Rear sprocket bolt question

[Vivid Deluxe]

I just recently installed a chrome sprocket cover on my Softail Deluxe and had the same questions. I read some horror stories about those bolts backing out and shearing off things! I went back with new chrome bolts and the red loctite, and guess what, if my impact gun won't take them out, or strips the threads out of the hub, and if I ever would want to get them back out, I'll buy a new wheel! Beats the (EDIT) out of the alternative, bargaining on my well being!!!

Please read this...

A Friendly Reminder - Harley Davidson Community

 

[wilks3]

How does the HD tech "re-check" torque on the bolts when you take back for 1000 check-up? I was told thats what took most of the 3 1/2 hours??????
wilks3

 

[R_W_B]

How does the HD tech "re-check" torque on the bolts when you take back for 1000 check-up? I was told thats what took most of the 3 1/2 hours??????
wilks3

Well I can only think of three ways, one he first loosens it (the way I've seen race car engine mechancis do it when they are trying to reach a specified sensitive spec) and then retorques it.
OR
He just goes for the click.
OR
if he's really thorough (and probably won't last in the competition of hourly rates) he would totally remove the bolt, clean the threads of any loctite residue, then rethread if necessary, the reinstall and loctite, retorque as specs denote.

 

[R_W_B]

I just recently installed a chrome sprocket cover on my Softail Deluxe and had the same questions. I read some horror stories about those bolts backing out and shearing off things! I went back with new chrome bolts and the red loctite, and guess what, if my impact gun won't take them out, or strips the threads out of the hub, and if I ever would want to get them back out, I'll buy a new wheel! Beats the (EDIT) out of the alternative, bargaining on my well being!!!

Please read this...

A Friendly Reminder - Harley Davidson Community

I would think if you got a round pipe the size of the chrome bolt, you could use a torch down the pipe to heat up the bolt enough to melt the red loctite without hurting the chrome on the sprocket. Not sure but believe it would work.

 

[karlsbike]

A brief explanation of the differences between the two torque methods:
1. Using torque value only to obtain the torque of a bolt is not ideal as it will be affected by surface roughness (friction) of the threads and on the landing surface of the bolt head. The whole point of tightening a bolt is to create a specific pre-tension (or elastic stretch) in the bolt, i.e. it acts like a rubberband holding the parts together.
A rough thread or landing surface will cause the torque value to be higher than the corresponding pre-tensioning in the bolt (your wrench will 'click' too soon).
2. The other method is far more accurate, and that is why all torque-critical connections (e.g. the head bolts) are specified with this method.
The bolt is initially tightened to a specified low torque value, where any difference in friction will have little or no impact on the bolt pre-tension. Then with the specified final angular tightening the friction unknown is omitted; it does not matter whether the threads are rough or not as the bolt will get its designed pre-tension anyway.
So, I'd use the latter method with blue locktite, but YMMV
(yes, I'm an engineer

 

[Breeze3at]

Karl; I wish I could explain things in English as well as you do. :bigsmiley12:

 

[R_W_B]

A brief explanation of the differences between the two torque methods:
1. Using torque value only to obtain the torque of a bolt is not ideal as it will be affected by surface roughness (friction) of the threads ... ... ...
2. The other method is far more accurate, and that is why all torque-critical connections (e.g. the head bolts) are specified with this method.
The bolt is initially tightened to a specified low torque value, where any difference in friction will have little or no impact on the bolt pre-tension. Then with the specified final angular tightening the friction .... ... ...
So, I'd use the latter method with blue locktite, but YMMV
(yes, I'm an engineer

Thank you, that is what I was attempting to say earlier in
(However I have read that in some scenarios the additional turn provides friction physics that just torqueing to a higher specs would not accomplish. Don't know why, just know what I read)

However myself I am guessing the manufacturer of these chrome bolts has a reason for requiring red loctite in the instructions and given what I have read about chrome bolts and torque, and adding that what I have read about sprocket bolts and safety proceedures thereof, I would follow the instructions and use red loctite.

Wait actually I would never use chrome threaded bolts at all on a sprocket becuase I don't trust chrome bolts in critical torque situations. So yes I would use standard bolts and torque as specified with specified color loctite and would replace them with new upon any removal.