lost a calliper!!!!!

[Motu]

If a bike shop had worked on it they'd be getting crusified right now.But it's almost common in the mechanicing game - you know you tightened something up,but the customer comes back saying something fell off - and it's almost impossible to defend yourself,as sAsLEX is finding out...point is,you did them up and they came loose.

I think the crap metal they use these days just can't take the stress reversals,bolts lose elasticity and come loose...it's a real worry for me on liability issues.Wheels are the worst - studs elongate,thread pitch between stud and nut differs,put the gun on them and the speed is so high they friction weld and a stud shears.So now we do wheel nuts up to the correct torque - and the keep bloody falling off! Alloy wheels are worse,the lower torque doesn't fully seat the wheel,no matter how many times you go over them....then a week later it settles and comes loose.It's got to the point where tyre shops now give the customer a card to tell them to come back for a retorque.This shit never used to happen,but it keeps us on our toes.

[sAsLEX]

as sAsLEX is finding out

huh?.....?

[imdying]

Seen this occasionally come through work, though thank the Lord never on a bike.

Two scenarios are possible, one more likely than the other.

Most likely, you forgot to tighten those bolts. It happens. No shame there, you're not the first.

The second, and unlikely because you haven't seen half a bolt, is you've overtightened then. Generally, this results in the head shearing off, and the thread is left in the hole. It is *possible* that the threaded bit worked its way out, but unlikely. So no threaded part, you can probably discount this.

When doing brakes, use Loctite, it lubricates the thread as well as locking them. This allows your torque wrench to read the correct value. Always use your torque wrench. It's not that the actual value is soooo important, but it reminds you not to overtighten them. Problem is people have a fear of their brakes falling off, so they heave on the bolts. Sadly, the bolts, they don't like this... especially after having it done after every pad/tyre change

[Motu]

huh?.....?

Haven't you noticed everyone is saying you fucked up...and you are saying...''but,but,but,I did tighten them''

[loosebruce]

Jono, i dont know what to say, for whatever reason the caliper bolts came out, fuck knows, glad you didn't bin it ya muppet, happens to the best of em a mate Sam noticed one of the locater pins for the pads missing out of one of Harris's 600 proddy race bikes at Puke TT on the dummy grid, could've got interesting down into the hairpin.

[aff-man]

Jono, i dont know what to say, for whatever reason the caliper bolts came out, fuck knows, glad you didn't bin it ya muppet, happens to the best of em a mate Sam noticed one of the locater pins for the pads missing out of one of Harris's 600 proddy race bikes at Puke TT on the dummy grid, could've got interesting down into the hairpin.

Yeh shit happens...

This is the second time though.... when i had the cibber the rear locating bolt fell out. Only realised that something was amiss when someone pointed out my calliper was sitting on the disk.... now that could have got interesting.... And no i never touched the rear caliper so that shit just happened.....

Gonna locktite the bolts now.... Another couple hundy down the drain but hey what ya gonna do. I think i'll go for a blat this coming weekend and have a serious look for it though.

[vifferman]

Yup, always use Loctite on important bits. Like it says in the manual.

[sAsLEX]

Haven't you noticed everyone is saying you fucked up...and you are saying...''but,but,but,I did tighten them''

think they are actually saying affman fucked up but I could be wrong, hell I better check my bike when I get home, was locked up all weekend but maybe the calliper has gone walk abouts.......

[The Stranger:Me]

The bloody rattle guns are so hit and miss.
Had the front and rear tyres replaced on both the blackbird and the X11 recently. The front on the x11 dropped a balance weight so came off again.

I have given up and just reset everything with the torque wrench when I get home. Stuffed if I am going to trust a mechanic with my life. I find there are huge variations each way each time the wheels are serviced. They only use a rattle gun, except last time the rear was done when a power bar (still no torque wrench) was employed.

[bugjuice]

locktight? ain't bad stuff.
Since I learnt the art of torque specs, everything mechanical I touch on my bike gets tightened back up to what Kawa reckon is chicken soup.

anyway, you will buy suzuki.... (bring it on )

[scumdog]

I think the crap metal they use these days just can't take the stress reversals,bolts lose elasticity and come loose...it's a real worry for me on liability issues.

Slight hi-jack but just come in from doing the valve clearances on my F100 - and when I swung on the Allen key to undo one of the lock-nuts it came undone a little too easily, went to retighten it and arghhhh! the Allen key kind of 'slipped' almost another flat.
Took lock-nut out and it's frikkin split!!!
I feel it split while I was driving along, hence it undid easily.

Anybody here got a spare lock-nut for a Crane roller rocker??? I thought not!

[sAsLEX]

Anybody here got a spare lock-nut for a Crane roller rocker??? I thought not!

people down your way would just whip out to the back shed and make one on the lathe while having an nice cup of tea.

or has the old no.8 wire burt munro style gone from there?

[Motu]

think they are actually saying affman fucked up but I could be wrong, hell I better check my bike when I get home, was locked up all weekend but maybe the calliper has gone walk abouts.......

Ahem....that's besides that point,you're a fuckwit anyway...it's just a matter of degree.

[steved]

Ahem....that's besides that point,you're a fuckwit anyway...it's just a matter of degree.

I may have Alzheimers, but at least I don't have Alzheimers.

[Pixie]

I'm sure you did them up tight.
As you said "bloody tight" I think you over tightened them,stretched the bolt and therefore the holding force relaxed,letting the bolts loosen.
I was tightening the rear caliper mounting bolts on a beandit and wondered why it didn't seem to get any tighter.I took the bolt out and could see the change in thread pitch where the bolt had stretched.I wasn't even tightening it hard.For some reason they used soft bolts on that position but not on the front calipers.
Now I always use loctite (medium strength) and a torque wrench.

Everything you wanted to know about tightining bolts:
http://www.boltscience.com/pages/tighten.htm