Footrest Failure

[jonathan180iq]

You can see in the photo that there is very little bolt left. Nothing to grab.

I like the idea submitted earlier about drilling out the stuck bolt and letting the pieces fall out.
I don't like it better than just having that sucker welded on, but I do like it.

[patrick_777]

After a run back to Lowe's and a $4 8/1.25mm tap and a few $0.15 bolts, I drilled out the offender and tapped the hole, as seen below:



I checked the fit of the bolt (learning from my earlier mistakes, eh) and then bolted them up carefully:



While I was in the mood, I replaced the other side bolts as well. The bottom one was ground down pretty well from me pegging that side a couple of times in some hard turns.

They all took the manual-recommended 19 lb/ft of torque though, so I'm not too worried about the strength of the fit. I couldn't find my Locktite, and I didn't want to drive anywhere else today, so that'll have to wait until I'm out again.

Thanks for the suggestions. My confidence was built up successfully after reading this thread.

And, Jonathan, I would rather have it welded on, and may still very soon, but riding it to a machine shop in the earlier condition seemed dangerous, or at least somewhat precarious. It could be enough of a reason for me to learn to weld though.

[jonathan180iq]

Now that it's bolted in place, you could just add a couple of spot welds, so in case it ever happens again, you'll have a backup.

I'd love to learn to weld. Thought about that a lot. But, I'd rather have air tools first. Those home welding kits are pretty expensive.

[patrick_777]

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

Now that it's bolted in place, you could just add a couple of spot welds, so in case it ever happens again, you'll have a backup.

I'd love to learn to weld. Thought about that a lot. But, I'd rather have air tools first. Those home welding kits are pretty expensive.

Yeah, I'll probably just ride it over to a machine shop one of these days and have them do that. I've been toying with the idea of getting a MIG welder for years now, but just never got up the guts. Just looking through Harbor Freight, you can pick one up for under $200 now. Of course that's no guarantee on quality or experience.

[countrydad]

Welding isn't that hard. There are some details you need to learn, but that is easy with the internet. I wouldn't weld anything that I had to rely on heavily for a while, but "burn some rod." That is the best way to learn. I picked up an old Lincoln buzz box for $50 dollars, and still use it. A wire feed is more convenient and probably easier to learn with, but you can't beat the price. Besides, unless you are a professional or doing some real heavy duty work, you won't need a fancy set up. If you can though, I would recommend an AC/DC since somethings are easier to weld in DC.

Go for it. Right now I am welding a sprayer to go on the three point hitch of my tractor with a 25' spread and folding booms. What a blast!

[mrlmd1]

Keep an eye on those bolts. Most of that stuff (like 15 cent bolts) comes from China and may be inferior steel and may rust pretty quickly. You may want to coat them with something to try and prevent rust even though they may be "galvanized".
Has anyone else ever heard of a problem like this, something coming loose from vibration and almost falling off? It's enough too keep an eye on tire pressure, oil level, brake fluid level, etc, etc, without having to go over every nut and bolt on a bike periodically but I guess prevention is the best part of safety.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

Has anyone else ever heard of a problem like this, something coming loose from vibration and almost falling off?

Yes.
That's probably why there is an item for that on the maintenance check list in the owner's manual.
You do have one, don't you?

[mrlmd1]

Yes I do, and I looked it up. In my manual it's on page 27 and 39.
Pg 27- "Always perform a pre-ride inspection before each ride".
Pg 37-says to tighten exhaust pipe nuts and muffler bolts and chassis nuts and bolts at 600, 3000, 6000, 9500 miles, or 3, 15, 30, 45 months.
That's not very often, probably should do it at more frequent intervals, going over the whole bike.

[bigwonton]

As suggested above, probably a good idea to put a spring, tooth or wedge lock washer in there as well as some blue Loctite to reduce the chances of it vibrating out. To further ensure corrosion you can go for a 316 Stainless Steel bolt.

[patrick_777]

Like Jonathan suggested, I'm probably going to get it spot welded now that it's road-worthy again.