Removing & replacing bar ends: Difference between revisions
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====Extracting the bolts==== | |||
*Make sure the screwdriver you are using is as nearly new as possible. Look at the tip of it and make sure you can see NO rounding or notching of any kind. The less it bites, the more of your force is wasted trying to press it into the bolt head in the first place. | *Make sure the screwdriver you are using is as nearly new as possible. Look at the tip of it and make sure you can see NO rounding or notching of any kind. The less it bites, the more of your force is wasted trying to press it into the bolt head in the first place. | ||
*If | *If turning with a screwdriver doesn't work, there are a lot of other methods listed below, but you could just save yourself some time right off the bat and drill the head off the bolt. Many people have tried some of the other ways and ended up doing just that in the end. You're going to replace the bolt with an Allen-head one, anyway. Yes, you are. | ||
:Get a 1/4" cobalt drill bit (or any kind of bit designed for drilling in metal) from any hardware store, and drill straight through the head. The head will pop off and the bar end will slide right off. | :Get a 1/4" cobalt drill bit (or any kind of bit designed for drilling in metal) from any hardware store, and drill straight through the center of the head. The head will pop off and the bar end will slide right off. | ||
:[[image:drill bolt head.jpg|100px]] | :[[image:drill bolt head.jpg|100px]] | ||
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From there, clamp a vise-grips onto the remaining part of the bolt and turn it out, perhaps using one of the heat methods below to assist. | From there, clamp a vise-grips onto the remaining part of the bolt and turn it out, perhaps using one of the heat methods below to assist. | ||
''' | '''Replacing the bolts''' | ||
When you're looking for replacements, go to Ace Hardware or the equivalent and get two hex (Allen) head bolts (instead of the Phillips). You should be able to hunt them down at your big-box hardware supply, too. Bring your bar ends and the old bolts with you to see how they fit. A standard size is: m8, 1.25, 50 mm long. Yours might be a different length, depending on your new bar end, but the diameter [m8] and the pitch (1.25) should be the same. Get chrome or stainless if you can. | |||
====Alternate bolt removal methods==== | |||
*If you strip a bolt head during this process, [[I need to remove a stripped screw|see this FAQ page.]] | |||
*An impact driver takes the force of a hammer and turns it into rotary torque. This is a very useful tool, especially for older vehicles with stubborn fasteners. Can usually be used for screws or nuts/bolts. | *An impact driver takes the force of a hammer and turns it into rotary torque. This is a very useful tool, especially for older vehicles with stubborn fasteners. Can usually be used for screws or nuts/bolts. | ||
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*This will sometimes help crack the bolt loose: Find a piece of rubber, like an old piece of heater hose or garden hose, and split it up the side. Put that over the bar end to protect it from scratching. Then clamp the bar end with a large pair of vise grips. Now turn the bar end and the bolt at the same time. | *This will sometimes help crack the bolt loose: Find a piece of rubber, like an old piece of heater hose or garden hose, and split it up the side. Put that over the bar end to protect it from scratching. Then clamp the bar end with a large pair of vise grips. Now turn the bar end and the bolt at the same time. | ||
*For the budget-conscious: Soak the bar end first for half an hour, using a ziplock bag filled with hot water. Turn the entire front end so the bar end you are working on is as low to the ground as it can go, and rubber band the bag onto the bar end. Next, cut a cross section of a bicycle inner tube and put it around the bar end. Attach vise grips very strongly and turn. This should get some movement. Now, impact drive with a sharp phillips head. | *For the budget-conscious: Soak the bar end first for half an hour, using a ziplock bag filled with hot water. Turn the entire front end so the bar end you are working on is as low to the ground as it can go, and rubber band the bag onto the bar end. Next, cut a cross section of a bicycle inner tube and put it around the bar end. Attach vise grips very strongly and turn. This should get some movement. Now, impact drive with a sharp phillips head. | ||
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Anything you can do to soften things up before you start wrenching on that bolt will definitely help. | Anything you can do to soften things up before you start wrenching on that bolt will definitely help. | ||
====Finding new bar ends==== | ====Finding new bar ends==== | ||
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The stock bar ends are steel and seem quite crash-resistant. Many aftermarket bar ends are aluminium and grind away during a crash. Grinding away means crash energy is being used up, and your bike still works fine without nice bar ends. That said, the stock bar ends are also quite long and help to preserve the tips of your levers. Take your pick, and try not to crash. | The stock bar ends are steel and seem quite crash-resistant. Many aftermarket bar ends are aluminium and grind away during a crash. Grinding away means crash energy is being used up, and your bike still works fine without nice bar ends. That said, the stock bar ends are also quite long and help to preserve the tips of your levers. Take your pick, and try not to crash. | ||
====A couple things to think about==== | |||
*The purpose of the bar ends is to dampen the vibration of the handlebars. This is one place where weight is a good thing. Most of the aftermarket ends are made from aluminum, or even a kind of nylon-ish plastic. Those may not be heavy enough to do the job they are supposed to do as well as the OEM product. They do come in pretty colors, though. eBay is a good place to look. | *The purpose of the bar ends is to dampen the vibration of the handlebars. This is one place where weight is a good thing. Most of the aftermarket ends are made from aluminum, or even a kind of nylon-ish plastic. Those may not be heavy enough to do the job they are supposed to do as well as the OEM product. They do come in pretty colors, though. eBay is a good place to look. | ||
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*'''Remember | *'''Remember: When you replace your bar ends, use allen-head bolts, which are much easier to remove.''' | ||