty, BRP might ask for the handlebars. Not really sure why. I guess, if they can fix it under warranty, I might have them install Tri Axis bars (no labor as it would be covered under warranty). If that's the case, they can keep the bars and make a wall decoration out of them as far as I'm concerned. It's not like I'd get any money out of a set of stock bars anyway and I don't need them cluttering up my house. (I can't even sell a brand new (~400 miles) stock seat.)

[Peteoz]

Monk.....you goose......I have never, ever made any kind of mistake like that....... oh....wait.....is that a flying pig?

Hang in there mate, I’ve cross threaded 3 of the Tupperware bolts, and a couple of other things that I dare not post here for fear of ridicule

Pete

[Grandpot]

Monk.....you goose......I have never, ever made any kind of mistake like that....... oh....wait.....is that a flying pig?

Hang in there mate, I’ve cross threaded 3 of the Tupperware bolts, and a couple of other things that I dare not post here for fear of ridicule

Pete

"Ridicule", oh come on, not here.

[Gwolf]

You won't cross thread as many bolts if you take torx socket or the hex socket off the ratchet and just use the socket in your fingers to get the bolts started. Don't put the ratchet on them until they are started and turned down 4 or 5 threads by hand. If they won't start straight, find out why. I keep a 10X magnifying glass hanging on a magnetic hook on the side of the tool box.

[Peacekeeper6]

You won't cross thread as many bolts if you take torx socket or the hex socket off the ratchet and just use the socket in your fingers to get the bolts started. Don't put the ratchet on them until they are started and turned down 4 or 5 threads by hand. If they won't start straight, find out why. I keep a 10X magnifying glass hanging on a magnetic hook on the side of the tool box.

That is why I like to screw in the bolts for the tupperware by hand. I don't get when people place the bolt on the bit, jam the bolt in the hole and pull the trigger on a power tool. That's a great way to cross thread .

However, I use a power tool to take them off.

[Revalden]

Hey Monk, I'll give you a hundred bucks for your Spyder and I'll even come pick it up. I'll consider it a Mental Health Mission.

[cptjam]

Me, too! I’ll go $200!

[PMK]

Bummer, again.

[PinkRosePetal]

Sheesh! You folks shouldn't be let loose on yer bikes with a tool in yer hand! What with chewed out heads, cross threads and slackening screws in the wrong direction...you do know which side of a brake pad is the disc side?! 'Course you do, it's the flat side....

[Peteoz]

That is why I like to screw in the bolts for the tupperware by hand. I don't get when people place the bolt on the bit, jam the bolt in the hole and pull the trigger on a power tool. That's a great way to cross thread .

However, I use a power tool to take them off.

I’ve got some news for you, Peacekeeper..........I don’t even use a power driver to REMOVE the panel bolts, let alone tighten them, and I have still cross threaded a couple. I certainly don’t “jam the bolt in the hole and pull the trigger’, as per your rather significant assumption as to the cause of cross threading. I guess I’m just not as smart as you, eh? Oh well, I can live with that.

Pete