Case of the missing nut

[vamr]

Arg...

Was riding home yesterday and felt the rear skipping on corners and road imperfections, got home, checked the chain (which was quite tight for some reason), tire pressure seemed fine, suspension as normal, alignment off...

Today rolled the bike out to do the alignment and lo and behold, the nut off the rear wheel's securing bolt (I made that name up) is gone! ... guess was lucky it didn't end up as an ugly off riding the it in this condition.

So, any idea on how easy it'll be to source a replacement (to hopefully a stock part ) for a krr150?

[Disco Dan]

dropping your nuts is never a good thing at the best of times... where was your split pin.. ya know the one that stops the nut from falling off it becomes loose?? ...Nut insurance if you like...

[vamr]

dropping your nuts is never a good thing at the best of times... where was your split pin.. ya know the one that stops the nut from falling off it becomes loose?? ...Nut insurance if you like...

Your guess is as good as mine, last time I checked it was in place... certainly still is on the front wheel's one.

Looks like it'll be back to 4 wheel commuting (with dreaded parking fees) until the problem is resolved.

[The Stranger:Me]

Arg...

the nut off the rear wheel's securing bolt (I made that name up) is gone! ...

Usually referred to as an axle.
When did you last adjust the chain, have it serviced or get a new tyre?

[Macktheknife]

Go to your local bike shop or even a hardware store and try out some new nuts.

[vamr]

Usually referred to as an axle.
When did you last adjust the chain, have it serviced or get a new tyre?

Around a month ago, everything was peachy (including the securing pin), generally check it every 500km when I lube the chain.

[The Stranger:Me]

Around a month ago, everything was peachy (including the securing pin), generally check it every 500km when I lube the chain.

Well, no, everything wasn't peachy. These things don't just happen. Either it was sabotage or 2 mistakes were made. If it was a shop who last worked on it, I think you should go back to them and ask for an explanation, if it was you, I really think you need to take more care. Hopefully you have a torque wrench and you should replace the split pin each time it is removed.

[vamr]

Well, no, everything wasn't peachy. These things don't just happen. Either it was sabotage or 2 mistakes were made. If it was a shop who last worked on it, I think you should go back to them and ask for an explanation, if it was you, I really think you need to take more care. Hopefully you have a torque wrench and you should replace the split pin each time it is removed.

As this bike hasn't seen the inside of the shop in my 'loving' care can't blame anyone but myself for anything that goes wrong (or the powers that be...yes....).

Don't have a torque wrench but I do have a small plastic mullet which is similar I assume. Last time I required one (head) I had to borrow but not knowing the recommended torque values (I just assumed they would be around those of the rg150) negates that whole idea except when you have a whole bunch of bolts that need to be relatively the same.

Ah, that'd probably be it, have been reusing the same one for around 6 months.

[Ixion]

You don't really need a torque wrench for an axle bolt. Just tighten it to twitchy tight and a fraction more. that's why you have the split pin.

[Horney1]

Bummer VAMR. I'd also have a careful look at the condition of the thread on the axle to. It could be that it's stuffed or the nut thread was. Hard to imagine anything other than sabotage really! If it had a split pin in it shouldn't have come off unless the thread was stuffed or the split pin had been reused a number of times AND had become fractured (on both sides?) THEN broke AND worked its way out AND the nut was reasonablly loose to begin with. I don't think 500kms is really enough to do all of that... I'd pursue the sabotage angle! (conspiracy, conspiracy) or cut down on the drugs.... Actually, on rethink it could be that the split pin was not installed correctly with enough of a bend in it and worked it's way out, but, 500ks?

dropping your nuts is never a good thing at the best of times... where was your split pin.. ya know the one that stops the nut from falling off it becomes loose?? ...Nut insurance if you like...

Disco, I'm nervous every time I look at my KTM axle which doesn't even have a split pin. How can they make a bike with no axle split pin!!? AND the nut is alloy so I have to be careful not to over-tighten and strip it to. Give me a plain 'ol steel split pin any day!

VAMR, it looks like you got a cheap lesson in being very careful and thorough with any maintenance in future.

Cheers

[vamr]

Bummer VAMR. I'd also have a careful look at the condition of the thread on the axle to. It could be that it's stuffed or the nut thread was. Hard to imagine anything other than sabotage really! If it had a split pin in it shouldn't have come off unless the thread was stuffed or the split pin had been reused a number of times AND had become fractured (on both sides?) THEN broke AND worked its way out AND the nut was reasonablly loose to begin with. I don't think 500kms is really enough to do all of that... I'd pursue the sabotage angle! (conspiracy, conspiracy) or cut down on the drugs.... Actually, on rethink it could be that the split pin was not installed correctly with enough of a bend in it and worked it's way out, but, 500ks?

...it looks like you got a cheap lesson in being very careful and thorough with any maintenance in future.

Cheers

Will be sure to interegate with malice my so called classmates at the earliest convenience!

Yes indeed, will be sure to get a sizable quantity of split pins to avoid such scenarios in the future. Cheers for the advice.

By the way, if you have the time would you mind writing up a review of your KTM please?

[Horney1]

Will be sure to interegate with malice my so called classmates at the earliest convenience!

Yes indeed, will be sure to get a sizable quantity of split pins to avoid such scenarios in the future. Cheers for the advice.

By the way, if you have the time would you mind writing up a review of your KTM please?

No worries, I've done the occassional "how the fark did I miss that!" trick in the past to and hopefully I'm getting better at getting it right (MOST OF THE TIME!) after all these years. It always pays to have a second look/ check over critical things before you cover it up or before you pack the tools away.

I'll try to get something together on the KTM.... might take a while, I've got to remember to do it when I get home from work. (Hmmm, it's about that time to. The traffic should have thinned a bit on the Melbourne roads by now - 18:30hrs, so 45km of CO here I come.)

Cheers.

[The Stranger:Me]

You don't really need a torque wrench for an axle bolt. Just tighten it to twitchy tight and a fraction more. that's why you have the split pin.

Well, maybe you don't need a torque wrench, but.
1) Any workshop manual will recommend you do have and use one.
2) The manufacturer will specify a torque value for an axle nut.
3) I have never seen any nut which has been correctly torqued work loose in normal service.
4) It would be jolly handy for those (like myself) who don't know what "twitcy tight" is.

Also it is one thing for someone with experience to guess an appropriate torque, but i don't consider it wise to assume everyone is in posession of your superior mechanical abilities.
Tests conducted using experienced mechanics show they can average about +- 35% of a specified torque.

Also on some bikes they do not use a castle nut and the pin is not in contact with the nut, so it has no ability to retain the nut in a given position.

[Ixion]

Oh, by all means use one if one is available. Just pointing out that an axle nut is not one of the applications where precise torque is critical, and not everyone has access to one.

[What?]

Your guess is as good as mine, last time I checked it was in place... certainly still is on the front wheel's one.

There's a lesson there for you, vamr - check the bike over before every ride! A quick check on axle nuts, pins, tyres etc only costs a minute of your time, but could save you your life. Make a habit of it, and before long it will be instinctive. And don't forget to test your brakes before you get out of your driveway.