Crack! Busted front fork??

sseres

sseres

XS650 Junkie
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man.... this bike and broken bolts. I was taking the front wheel off today to get a new rotor on, and one of the two bolts at the end of the left fork broke off in my hand! It looks like a stem, you know, a bolt with threads at both ends? Anyway, do I have a snowball's chance of getting what's left out and put a new one in, or is this more serious? It actually looks like the other one has been stretched out, too, but it's not broken.... yet

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Not as bad as you think. Let it soak in PB Blaster overnight and see if a vice grip will screw it out. If not, take it to a muffler shop and let him torch it a little bit. Remind him it's aluminum! The replacement stud is a common hardware store item. Might have to cut the ends off the new one with a Dremel and then with a flat file bevel where you cut.

Looking at the pic, I'd do both studs. The other one is liable to let its nut go...
 
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theres a product called aerokroil thats 10 times better than PB blaster ,made by Kanolaboratories.com You can order direct ,which is cheaper and sometimes they have special offerrs for 1st time customers. They got one going on now, get a free spray can with any other purchase, and their shipping is cheaper than anyone on the internet, around here you can't find it so I have to get it from them. still runs 13-15 a can.
 
you could also screw 2 nuts on to that stud when your ready to try and remove it, One locking against the other. propane torch to the aluminum after you soak it over nite , just enough to get it hot,but not real hot
 
AeroKroil stinks to the moon, but it IS good stuff. You can find it around airports at parts places if you have a moderately sized airport close by. The acetone and ATF works pretty darn well too, but doing heat and penetrant with the acetone can be an ugly scene! AeroKroil is pretty hard to get on fire with a heat gun.
 
I had some tough ones awhile back. I soaked them with aerokroil for a couple hours then heated them up red hot with the torch. They buzzed right off after that.I wouldn't suggest the red hot with aluminum tho. :)
 
old engine rebuilders trick: heat the stud red-hot (NOT the fork), and while cooling, touch some wax to the base of the threads. Bees wax is best, but I just use a cheap candle. Allow it to cool to room temp (IMPORTANT. Don't try to turn while still hot). Then put some vice grips on the stud and back it right out. Shouldn't require much effort.
 
If you don't have torch, a heat gun will do it to. It will take a bit longer but not so apt to melt the aluminum.
One option is to s put a nut on each stud and get the nut welded to the stud. The heat from welding will break the stud loose in the fork.
From the look of it they may have been over torqued a few times. When fixed and you are putting it back together torque them right.
On the cap part there is an arrow. This arrow points forward, now put the nuts and washers on and tighten the front nut so the cap touches the fork. Just good and snug with your fingers. Now tighten the rear nut to 7-12 ft/lbs. This should leave the front touching and the rear a bit of gap.
This torqueing on the rear tightens both nuts to the right spec. As you torque the rear the cap rotates slightly on the axle and transmits the proper torque to the front.
You can check the torque on the front if it makes you feel better.
Leo
 
Plenty hot enough. Just be careful and keep the heat moving around. Aluminum don't change color as steel does. Get it to hot and it will melt before you realize it.
Leo
 
after letting PB Blaster I had on hand do it's thing, the unbroken (but stretched) fork stud came out with a push with locking pliers. But the broken one was not interested in releasing. Then I had an inspiration:

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and out she came!

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The studs should be here today so hopefully I can get this put back together and riding soon!
 
Hi folks, this same exact thing just happened to me. I ordered from the link above but items were on backorder so I cancelled. I removed the broken stud with a pair of vice grips. I removed the second one (unbroken but stretched out) by filing two flat spots on the bottom area where the threads were. Once it started to move I went to vice grips and I was ready to go to the hardware store.
I found them listed under "engine studs" the thread going into the fork was 8 mm by 1.25 pitch and the total matching length was 46 mm. I purchased two new stainless locknuts (also 8 mm by 1.25 pitch) to go with the new studs.

be well!
DT
p.s. im not sure if the original nuts and bottom threads on the studs were 8mm by 1.25 pitch. I just went with the new hardware. hope that makes sense :)
 

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