When it rains it pours

The other day I was in the process of removing my shock from the bike. The front bolt runs from left to right, with the nut on the right side. The bolt sits in an'indent' so that you can remove the nut without having to have a wrench on the bolt head.

I proceed to remove the bolt but after about a minute of turning it still hasn't come off. I mark the nut and bolt, and verify the are both turning as I turn the wrench ..... the head of the bolt is not turning. At that point I give up and work on the numerous other things that seem to go wrong at the same time.

So what do you think ... broken bolt or stripped nut?

Whatever it is, it's going to be a bear to get that bolt out. The bolt head is somewhat ressessed and the nut in buried deep inside the bike. Looks like the pipes are going to have to come off. Hoopefully the bolt is broken (but I doubt it) as that would make things a lot easier.

Doc

Well Doc, if it was a broken bolt, it would just pull out... I say it is a stripped nut... I would go ahead and order and new nut and bolt from Yamaha and have it ready for when I cut the old ones off the bike...

ya cutting that bolt off will be a bitch! could try and have use a screw driver and put side pressure on bolt and try to hoax it to grab a lil and "pull" itself outa the nut.

Sounds like somebody bought an air ride???

I know which one you're talking about, and that sucks.

You also may want to cut the nut off with a dremel and cutting disk, if you can get that in there. Removed a stripped axle nut that way.

At least you can drive it until you get a new nut.



Rich

Is there enough room to get a splitter on the nut?

TampaSVT wrote:
Sounds like somebody bought an air ride???

I can't order it until I get some measurements ... which means I need to get that shock off.

Is there enough room to get a splitter on the nut?

Nope .... barely enough room to get the socket in there. I hate to take stuff off 'cause then you create more problems but is looks like I may have to partially dissasseble.

cutting that bolt off will be a bitch! could try and have use a screw driver and put side pressure on bolt and try to hoax it to grab a lil and "pull" itself outa the nut.

Agree .... it's in awkward spot as it is ... even with straight access to it. I thought I'd try a pair of needle nose vice grip as I dont' know if I can get a screwdriver in there.

if it was a broken bolt, it would just pull out... I say it is a stripped nut...

Can't figure out how it would be stripped so I'm leaning towards a broke bolt but then again don't know how it broke or how it's staying in place. You would think that the movement of the shock would have wiggle it out a bit.

Doc

Ive gotten lucky a few times by working a screwdriver blade under the bolt head and then turning the nut while prying on the head. every now and then, the nut will catch a few threads..

Take it to your dealership Doc. They'll take care of it for you.

I was going to recommend vise grips earlier, which would allow you to pull on the nut as you turn it. This one's a toughie for sure.

"I proceed to remove the bolt but after about a minute of turning it still hasn't come off. I mark the nut and bolt, and verify the are both turning as I turn the wrench"

If they are both turning on the NUT end and the HEAD is not turning,sounds broken to me.
jvcexc

Doc,
Are you talking about one of the actual shock mounting bolts???? Last year when I switched to the Progressive spring I had the same problem with the lower mounting nut & bolt, where the shock mounts to the swingarm. I ended up using a small (4 inch) cutting wheel and cutting through the nut and bolt. What was weird with mine though was it did it on reassembly. The nut got to a certian spot and wouldn't go any further; I couldn't loosen it or tighten it and it definitely wasn't tight enough so it had to come off. And it wasn't cross-threaded either. Strange.........

As for getting to it (the stripped nut/bolt) I had the swingarm completely removed from the bike in order to lube the bearings, so I don't know if it can be done with the swingarm still on the bike or not.

Good luck!!!

In The Wind,
Aaron