Just a warning for my fellow Spyder owners

[Spyderryder798]

This is what your bike will look like if you tighten the bolt that holds the new, taller riser on....and do not use a torque wrench.

I didn't have a torque wrench, so I used a regular one.
It felt tight, but could have easily been tighter, so I kept on cranking it until it was tight enough.
Then the bolt broke off of the steering shaft.

So now, my bike sits in a pile of pieces while I wait for the new shaft to come in from BRP.

I guess the only good news I have is....if i know how to break something, at least I know how to fix it.
I would have hated to hear what the dealer would have charged me to do this job.

Anyway...like the title of my post says.....Just a warning, so that maybe it will help someone in the future to avoid what happened to me.

 

[BOHICA]

So now that all the pieces are off you might as well do some mods!

 

[Spyderryder798]

Oh trust me, the thought HAS crossed my mind.
Lamonster-itis might strike again...I might have all the grey pieces painted, Im already waiting for the new exhaust from Lamont, I might modify the pod and have some speakers molded into the sides.

Its dangerous having all of those pieces already off the bike and nowhere to ride.

Expensive too....lol

 

[mckenziejon]

did you break a bolt off in a hole or a threaded shaft?

 

[Spyderryder798]

I was using the wrench to tighten the bolt onto the threaded shaft and the shaft broke off.
Come to find out that those threads were permanently connected to the end of the steering shaft...so the whole thing had to come out.

 

[Spyderryder798]

here are pictures of the carnage.

 

[csmead]

spouse suggests:
drill the center out, tap it and insert a threaded stud. Can be done by hand or with lathe. Put Spyder back together and ride. Lock-tight the bottom of the stud.
Carol

 

[Spyderryder798]

Thanks for the advise Carol, but its a little too late for that and I really need the peace of mind knowing that its put back together the way is should be done.

Plus, the new steering shaft only cost about $130, so it wasn't so expensive.

 

[Lamonster]

That's a bummer Bro. :'( Can't say I never had an easy job turn to:edit: like that but you learn from your mistakes. :

If it was me I would just grind it flat and weld a stud on there. The splines do all the work, the bolt just holds it down.

So how about a pic of that blue bike in the back. :doorag: :bigthumbsup:

 

[Spyderryder798]

you are right Lamont, the splines do most of the work.
But when i put it back together and rode it for a couple days after I broke the bolt off....the handlebars felt kind of loose and wiggled just a bit.
That made me a little too uncomfortable, so I had to fix it.

Here is my other bike...

 

[Lamonster]

:bad2thebone: :2cool:

 

[Danimal]

I guess I don't quite get what you did.

It sounds like you tried to tighten the wrong thing - or a nut that wasn't meant to tighten?

 

[Director]

I guess I don't quite get what you did.

It sounds like you tried to tighten the wrong thing - or a nut that wasn't meant to tighten?

No, it looks like he was tightening the correct nut, but was not using a torque wrench. He over-tightened it to the point where the bolt snapped off.

Ouch! :cus:

 

[Spyderryder798]

Director...you are absolutely correct.

The riser fits over the splines..then a bolt goes down onto the threads in the center of the riser...to actually bolt it to the steering shaft.

I tightened that bolt to the point where it snapped off the threads that are connected to the steering shaft.

 

[Wijllie]

Question now is what setting to set the torque wrench...
Anybody an idea? I also have ordered the riser and SURE
don't want to break up my Spyder in pieces the first week ! :dontknow:

 

[skaha]

Steering Hub nut tighten to 44N.m or 32lbf.ft
Page 356 of the service manual

 

[Wijllie]

Steering Hub nut tighten to 44N.m or 32lbf.ft
Page 356 of the service manual

Since I don't have the manual THX a LOT

 

[Spyderryder798]

It also has the torque settings listed in the installation instructions that come with the riser

 

[Wijllie]

great to know, thx

 

[spyderrider44]

:spyder: Spyderryder798 love your blue ride ;D :2cool: good luck on your future installs