I hate allen bolts!

[PachmanP]

Why is everything on this bike attached with allen bolts, and why do allen bolts suck sooo much!?  Almost every time I use one I invariably strip it  out! /rant

Anyway, mostly I needed to vent, but I stripped the head of one of the fork retaining bolts.  With the bolt removal tool, I had to tap the LH tapered bit with a hammer.  There any chance that would do anything to the steering stem?  It was light taping, but I figured I'd ask.

Thanks!

[The Buddha]

You'd be OK. But allens also can be over tightened ... just like anything else ... the hole is too small to get a hex head of the needed diameter in there.
Cool.
Buddha.

[fred]

Yeah, it sounds to me like you're continually over tightening your allen headed bolts. They can't take that much torque before they start to strip...

[PachmanP]

This time I think it may have been over tightening, although I was using a torque wrench, so I dunno.  Usually it's the loosening of said bolts that gives me trouble...

[DoD#i]

Using english allen wrenches on metric bolt heads??? Using torx on allen, or allen on torx? Stripping the heads on allen bolts is fairly unusual with parts the right size. The bolt usually snaps first.

Using chinese "alan wenches" regardless of what size they claim to be? Or the ever-present risk in todays hardware market of chinese "alan bolts" made of metal-colored cheez-whiz.

Two good sets of wrenches (ie, Bonhus, Wiha) one metric, one english might make a big difference. And don't use a ball-end driver when torquing or breaking free. Make sure the socket is clear of gunk, so the wrench seats fully.

A can full of anti-seize used religiously will help for the "next time".

[denman]

Im with you 100% anti-seize and good alan wrenches.

[PachmanP]

Well I think my keys/allen sockets were of the correct size/type, but I'd believe that they'd fall under the "alan wench"  category.

Ya'll seem to be suggesting that it's not as common to be stripping stuff on your bikes as I would have thought from my experience...  Maybe it's time for a new set of allan keys (darn! )

[TonyKZ1]

I for one strongly like allen bolts, especially using them to replace the soft sometimes stripped out phillips head bolts.
Tony

[joker79507]

I like them, but I had to invest in a metric allen set.  Be sure to use metric though, i used to strip out all sorts of allen head bolts and then realized i was using a slightly smaller size than i was supposed to because it was a metric bolt head

[BaltimoreGS]

Try putting some valve grinding compound in the allen hole and then stick the socket in.  That trick usually works if the head isn't too egged out.  Good luck!

[Toogoofy317]

I had a lot of issues with the Allen heads on my "f" and now there is one on the fairing that is doing the same thing. But the PB penetrating Catalyst does wonders! Ohgood recommended it to me and is great. Will be using it tonight time to take the fairing off to straighten it back up!

Mary

[xanthras]

Why shouldnt you use a ball ended Allen? Just wondering.

[XealotX]

Why shouldnt you use a ball ended Allen? Just wondering.

The ball end doesn't "mate" as well and is therefore more likely to strip out the bolt hole.

Hope this answer doesn't end up in the "tard farm"...

[The Buddha]

Oh yea and the ball end will shear off ... I broke a snap on in my XS a few years ago.
But allens have one major advantage, as they strip they make a nice drill friendly divot. Then you drill it a little and they work well for an easy out.
Cool.
Buddha.

[xanthras]

I am pretty new to motorcycles and need to take off my wheels soon. Of course I have a ball end set I was gonna use so... Thanks

[DoD#i]

A normal ball end set (of the L shape) has ball ends on the long direction, and plain ends on the short direction. With T-handles, you need two sets as they only have one end - but the plain set can be L shaped - generally less expensive.

The ball ends are great for applying low force at an odd angle - winding things in and out, that's why they are on the end of the long arm on the typical L set - you're not going to wind them up hard with the short arm of the L (sheesh, tard farm here we come) as your leverage. When you are applying lots of force, you turn them so the short, plain end is in the socket and lean on the long arm to make lots of torque.

If you are trying to break free a stuck bolt using a ball end as the driver, one of two things happens. The small area of the ball end that actually touches the faces of the socket applies so much force to that small area that the faces deform, and you are well on you way to stripping out the head of the bolt. Or, the neck of the ball end breaks. A plain end has a much larger area in contact with the socket faces (so the force per area is lower, and they are less likely to deform), and it has no neck.