Disappearing Bolts

[NUTT]

So on the way home from work today on the SV there was some guy checking out my bike. It was sort of strange because he was staring at my rear wheel.

I heard a weird click when I went over a bump.

Then I noticed a sort of ssshhhhhhhhhhh type noise.

I looked down and noticed that my rear brake caliper was NOT ATTACHED TO THE WHEEL!!!! The brake caliper mounting bolts had somehow disappeared.

For reference, these bolts are M8 x 30 1.25 pitch bolts. It took me 30 minutes to figure that out. A quick trip to Ace Hardware snagged some stainless bolts which are now torqued to spec & installed with blue Loctite.

No big issues with the brake caliper but it scratched the rear wheel pretty bad. Time for paint I guess.

[poser]

No big issues with the brake caliper but it scratched the rear wheel pretty bad. Time for paint I guess.

or time for an F3 rear wheel with some wider rubber :trust:

[kurt]

I wish I still had the picture of the swingarm on my ZRX cocked to the side after the nut vibrated off and the bolt backed partially out. Every since then I have routinely re-torqued all major fasteners. Brake caliper bolts are amongst those I lose sleep over.

[Squeaky]

The SV is the cousin of the Strom. Things vibrate loose and fall off my bike all the time.

This weekend, I almost lost another license plate! :giveup:

[Grrl]

Blue loctite is your friend, you ride a twin for pete's sake!!

[Maintainer]

If blue loc-tite is you friend then red would be an even better friend on those kind of crucial safety related type areas. It's not like your gonna be taking it off very often or anything.

[Boxercup Dave]

I try to use spring type lock washers on all blind hole bolts and nylock nuts on others as this helps reduce the likelihood of vibration backing them out.

[NUTT]

If blue loc-tite is you friend then red would be an even better friend on those kind of crucial safety related type areas. It's not like your gonna be taking it off very often or anything.

Actually... I remove the bolts when I pull the rear wheel. Which I guess is about every 6K miles, although I need a new one soon.

[Maintainer]

Actually... I remove the bolts when I pull the rear wheel. Which I guess is about every 6K miles, although I need a new one soon.

Oh no, I'm certainly not talking about wheel related hardware just things like calipers, handlebars, brake pedals and such.

[lastsix]

If you don't want your bike to vibrate to pieces...buy a Harley. :rofl:

Sorry...just couldn't resist. :trust: