So I bought the drag specialties highway mount and installed them today. To my surprise I was threading in a bolt, half way it started to bind and I tried to loosen....SNAP and a few choice words were all that was heard. SO I have a bolt broke off in the forward control mount and no way to get it out. I am stationed in Germany so running down to the Home Depot is out of the question. As of right now I have them installed with the broken bolt as an "alignment" bolt and the second bolt securing it. So maybe next week I will have an update, as for now I am going to a 3 day H.O.G. rally and need the pegs. Well just needed to vent and I can't see why the mount wouldn't be fine for a week, ya think?

 

Sounds like it got cross-threaded, or wrong hardware. Gonna have to drill it out from the sounds of things. if you're gonna run with just 1 fastening bolt and that as a guide, I would check it regularly as it will cause much more stress on the good bolt. Fix it as soon as you can.

 

Well I can vouch for the right hardware as the other 3 bolts are just fine. As for the cross threading I am pretty sure that wasn't the problem. When I pulled the plastic caps off that plug the holes it was a little corroded, so I ran the bolt in as a chaser and it took a little but was just fine. I think that a piece of a thread or something broke off. This is pretty bad timing so I am going to try to figure something out.

 

I bet if you look in the hole when you get it out you will see some weld splatter near the bottom. And that's what gave you the problem.

 

Do you think the threads can be salvaged with a tap?

 

You can try drilling and using a little bit of heat and a easy out you may salvage the threads but not to much heat you don't want the broken bolt to get to hot.

 

If you really need to get the bolt out, drill it and use an easyout. Only use heat if its a last resort. The last thing I'd want is a soft spot in the frame near the motor mount.

As far as using the broken bolt as an alignment pin, its OK to do so. Harley sets their highway pegs up in that manner with one bolt holding the bracket in place. Just use blue loctite (not red) on the retaining bolt. theres no stress on the bolt so you dont have to worry about it backing out.

 

What you describe sounds like the thread galled causing the bolt to seize. I doubt you'll be able to use an easy out to extract the remaning bolt, but give it a try. Might have to drill it out and use a Heli-Coil kit to repair it.
The rust in that thread probably caused the problem, Anti-Seize can help in this situation.

Good luck,
Mike

 

Thanks to everyone for opinions and help. I hope that I do not have to use the helicoil option as it has never settled well with me, I know that there is nothing wrong with it but its just me.