Front axle holder bolt

[Guest]

I just busted one of the two bolts at the bottom of the fork for the front axle holder. Is it possible tp replace just the bolt or am I going to have to put on a whole new fork?

Stupid mistake.

[bwringer]

What sort of conveyance are you working on here?

Assuming it's a GS and you're talking about the studs sticking out the bottom of the fork, these stupid studs break or strip at some point in every bike's life. Don't feel too bad about it -- Suzuki apparently makes these out of sawdust and cheddar cheese.

Do you have any sort of stub sticking out to work with? If you can get hold of it with a big pair of vice-grips, heat it up a bit with a torch to soften the thread locker, then spin it out. If it's somehow busted off flush, then you'll need to clean up the surface, carefully center punch, and drill it out with a left-handed drill bit. If you don't have the experience or tools to do this, you may want to remove and disassemble the fork, then bring it to a machine shop to have them remove the remnants of the stud.

You can find 8mm studs to replace it with at any decent hardware store or automotive store -- it's worth replacing all 4 while you're at it. Or temporarily install a bolt and order new studs.

[rushton75]

Yes it is an 83 gs750e and yes it is the stud coming out of the bottom of the fork. There is plenty of bolt for me to grab and twist out. How would I attach a new bolt properly?

Thank you

[TxGSrider]

I was just up at my local O'Reilly's and was wasting time while they got something for me from the back when I noticed they carry metric studs in the "HELP" section. You may be able to get that you need there even (I have no idea what the quality is...).

[rushton75]

Thanks!! it did actually come out with a pair of vice grips. I could just use a bolt at this point but will order new studs as well. Not sure why I thought it was permanent any of the parts diagrams I looked at didnt have parts #s for them just showed as part of the lower fork.

Thanks again!

[hannibal]

Could you measure the good ones when you replace them? Don't think I've ever seen that info posted and if there's no part number then I'm not sure how one would know without measuring.

[rushton75]

Yes sure looks like 2" to me and thats what I ordered. I can confirm once they are in.

[Sam 78 GS750]

looks like 2" to me

2"=50.8mm, So they're probably 8mm X 1.25 with 50mm OAL (overall length). With studs, you need to also measure the short thread length and the long thread length if they're not equal on both sides.

If you ordered 2" (SAE) studs, they probably won't work...you need metric studs, otherwise the pitch will be off, and they won't thread in properly.

[bwringer]

Thanks!! it did actually come out with a pair of vice grips. I could just use a bolt at this point but will order new studs as well. Not sure why I thought it was permanent any of the parts diagrams I looked at didnt have parts #s for them just showed as part of the lower fork.

Thanks again!

*Sniff* I just love a happy ending!

On my GS850G's fiche, these studs are 01411-0830A. But your bike may use a different length (and it's not listed on the fiche), so remove the other one and measure.

You can take the other one out and go shopping for an 8mm stud the same length (or a little longer is fine too). 8mm is the thread diameter, the thread pitch will be the standard 1.25mm.

There are lots of cars that use 8mm exhaust studs, so a good independent car parts shoppe should be able to set you up (the pimply idjits at Autozone and Advance, probably not). Install them with a little blue Loctite.

You can also find metric automotive studs at any decent real hardware store, like Ace or Do It Best. bLowe's, Home Despot, and Meanards are not decent nor are they real hardware stores.

Heck, drop another buck or so for new washers and nuts while you're in the mood. I use Nyloc nuts on these, or Fuji nuts if I have them, for a little added security, and a little less temptation to over-torque.

[hannibal]

I'm not convinced that the part number tells the length of a stud. Yes, it works perfectly for bolts/screws. I replaced every screw on the case covers going by the part number and never found them to be incorrect. But the oil filter cover studs suggest they are 6x20mm and they are actually longer (26mm maybe?).

My 750 fork studs part number suggests 8x25mm and that seems really short.

[bwringer]

I'm not convinced that the part number tells the length of a stud. Yes, it works perfectly for bolts/screws. I replaced every screw on the case covers going by the part number and never found them to be incorrect. But the oil filter cover studs suggest they are 6x20mm and they are actually longer (26mm maybe?).

My 750 fork studs part number suggests 8x25mm and that seems really short.

Good catch!

Oil filter cover studs are 32mm overall length (I keep several "in stock" for any wayward GS that finds its way to my garage).

Just measured my GS850G, and the part that sticks out of the fork leg is 30mm, so a 50mm overall length makes sense. The fork studs are not shown separately on the fiche for the OP's bike, but do appear on the fiches for several other models. Suzuki loves to re-use parts, so odds are good that it's the same part.

From this, I guess we could conclude that the Suzuki part number for a stud will usually reflect the "free length", or the length of the part that sticks out.

So, for the fork stud:
01411-0830A
08 = 8mm thread
30 = 30mm installed free length (50mm overall)

For the oil filter cover stud:
01421-0620A
06 = 6mm thread diameter
20 = 20mm installed free length (32mm overall)

Ya learn something every day!

[hannibal]

Nice followup on determining the part number tells free length. The 32mm length of the filter cover studs agrees with what I found. I recall them being "between sizes" and my bolt depot order shows I ordered 35mm ones.

And thanks for considering the rookie's idea! A lot of veterans would have immediately dismissed me as not knowing anything.

[rushton75]

I used these guys.

ARP Stainless Steel Accessory Studs 400-8004

They have an allen key on the head so they are easy to get in tight. They threading is uneven 15mm on the inside and 20mm on the outside 30mm installed free length including the threadless center.

Thank you very much for your detailed responses. It is very helpful and I appreciate it.