Pants…

Got sliding dropouts on my SS… Paragon…

I torqued them up correctly, but in trying to undo them today I’ve managed to round a few…

Hmm..

Options??

Drill out (i gather it has to be slow)…what a waste of £20 worth of bolts!

Cut a slit in it, and use a large flat screw driver??

Anyone else think the Hex head on high torque applications is the wrong tool?!

DrP

Are they really ti? Mine were a2 stainless on my lynskey (obviously all ti bikes are not exactly the same etc etc. but they came with the paragon dropouts which i imagine yours does have) and i couldn’t find direct ti replacements…

Either way, i took mine off with a reciprocating saw and replaced with hex head ti bolts instead of socket (button) cap. Inexpensive from probolt and a ring spanner isn’t exactly a chore to carry.

id argue that ti is the wrong material for a hex bolt.

What surface prep was done prior to fitting the bolt ? – assembled dry ?

Mines are stainless in my ti sliders. – fitted with loctite and break out nice and easy and dont work loose/creak.

Ive had this on Ti rotor bolts

1) Drill …(yeah slow rotations for Ti but it’s not ridiculous… ) give it somewhere to relieve stress… only needs a small hole…

2) Dremmel to make a start to the slot

3) Needle file to make it flat

4) Big flathead screwdriver

I bought Ti ones to replace the steel… ‘apparently’ according to paragon, they could be torqued a bit more, as i was getting slippage.
Yeah, assembled with antiseize etc…

Personally, I wonder if my ‘good’ 5mm allen key is a bit small on size now – it’s years old, and though was a decent one, i imagine has worn a bit…

I’ll have a go at cutting a slot to use a screwdriver…

DrP

Assuming that the dropout is aluminium then heat will help, Ti doesn’t expand as quickly as most metals and a lot slower than aluminium. I’d use drilling as a last resort because it’s likely to be hard work and messy with lots of coolant needed.

Ti and aluminium aren’t good metals to put together unless well-lubed and regularly checked

I’ll have a go at cutting a slot to use a screwdriver…

I’d drill it as well..(first). you might not need it but if you do it will be a sod to drill after you cut the slot.

If the head is OK for tightening, try nipping it up a bit 1st as that may then enable you to then undo it.

Some hex plus keys from wera  might have saved the  day

Anyway damage done now. Nip down to Halfords get an impact driver for 17:99 knock the biggest torx bit bit in. Support frame on a block of wood and a rag directly behind axle and batter the top of the impact driver. If that doesn’t get it out you have zero chance of a screw driver doing it.

The Humble but ugly stop screw does a wonderful job of preventing slippage without over torquing.

I’d try a torx tool in there first – ideally clamp a torx bit into the bolt using a g-clamp so it’s well seated and then add the ratchet to it and turn.

The ones that you’ve removed – could you replace them with some other cap heads – stainless or carbon steel ones – while trying to loosen the ones that are stuck?

In taking out the ones that were OK to remove, you’ve probably made it harder to remove the ones that are stuck. Putting something back in & tightening it well has helped me to remove adjacent fasteners in the past that were stuck.

stumpy – i get what you’re saying, but i’ve actually yet to loosen any of them! Also, it’s not like a pinch bolt as such (in that overtightening one, will allow the other to be easier to remove)…

Hmm

DrP

Anyway..thinking positively, would these be a worthy alternative once i get them out?!

DrP

If higher torque is your aim then I’d not be considering Ti. Find a Gr 12.9 and make sure it’s you use antisieze or loctite as appropriate.

Stainless bolts are also available in various grades. Gr A4-70 is more common than the stronger A4-80, you could try hunting some out.

https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/BO_ScrewBolt_Unbrako_SHCap_M8.html

Anyway..thinking positively, would these be a worthy alternative once i get them out?!

I didn’t go for the race drilled type but thats the sort of thing i used. I resisted fancy colour. Just.

(Stupid point – if you’ve got socket cap not button at the mo mole grips might be a suitable solution.)

One of the first things I do with new stuff is replace all the dinky light button heads with nice deep parallel headed screws.

The stainless cheeseinium they use on button heads for bicycles rounds off too quickly for my liking.

As trail_rat says, it’s hard to beat an impact driver for unwinding stuck screws.

I’d try heating it with a hairdryer and then clamp a big set of mole grips to it using a g-clamp to close the grips so that they bite into the bolt.

I’d be smashing in a torx bit, it’s always my first attempt and usually the only one I need.

Hairdryer LOL

Cut flats into them and use a spanner, much more torque than a screwdriver.

Another vote to hammer in a torx bit. Drilling is quite easy, I can’t imagine a cheap ti bolt is going to be that difficult.

I went straight to proper external steel hex bolts, the only downside is you need a spanner,  I carry a cheap imperial ring spanner that happens to be a perfect fit on the metric bolt and is nice and short.

Hairdryer .lol

#preyfortibolt

Impact driver.

Its a great tool.

https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/hand-tools/halfords-advanced–impact-driver-bits?cm_mmc=Google+PLA-_-Tools-_-Hand+Tools-_-178172&istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istItemId=qqwtrraix&istBid=tzta&_$ja=tsid:94971|cid:1537737348|agid:57846659199|tid:pla-331014970935|crid:291898457426|nw:g|rnd:15727519236442103210|dvc:m|adp:1o1|mt:|loc:9046840&gclid=

For clarity that’s an impact driver . No batteries required

A cheap one but one of these are a guess?

I might get one “just in case”.

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p90581?r=googleshopping&rr=marin&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9NbdBRCwARIsAPLsnFbeycMYDcSF1fjIZP7xXqmDxj3JAg6pum0SLo3oX6-CEx8k_8dx4uEaAufAEALw_wcB

Just got this Silverline one. Got a few of their tools and they are petty good.

£11 on eBay.

Nooooo not silverline.

andyl wrote

Nooooo not silverline.

this

Nah, it’ll be fine! Not like I’ll use it every day either.

Nah, it’ll be fine! Not like I’ll use it every day either.