Really tight nuts - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

SDSUsnowboards · 04-23-2005, 01:56 PM

Anyone have advice or tips on how to handle really tight nuts (the kind that go on bolts you sickos) that won't budge?
There is ONE keeping me from doing something on my bike and I'd hate to wait a week to pay a mechanic $60+ to do something I ought to be able to do in 40 minuts. Thanks!

Things I have tried already:
Having my dad try
Screaming at it
Tapping it with a hammer
giving up

Dwayne Hicks · 04-23-2005, 02:07 PM

Leverage. Make sure your spanner really fits so you don't round it off, then find something to extend the length of the spanner. The further you are from the nut, the more leverage you can put on it. Or try find someone with one of those compressor ratchet thingies they use at the tire changes in Formula One.

**Clint** · 04-23-2005, 02:19 PM

Leverage might twist off the bolt. Soak it with a penetrant, then try heat (carefully!). Contrary to popular belief, the inside of a nut gets larger when heated.

jaydog19833 · 04-23-2005, 02:31 PM

Spray it with WD-40? I don't know which bolt you're looking at but maybe they used lock-tite in it or something.

TL chris · 04-23-2005, 03:45 PM

Don't forget, when you get it to break torque, if it's still tight don't spin the wrench around getting it off. Turn it so a ratchet will click a few times and relieve so of the stress that's on it.

Heat treating does work pretty good in most cases. Reminds me of this one time we had to pull a brake sleeve off an axle on the landing gear. So we put an H-1 (heater unit) on it for 2 hours to expand the sleeve. The puller you use come in 5 pieces. Two half-moon shapes for each end, and six rods that connect the two ends. Ok, that's like 10 pieces. Anyhow, when it came time to turn the puller that sleeve was on so tight, we actually ripped the threads off of the puller itself. Guess it didn't help we had a 4-foot long breaker bar with an extra 5-foot pipe for leverage. Nine feet of leveragecan break just about anything.

SDSUsnowboards · 04-23-2005, 04:00 PM

Heat treating it sounds promising. It's a bolt that secures the dogbone (or shockplate as it's officially called) to the shock absorber. Kind of a sensitive area to be playing around with heat. So my question is... heat it with what?

Adding more leverage sounds good too but I don't really have any kind of tools allowing me to do that. I'll have to look into it and see if I can make something...

**Clint** · 04-23-2005, 04:06 PM

A plumber's torch. They can be directed precisely and sheetmetal shields can protect other parts.

TLchris, I don't understand your tip. Can you elaborate?

Gixxerdale · 04-23-2005, 10:46 PM

Well, my wife always..........opps wrong nuts.

Be sure you use a six point socket rather than a twelve point. Less likely to strip the outside of the nut.

**Clint** · 04-24-2005, 08:22 AM

Dale, you seem to have a habit of going there. Perhaps the reality isn't as large as the legend in your household?

Gixxerdale · 04-24-2005, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Dale, you seem to have a habit of going there. Perhaps the reality isn't as large as the legend in your household?

**Clint** · 04-24-2005, 08:49 AM

Lol!

prekarious1 · 04-24-2005, 11:32 AM

liquid wrench works. Other than that I would go with the head idea

TL chris · 04-24-2005, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

TLchris, I don't understand your tip. Can you elaborate?

If you want to break something good, do it right!

P.S. Nothing on your bike should require that much leverage.

SDSUsnowboards · 04-24-2005, 02:25 PM

yup... nothing *should*. The moron who tightened this exceeded 75 ftlbs. That's where my torque wrench maxes out and I got it up to that point but still no budge. the cut should have been tightened to 42 ftlbs. GOD!!!!!

I did try liquid wrench actually... forgot to put that on the list. I am looking into a way to increase the handle lenght... havn't had much time lately to think about it. I might just buy some plumbing pipe and use that. I'm afraid it's going to strip though... there are already sign of that happening. I should find a 6 point socket wrench, I've been using a 12 up til now.

I got some free time right now, I think I'm going to go give yelling at it another try (it works with the girl friend every time)

stevie c · 04-24-2005, 07:23 PM

A torque wrench is for tightening, not undoing, just use a normal spanner or socket set to undo.

Hardware · 04-24-2005, 08:03 PM

Have you tried turning it COUNTER CLOCKWISE...?

stevie c · 04-24-2005, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hardware

Have you tried turning it COUNTER CLOCKWISE...?

**Clint** · 04-24-2005, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevie c

A torque wrench is for tightening, not undoing

Perhaps he's the curious type (like me) and wanted to know how tight it was.

stevie c · 04-24-2005, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Perhaps he's the curious type (like me) and wanted to know how tight it was.

Gixxerdale · 04-24-2005, 08:39 PM

Does that bolt and nut have a left hand thread?

04-23-2005, 01:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
SDSUsnowboards Tin Foil Inspector Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: 2000 CBR600f4 Location: Southern California Posts: 764	Really tight nuts Anyone have advice or tips on how to handle really tight nuts (the kind that go on bolts you sickos) that won't budge? There is ONE keeping me from doing something on my bike and I'd hate to wait a week to pay a mechanic $60+ to do something I ought to be able to do in 40 minuts. Thanks! Things I have tried already: Having my dad try Screaming at it Tapping it with a hammer giving up __________________ The notion should be deleted from your noggin. -FIVEINCH

04-23-2005, 02:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
Dwayne Hicks Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2003 Bike: 2003 Honda CGL 125 Location: South Africa Posts: 857	Leverage. Make sure your spanner really fits so you don't round it off, then find something to extend the length of the spanner. The further you are from the nut, the more leverage you can put on it. Or try find someone with one of those compressor ratchet thingies they use at the tire changes in Formula One. __________________ I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here. Its 106 miles to Chicago. We have a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, its dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Hey, psycho, we're not getting back together. Now get out of my Van Halen t-shirt before you jinx the band and they break up.

04-23-2005, 02:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
jaydog19833 U.B's LoveChild Joined: Jun 2004 Bike: 04 GSXR 600 Location: Lake George, NY Posts: 1,288	Spray it with WD-40? I don't know which bolt you're looking at but maybe they used lock-tite in it or something. __________________ Anyone can fire a bullet. Only the good ones can steer one. Bend your elbow, move your arse, and stick the knee out.

04-23-2005, 03:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
TL chris Tater Salad Joined: Jun 2004 Bike: 1999 TL1000R Location: NorCal Posts: 1,926	Don't forget, when you get it to break torque, if it's still tight don't spin the wrench around getting it off. Turn it so a ratchet will click a few times and relieve so of the stress that's on it. Heat treating does work pretty good in most cases. Reminds me of this one time we had to pull a brake sleeve off an axle on the landing gear. So we put an H-1 (heater unit) on it for 2 hours to expand the sleeve. The puller you use come in 5 pieces. Two half-moon shapes for each end, and six rods that connect the two ends. Ok, that's like 10 pieces. Anyhow, when it came time to turn the puller that sleeve was on so tight, we actually ripped the threads off of the puller itself. Guess it didn't help we had a 4-foot long breaker bar with an extra 5-foot pipe for leverage. Nine feet of leveragecan break just about anything. __________________ 1999 Suzuki TL1000R, Yosh RS-3, TRE, PC II, Custom Paint, OEM sweetness

04-23-2005, 04:00 PM	#6 (permalink)
SDSUsnowboards Tin Foil Inspector Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: 2000 CBR600f4 Location: Southern California Posts: 764	Heat treating it sounds promising. It's a bolt that secures the dogbone (or shockplate as it's officially called) to the shock absorber. Kind of a sensitive area to be playing around with heat. So my question is... heat it with what? Adding more leverage sounds good too but I don't really have any kind of tools allowing me to do that. I'll have to look into it and see if I can make something... __________________ The notion should be deleted from your noggin. -FIVEINCH

04-23-2005, 10:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
Gixxerdale Forensic Bug Splatter Analyst. Joined: Mar 2004 Bike: 02 GSXR 1k Location: The warm and twisty roads of SoCal Posts: 3,028	Well, my wife always..........opps wrong nuts. Be sure you use a six point socket rather than a twelve point. Less likely to strip the outside of the nut. __________________ Proud Father of a U S Army Soldier... The key to life is to die young...at a very old age... Ride like you own the road...and...someday the road will own you.. My Favorite Ride? Tomorrows!

04-24-2005, 11:32 AM	#12 (permalink)
prekarious1 Sprocket Pilot Joined: May 2004 Bike: 02 busa LE Location: Pensacola Fl Posts: 879	liquid wrench works. Other than that I would go with the head idea __________________ If my busa is so slow in the twisties, why can't you keep up?

04-24-2005, 02:25 PM	#14 (permalink)
SDSUsnowboards Tin Foil Inspector Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: 2000 CBR600f4 Location: Southern California Posts: 764	yup... nothing should. The moron who tightened this exceeded 75 ftlbs. That's where my torque wrench maxes out and I got it up to that point but still no budge. the cut should have been tightened to 42 ftlbs. GOD!!!!! I did try liquid wrench actually... forgot to put that on the list. I am looking into a way to increase the handle lenght... havn't had much time lately to think about it. I might just buy some plumbing pipe and use that. I'm afraid it's going to strip though... there are already sign of that happening. I should find a 6 point socket wrench, I've been using a 12 up til now. I got some free time right now, I think I'm going to go give yelling at it another try (it works with the girl friend every time) __________________ The notion should be deleted from your noggin. -FIVEINCH

04-24-2005, 07:23 PM	#15 (permalink)
stevie c Sit speling cheker Joined: Mar 2004 Bike: GSX-R 600 K1 Location: Northants,UK Posts: 1,631	A torque wrench is for tightening, not undoing, just use a normal spanner or socket set to undo. __________________ Stevie C '02 Gixer 600 K1,Yellow and Black (fastest colour!), always beats red ones!! Why put off until tomorrow what you can get someone else to do for you today.

04-24-2005, 08:03 PM	#16 (permalink)
Hardware Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2004 Bike: 2004 Hayabusa Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 843	Have you tried turning it COUNTER CLOCKWISE...? __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons...for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

04-24-2005, 08:39 PM	#20 (permalink)
Gixxerdale Forensic Bug Splatter Analyst. Joined: Mar 2004 Bike: 02 GSXR 1k Location: The warm and twisty roads of SoCal Posts: 3,028	Does that bolt and nut have a left hand thread? __________________ Proud Father of a U S Army Soldier... The key to life is to die young...at a very old age... Ride like you own the road...and...someday the road will own you.. My Favorite Ride? Tomorrows!

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