Project SMX [Pic Heavy]

[NINJA]

The big strip is ON!!!

There's lots of allen bolts on this bike and much to my annoyance and frustration at previous owners, (The air was very very blue!!!). So I spent most of the day trying to remove stripped bolts. I won most of the battles I'm happy to report, Honestly has no-one ever heard of copper slip? But sadly I broke the rear hub on a spare set of wheels I have bought, trying to get one of those pesky disc bolts out.

[Calum]

@ninja Had that with my Aprilia wheels. Big chisel and a hammer does the trick.

[NINJA]

@calum That was my last resort, sadly mine had blue thread lock on them as I was actually able to get one of them out. I tried several methods but decided to give the impact driver a go and sadly snapped the bolt lug off the hub. The hubs are obviously made from aluminium to save weight.

I was actually referring too all the other bolts holding on fairings, exhausts pipes, radiators etc and not the disc bolts, just in case anyone mis-read my post? All those bolts would be fine with a drop of copper slip on them for-sure.

[declan]

@ninja it’s strange an impact gun snapping something I’ve used mine on all sizes and never broke anything

[Calum]

With regards to the discs, they're subjected to such high temperatures that any grease or what not tends to evaporate, the bolt can then meld with the differing metals.

[finnerz89]

@ninja if they've been threadlocked, then you need to warm them up to melt it. Will come out easy then

[Jens Eskildsen]

Just aout all hubs are aluminium, no surprice there.

Next time add heat, if that doesnt do it, drill the head of.

[NINJA]

I did use heat from a blow torch but they still would not budge. I suspect that @Calum is right and the bolts are melded to the hub. Aprilia hubs have lugs like petals sticking out for the bolts to screw into, so there's not a great deal of support their. Sadly the hub is now worthless and will need replacing for-sure. You win some and you lose some, that's just life really.

[declan]

@ninja you got a pic?

[NINJA]

@declan Of the broken hub???

[declan]

@ninja yes

[NINJA]

@declan No but I'll take one just for you.

[declan]

@ninja appreciated lol

[NINJA]

@declan I'm just waiting for the Squirrels to finish eating their peanuts, then I'll head out to the garage OK. :smiling_face_with_open_mouth_closed_eyes:

[declan]

@ninja yeah take your time

[NINJA]

@declan Did you like that one? I can also take some pics of the Squirrels too if ya like???

[NINJA]

There ya go Brah;

[NINJA]

@declan Voila;

Hub:

Broken piece;

Complete undamaged hub;

[Calum]

Aww how annoying!

Well you might be able to just get a new hub, saves the costs of buying rims.

I don't imagine those wheels being too cheap. What's a replacement?

[NINJA]

@calum A complete new rear wheel is £944, a new hub is £364 so not cheap at all. :pouting_face:

Used wheels do not come up very often and are snapped up quickly. I have purchased 2 spare sets of wheels over the past year and was planning to keep the 2 best sets and sell the other. Sadly I now only have 5 usable wheels. I will take the original wheels off and hopefully fingers crossed be able to get the rear disc off, so that I have 2 usable sets again. The front disc is bolted on with hex bolts, just the same as the RS, as the discs are the exact same for both bikes.

It's such a shame as it was a good wheel, new bearings and she was good_to_go. The rim and spokes are still usable, so I'll just have to wait until another rear wheel comes up for sale and build a complete wheel out of all the best parts I have.