nut cage job question

[jcoukos]

I was wondering if I just cut the nut cage off and JB Weld the existing nut in place would that provide enough clearance for my Altimax 205/60/R16?

[old2soon]

In a word-no. Get the right length and diameter bolt and an acorn nut and leave the bolt head on the inside of the fender. I used a pan head bolt and a thin flat washer on the inside of the fender. Even though that bolt hides behind my hard bags i still used an acorn nut. Hope this answers your question. I'm thinking yer gonna like that tire. My brother(da prez)and i both run that particular tire. Had a service manager at another M/C shop tell me it can't/won't work. I now have over 11000 miles on it won't work. RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

The existing square nut (held by the nut cage) is a big fat one.  Having cut the nut cage off, it is best to go to a smaller nut to maximize space available for the car tire.  Using a carriage bolt from the inside out may be better, but I just used a single small nut on the inside and have had no clearance issues. 

[Gryphon Rider]

The only problem you should have if you JB weld the existing nut is that it might make alignment of everything difficult when you are trying to put the bolt in. I'd rather cut the nut cage so that some of it still protrudes, helping keep the nut in place while aligning the fender, fender rail, and bolt.

[DFragn]

Stainless carriage bolt inside out with chrome acorn.
Ace Hardware

[jcoukos]

Your point is well taken for alignment purposes.

My other thought was to do the install including thread lock and after all is said and done, put some JB weld around
the inside nut as another line of defense.

The only problem you should have if you JB weld the existing nut is that it might make alignment of everything difficult when you are trying to put the bolt in. I'd rather cut the nut cage so that some of it still protrudes, helping keep the nut in place while aligning the fender, fender rail, and bolt.

[Gryphon Rider]

Your point is well taken for alignment purposes.

My other thought was to do the install including thread lock and after all is said and done, put some JB weld around
the inside nut as another line of defense.

If you're not having to fuss with those bolts for saddlebag mounting or other reasons, why not just leave the nut and bolt alone and just trim the nut cage?  It's been years since I've had a good look under there, so I'm unsure if there's a good reason to get that stuff out of the way to do the nut cage.

[jcoukos]

I have saddlebag mounts, so they need to be secure.

Your point is well taken for alignment purposes.

My other thought was to do the install including thread lock and after all is said and done, put some JB weld around
the inside nut as another line of defense.

If you're not having to fuss with those bolts for saddlebag mounting or other reasons, why not just leave the nut and bolt alone and just trim the nut cage?  It's been years since I've had a good look under there, so I'm unsure if there's a good reason to get that stuff out of the way to do the nut cage.

[jcoukos]

Duh!

When I cut the nut cage in the middle and wiggled each end off there was a chunk on each side left.   As a result, when I went to tighten the bolt onto the nut in the (previous) nut cage, the excess stopped the nut from turning.  Thus I could tighten it from the outside, no JB Weld required.  Just going to put some red lock tight on it to be sure.

Thanks for the help

JC

I have saddlebag mounts, so they need to be secure.

Your point is well taken for alignment purposes.

My other thought was to do the install including thread lock and after all is said and done, put some JB weld around
the inside nut as another line of defense.

If you're not having to fuss with those bolts for saddlebag mounting or other reasons, why not just leave the nut and bolt alone and just trim the nut cage?  It's been years since I've had a good look under there, so I'm unsure if there's a good reason to get that stuff out of the way to do the nut cage.

[GOOSE]

DON'T put the red locktite on it.....if, and when you would ever have to remove that bolt, then you would have to put heat to it...thus you would burn your paint on the fender.  use the blue medium strength locktite.  it will hold.

[Cliff]

I was fine just doing the "washer mod" on the fender,  didn't touch the nut cage.  205/60/16 hasn't rubbed since, even when 2 up and fully loaded for long road trip.

[Ricky-D]

Thinking that a thread locker is needed on those bolts and nut is fallacy.

There is very little vibration, the kind you think will loosen up a bolt or nut.

There is ample room to slide a combination wrench up and in behind the nut for tightening.

Using JB Weld on the nut can lead to problems in the future when having to repeat the action.

***

[John Schmidt]

You're making a mountain out of mole hill. First, cut all the nut cage off, spray the area with some paint to prevent rusting. Then do as suggested, run the bolt from the inside out, a spacer, a nut to hold the bolt, then the saddlebag mount, then a nut. On the front bolt, you can't run it from the inside out but you can get a slightly longer bolt and cut the head off. Use a double nut to run the bolt in, a spacer, then your saddlebag mount front piece, then the outer nut. Now, when you want to drop your saddlebags, just remove the outer nut, you don't have to remove the bolts to remove the bag mount. Makes it so much easier and you'll never have to fight with those bolts again trying to reinstall them in the fender. They can be a real PITA, especially the front one.

That little mod is referred to as the "bag drop kit" and used to be sold by a member in Ohio I believe. Bags off/on in under five minutes and no realignment issues with the fender. Since Chet doesn't sell them any longer, you can do it yourself and save a lot of headaches aligning the fender in the future.

[Ricky-D]

We all, always make mountains out of molehills John. 

That's what we do!

Just ask midget  , who I am sure will chime in, stalker that he is!

***

[John Schmidt]

We all, always make mountains out of molehills John. 

That's what we do!

Just ask midget  , who I am sure will chime in, stalker that he is!

***