First, try what PhilM said,

Second, please don't take this the wrong way, but you must first learn the difference between a nut, bolt, stud, screw, etc., it is very easy to confuse people when the correct terms and names are not used, especially without pictures, it sounds to me like you broke off the stud, not the nut or bolt.

Thirdly, ditto on choochoo's suggestion, you could make things worse real fast and end up having to buy a new lower.....

 

If there is enough sticking out to get a visegrip on, just unscrew it & screw in a new one............

~John

 

I agree.Clamp the vise grips on the remaining stud and unscrew it.
If you pick up the replacement stud beforehand you'll see just how short
the end in the lower fork is. If you've come this far you can do the rest.

 

I agree....I did the exact same thing last year on one of my Electra Glides. No big deal, I was able to get vise grips on it real tight.....then used a hammer to knock it. It was a PITA but nevertheless, it worked.

Try the vise grip first method first and nothing else. Take your time and do not get impatient with it. If does not seem to work.....keep trying. If it starts to **** you.....take a break and then go back to it. It will come out this way and is the BEST approach at it.

 

I have a slightly different way to remove the broken stud given that about 1 inch remains out of the fork tube: Take the acorn nut to a machinist supply shop or a real good hardware store and buy a thread die that is hexagonally shaped on the outside of the correct diameter and thread count. Use thread cutting compound. Start the die on the remaining threads like it was a nut. Use a wrench on the die to cut enough new threads to be able to thread on two nuts of the proper size and thread count. Don't use the acorn nut that was originally there. With two nuts threaded on, tighten them against each other very tightly. Try to get some breakfree compound up into the part of the stem into the fork. Compressed air helps to blow the breakfree upward. After it soaks for a spell, heat that area of the fork tube with a propane torch. Don't get it too hot. You don't want to damage the fork oil and seals on up the fork tube. The two opposing nuts should be tightened so as to look like one nut, i.e. the flats of the nuts line up. Put a box end wrench over the two nuts and right in the middle of them. Put a cheater bar on the box end wrench. Have another person lightly and rapidly tap the end of the broken stud with a light hammer while you attempt to unscrew the stud using the locked together nuts. Once it starts to turn, it will no longer be necessary to tap the studwith the hammer. Buy a new stud from H-D and some red Locktite. Put the new stud in using the same opposing nuts technique. Let it set up for an hour, remove the lock nutsand then reassemble your axle cap.

I prefer this method over the use of channel lock pliers and/or visegrips because one can get more torque on the stud without damaging it. The pliers or visegrips will damage the outside of the stud to the point the rethread/opposing nut technique would not be possible.

If the stud had broken off close to or flush with the bottom of the fork tube, the only safe way to salvage the fork tube would be to remove it from the bike and take it to a machine shop. The machine shop would mount it in a vertical mill and use an easy out after center drilling the stud.

BTW: Because that fork tube was made by Showa in Japan, the threaded stud is probably metric. Just go buy the replacement stud from H-D first and use that as your gauge in obtaining the correct re-threading die.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. ............. BC

 

Ok - before anyone posts anymore - let's try this to make things MUCH easier: TAKE A PICTURE and post it here or in your photo gallery so everyone is 100% certain of what you're talking about. Otherwise - its all guesswork ultimately.

 

For what ever it is worth you are certainly not the only person that has ever done this...I plead guilty. Replacing it just isn't that difficult. If enough of the stud is exposed put two nuts on, tighten them against each other and you should be able to loosen the stud and remove it from the fork lower. You may be able to get it out with vise grips but that doesn't answer how you are going to install the new stud. Use the two nut method. I did it on a 6 year old Ultra and had no problem removing and replacing. Good Luck

 

That's what I did. And you can get a stud from an auto parts place a lot cheaper than you can get it from H-D.

 

To All






razehog "HEY CABO, SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME RIDING AND A LITTLE LESS TIME IN THE WEIGHT ROOM!" I must admit I got a little to wound up with the 1/2 wrench, and yes I do spend time in the weight room. I guess I need to do a little more riding and less time pumping iron.

ChooChoo-"I assume you are mechanically challenged here. choochoo you assumed WRONG! I do all my own work/maintance on my bike. This is not the first HD I have owned either. If I don't think I can do the job I don't start it! [:@]

Everyone I appreciate your input in my time of crisses! I call it a crisses when the weather is beautiful and my bike is laid up. Now for the solution. I went to the HD dealer today and picked up 2 axle bolts (in case the Hulk shows up and snaps anotherone off) I did not have enough room to put to nuts back to back and unscrew thebroken axle bolt. So I did what some of you suggested, I put a little heat on the broken axlebolt and then used a pair of channel locks toback out the bolt. Amazing what a$3 part cando to a motorcycle. I screwed in the new axlebolt (using 2 nuts back to back) and put thetire back on.

Thanks for the HELP!!!

 

Did you have to put locktite or anything on the bolt before putting it back in?