for those who have installed easy brackets; question.

[mario]

hey guys,
we're installing some saddlebags on my standard, getting ready for the hill country ride (woop!  ) and the front fender bolt bottoms out while trying to install the bolt for the easy bracket.  i called the rep and he said to get a bigger wrench and crank on it until it goes through the collapsible nut that's in there.  we don't want to crack/wreck the fender so just checking with the 'experts' on this collapsble nut.  ???
 

[Dodis]

Mario,

When I was installing mine, I found that the front bolts in the kit were SAE not metric. I did some checking around local marine stores for stainless socket head bolts (I forget the thread size), and all I could find in the size was hex head, so that is what I used.

I guess I could have told the company too, but it was done, and two bolts weren't killing my budget...

Mike "Dodis"

[Dodis]

And re-read your question...

I didn't have any feeling like it was bottomed out, as the bolt barely entered before I could feel the different threads not matching. Once I did get the correct metric bolt, it also did not feel like it bottomed and is plenty tight.

Maybe the previous owner had already run through the bottoming, as my bags are hand made leather by the previous owner, and he had several different amounts of spacers, washers, etc., plus the mounts for a pro-tac backrest, to keep the bolts from extending too far inside the fender... 

Mike "Dodis"

[SideCar]

Can't respond about the bottoming out as I didn't experience that. I do suggest using thread locker  when you install them as I have seen them vibrate loose. As they say in the direcions, if you tighten them down too much, the brackets don't work right, so I think thread locker is a must.

[Skinhead]

I Installed EZ brackets on the '03 standard back in ought6.  Had NO problem with the bolts.  Did you check the supplied EZ bolts against the removed original bolts?  you can quick and dirty check the thread pitch by trying to interlock the threads of the two bolts, if they don't fit together, the thread pitch is different, ie SAE vs metric or 1.25mm vs 1.5mm.

[mario]

metric.  it's about the nutcage, looks like.  the callapsible bolt. 
thanks for your input, y'all.