Being a total spanner I’ve managed to damage the thread on the bolt hole for the handle bar mounting bracket on my Avid Elixir R brake lever.

Any sensible suggestions for how to repair the thread in the bolt hole? I’m wondering if I can just recut the thread with a tool or if I need to consider a helicoil kit.

Any suggestions?

You’ll have to either helicoil it or drill and tap a new thread, unless you’re really lucky and they put more thread in than the normal bolt length uses and then you could just clean up the thread with a tap and use a longer bolt.

I do wish people wouldn’t call it “threading” a bolt, drives me bonkers 🙂 .

I know…I bet he “threaded” it turning his bike upside down to fix a puncture 😉

Whats the correct technical term then?

drill and tap as it is only alloy.
A bolt may even thread it tbh once drilled.

IRRC the correct term here is ham fisted buffoon 😉

we have all done it at least once OP – turn cclockwise first and you can feel the thread drop in

Thanks all – having realised it is only a soft alloy (thanks Junkyard) I held it in a vice and carefully screwed a steel bolt and fortunately its sorted out the thread.

Fixing a puncture? 🙄 Ha, no! Initially I was too hasty when fitting Hope matchmakers to bolt the shimano shifter to the Avid lever. Very happy with the end result:

The correct term is “stripped the thread”.

coffeeking –

I do wish people wouldn’t call it “threading” a bolt, drives me bonkers .

ditto 😡

I assume it comes from ‘cross-threaded’.

My general guide to fixing thread problems:

1. if you put the bolt in a bit wonky and it jams then you have cross threaded it – ie cut a new thread across the existing one. Best way to fix this is with a tap and carefully re-establish the original thread path. If you have access to the hole from the other end then go from that end.

2. if you strip the thread then see if there is enough thread to use a longer bolt – if so is it safe to do so? ie a non-structural item. Other solution in re-drill and tap to a larger size if you have enough material to do so or drill and fit a helicoil if that is the best route – eg if you have to stick with the original size bolt.

Other solutions are fit a washer and nut to the other side if possible, bond in a stud etc etc.