Broken pinch bolt - Drill out and buy longer bolt?
 

Hey

I still have a broken pinch bolt on my front passenger side that holds the shock to the fork mount.

I've tried almost everything to get the bolt out but it's damn stuck.

I was just wondering, can I just drill out the whole bolt (and most likely ruin the threaded side of the fork mount) and just buy a longer bolt and use a nut at the end to tighten the new shock to the fork mount?

I just wonder if it'll be strong enough.

Cliffs:
- Pinch bolt head snapped off
- Wondering if I can drill out the whole bolt which will most likely ruin the threading inside
- Buy a long bolt and put a flange nut to the end of it (essentially converting a pinch bolt design into a classic bolt and nut design)
- Will it work good enough?

Thanks!

If you drill it out can't you re-tap/heliocoil the fork for a new bolt?

Or why not just get a new fork for ~$70?

^i thought that was the direction you were going to goo?


"if justin had tobuy a new radiator..."

Just trying to save some money lol

I called my Honda dealer the other day and he said it was $81 but he said it was on backorder and it won't arrive until mid-December.

I suppose I can order it online or heads to a junk yard.

^lol, I tried to save money by buying springs instead of coils.
I ended up spending about $700 all together. Yikes.

this included:
shocks
gas money
radiator
and paid time to use the spring compressor.

Take the fork off & drill the stub out, get a grade 6 or 8 (aircraft quality) bolt & nut that will pass thru there, use a lock washer or double nut it.

Preferably grade 8 fine thread ... anything less can snap.

Thanks guys!

Where can I get a "grade 8 fine thread"?

And I can't take the fork off without drilling the bolt out first because there's a notch at the bottom of the shock absorber that the pinch bolt goes through.

That being said I have to do it the harder way and drill out the pinch bolt while it's on the car.

Fastenal's appear to be everywhere these days. They should have them.

I wouldn't do anything short of replacing the fork and maybe using a stronger bolt.

Thanks man.

Damn the closest one is an hour away from me.

I think I'll just "temporarily" use the one I bought at Home Depot that says 8.8 on it (I think that's a grade 5) until I have business in the place an hour away, which is soon lol