Need Darkside nut cage info.

[Dave Weaver]

I am planning on installing a car tire next weekend on my '97 Tourer.  I want to buy some stainless carriage bolts to run through from the inside to replace the current bolts with.  I don't want to remove existing bolts to take with me as I ride daily to work.  Anyone remember how long and what size the bolts are that I will need?  Thanks in advance.

Dave

[junior]

dave thats the great thing about carrage bolts they are almost all thread so if you get them 3 inches long you can trim them to length i have a tourer that i got the 3 inch mesurement from

[Grandpot]

Dave:

If you have a bench grinder, you can do this:

Take out the existing bolt and grind the hex off down to the shoulder.  This should leave thin head that will look like a carriage bolt.  Install it from the inside and use a 8mm acorn nut to fasten it.  If you do not have an acorn nut handy, there are two on each of the rear muffler hangers.  Remove one from each side; you can replace it later when you get some.

My bike is an I/S, but I think all those parts are the same on the tourer.

[Thunderbolt]

I put mine on an Interstate with bags of course and I installed 2 nuts then the bag mount and then another nut on the outside with the OEM thin washers.

[Duct Tape]

For the rear bolts I just used the existing OEM bolts.  Cut-off the nutcage.  Reversed the bolts (inside to out).  Red Lock-tite, a chrome spacer and nut (the two together about the same width as OEM spacer -- found them at my ACE hardware).  Crank it down tight while the wheel is off (have the front bolts snugged in before tightening the rear bolt/nut so it's all aligned).  Should never need to touch it again unless I need to remove the fender.  Plenty of clearance.  If I don't have the bags on then a chrome acorn nut creates a nice finishing touch.  However, with the bag hardware I can only use a regular nut.  The acorn nut interferes with the bag lid opening/closing.

I haven't changed out the front bolts yet.  They need no mod on the inside.  Plenty of clearance.  I need to find some studs.  ACE had the wrong thread pitch for those.  Will probably just get a SS bolt and cut it off, and do the same nut/spacer setup.