I recently installed a set of 6 degree additional rake triple clamps on my '89 GL1500 with Hannigan sidecar. The kit that I bought came with no instructions and therfore no info on the torque to use for the lower triple clamp pinch bolts. (In fact, the kit didn't even come with the bolts themselves which surprized me.) The GL1500 manual specifies 40 ft-lb, but that is for fine theads going into steel triple clamps, which would seem to be high to me for coarse thread in the aluminum that the clamps in the kit are made of. Does anyone have experience with one of these kits, and can you advise me on a safe torque for the pinch bolts?
Thanks a lot.
There are charts for bolt torque figures though I have never used one.
Curious as to the reasons for the change from fine to coarse threaded bolts?
I was hundreds of klm from home when my at the time raked trees let the forks start to slide up.
No chart or torque wrench were hurt in the re tightening........
The bolts did feel the stress though and no more problems.
So what grade bolts did you use?
@marsman, I am from the same genus as Bruce @brstr.....in fact I gave away my 3 Snap On metric torque wrenches to a fellow sidecarist, because I am just too much of an animal, and too smart (experienced) to bother with puny torque wrenches.
If you must use a torque wrench, go with the 17 + Pi ....ft lbs.
In real world applications, 20.14159 ft lbs is not a lot of torquing pressure.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
I'm not sure what grade the bolts are, but I have no concern whatsoever about the bolts: it's the potential to strip the threads out of the aluminum that I am concerned about. Coarse threads are the usual choice for high torque situations in aluminum, by the way. You would never torque the relatively fine threads on spark plugs to 40 ft-lb in an aluminum head, not unless you enjoy doing helicoils. The manual for my Yamaha FJR says 17 ft-lb for the lower bracket pinch bolts, which go into aluminum. Admittedly, these are a little smaller bolts than the Goldwing, but it still worries me to put as much as 40 ft-lb on these bolts.
What size are the bolts 10 or 12 mm? and are there one or two bolts per side.
The pinch bolts are either 6mm or most likely 8mm, and @marsman has forced me...forced me I say....to acquiesce to his mindset, and agree....torque those pinch bolts to no more than 17 + Pi ft lbs.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
I would have to say if there 6 or 8 mm then there should be two on each side and 17 should about right for the 8 mm's less for the 6mm.
