Thread Repair

Here's a neat little repair that can be a big savior on juuussst the right part.

This is a nice bike. Custom steel. (Reynolds 853 to be exact) I've had the oportunity to do a couple of rides on this bike and gotta tell ya... it's a solid rig! The comoponents are a mish-mash of newer and older stuff that still works great. Disc brake up front, rise bars, lock on grips.... the list goes on!

It's got a nice, standard 5mm seat bolt on one side, with a......
.... what the heck's that janky thang on the other side! A nut? You must be kidding! You can't have a nut on there. Forget that this is a custom bike. Why on earth would you ever want to have to use 2 tools to adjust your saddle height? Don't know??? Me either. Why not just thread the seat clamp?

Introducing: The Thread Repair Insert!

The parts from left to right are:

1. Drill Bit
2. Tap
3. Steel Coil (the new thread)

4. Insertion Tools
   
   

So, drill the seat clamp... thusly.

Tap the part.... as such

A little dab will do ya. Permanent thread locking compound on the threads you just made will ensure that when you loosen the seat clamp bolt only the bolt turns.... not the steel thread repair insert you're about to install.

Install the repair coil into the clamp with the super-neat-o insertion tools.

The insertion tools (#4) really are super-neat-o. They keep the steel repair coil (#3) spaced perfectly for the desired thread pitch.

Acquire a new bolt of the proper length and..... Bang... you done got'cherself some new threads! The end of the bolt is just below flush with the clamp when it's tight... just like it's supposed to be.

(Note: If this is your first time doing this, don't... I repeat... DO NOT try to fix something expensive on your bike first without first testing this in something like..... anything else really. Just not your Thomson stem... or your brake caliper mounting threads in your fork lowers)

This used to be the common fix on Rock Shox Mag 21 lowers. The brake boss bolts would strip allllllll the time on those things. It's a handy trick for expensive tid-bits on your ride. Not only will you be up and running WITHOUT having to buy a new XTR crank arm, it's something that can have you back on the trail in no time.