ham fisted mechanics suck
07-22-2010, 04:08 PM
#1
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Squid
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Parkers Prairie mn
Posts: 76
ham fisted mechanics suck
So I changed out my rear wheel/tire today. I noticed someone had totally buggered the axle adjustment bolts. Completely rounded off. If you dont have metric tools stay the hell away from the bike until you get some. The axle nut too , was alittle rounded, and really really tight. The topper was when I had it all back together and was wiping down the chain and rear wheel after lubing, I saw a shiny stripe on the wheel right against the brake disc. What the heck is that, I thought. It was the inner most brake pad. SOme MORON didnt get the front of the brake pad seated into the front of the caliper so it was rubbing/cutting into the wheel. There is about an 1/8" -3/16" grove cut into the wheel. Please check the details when you are working on bikes. Sheesh. g
07-22-2010, 06:15 PM
#2
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Back Marker
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Cochrane, AB
Posts: 154
I have the exact same problem with my chain adjusters. Went to adjust my chain the other day and the left one is perfectly good and turns easily but the right one was rounded right off. The previous idiot must have used a crescent wrench or something. Given the right one was alot harder to turn and almost seized into the swingarm but come on. Instead of f**king the head get the proper tools. Now my bike is out of commission till I can get a new chain adjuster.
07-22-2010, 06:57 PM
#5
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SuperSport
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nooksack WA
Posts: 834
I suspect that it wasn't so much the wrench, but maybe they didn't loosen the axle nut first. Might have been a good thing since he would have had to retighten it and Lord knows what could have happened.
07-22-2010, 08:03 PM
#6
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SuperBike
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Belgium, WI
Posts: 1,611
I feel the same way about crescent wrenches as I do about gay sex (no offense to gays, but I guess it would be the same as how they feel about straight sex). I cannot understand how that became a useful tool, laziness?
07-22-2010, 09:35 PM
#7
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MotoGP
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Location: San Clemente, CA
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By the way, during my career teaching automotives, I had to deal with the results of ham fisted mechanics (I won't call them technicians) hundreds of times, if not thousands.
Last edited by VTRsurfer; 07-22-2010 at 09:46 PM.
07-22-2010, 11:30 PM
#9
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Superstock
Superstock
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 293
I think a quality adjustable wrench is nice to have. They aren't all junk. Snap On and MAC make adjustable wrenches.
The problem is the guy whose only wrench is an adjustable one. That usually indicates he doesn't know what he's doing and he probably bought that wrench at a swap meet for $1.99.
The problem is the guy whose only wrench is an adjustable one. That usually indicates he doesn't know what he's doing and he probably bought that wrench at a swap meet for $1.99.
07-23-2010, 10:22 AM
#11
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07-23-2010, 10:41 AM
#12
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Location: Colorado
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The adjustable wrench and I are best friends. Probably because Im 23 and too lazy to go to my parents house and pick up my tools. Maybe thats why it takes me so long to do any mechanical work to my cars and bike......Whatever, a set of wrenches is just a waste of space. Right?
07-23-2010, 10:43 AM
#14
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Posts: 293
The adjustable wrench and I are best friends. Probably because Im 23 and too lazy to go to my parents house and pick up my tools. Maybe thats why it takes me so long to do any mechanical work to my cars and bike......Whatever, a set of wrenches is just a waste of space. Right?
... usually immediately followed by blood letting from busted knuckles.
07-23-2010, 02:28 PM
#16
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SuperSport
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Posts: 949
Not to be a dumb ***, besides the squid thing. I don't own a adjustable wrench. While i have owned JAP" vehicles since first motorcyle at 7yrs old. My truck 05 tundra, wife's car 07' nissan altma, then you can read the bike list-ALL vehicle carry a bag with 8mm, 10mm,12mm,14mm,17mm,19mm combination wrench. On a bet I believe you can disassemble most JAP" items with this selection....
07-23-2010, 05:12 PM
#19
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Squid
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 30
In my stage one class I make all my students use a tension wrench on just about everything they undo or do up. I feel this lets them experience just how tight a fastener should be. Most people tend to over tighten them by default, and they are very surprised just how lightly some bolts need to be done up.
07-23-2010, 05:17 PM
#20
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Squid
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 30
I have full sets of both AF and Metric, with a few Witworth sizes thrown in. These days I don't use the AF stuff as much. Most of our stuff is metric. Witworth is fairly rare, but it does still pop up in some specialised equipment.
07-23-2010, 06:43 PM
#21
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07-23-2010, 08:06 PM
#23
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Location: San Clemente, CA
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I taught in a 10 bay shop with 4 above ground Rotary lifts, BAR 97 smog dyno, and Hunter 4-wheel alignment. One semester after I retired, they cut the toolroom position. Our toolroom was almost as large as my entire house, and 99% of the hand tools were Snap-on.
07-24-2010, 03:06 AM
#24
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SuperSport
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NY State
Posts: 667
Correct, it was not the wrench, it was the dope using it. The thing is, those guys usually ride really fast as well, they do not understand consequences.
Last edited by residentg; 07-24-2010 at 03:13 AM.
07-24-2010, 08:21 PM
#25
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Squid
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Bremerton WA
Posts: 78
Factory Tool Kit Junk
They may have buggered up the axle nut using the factory tool kit under the seat. Maybe to tighten the chain on the road. You ever had to use the factory tool kit? Stamped steel junk, but barely better than nothing if your on the side of the road 10 miles from home. I tried to use it once to get a spark plug out. The only useable tool in there is the tool to adjust the rear shock, and that barely works.
Previous owner on my bike completely rounded off the allen head on the aluminum cover over the crankshaft bolt. It looks like he used the allen key in the tool kit as it was rounded too. Luckily there was a spare cover in a box of parts that came with the bike. I got the bad one off with hammer and chisel.
Previous owner on my bike completely rounded off the allen head on the aluminum cover over the crankshaft bolt. It looks like he used the allen key in the tool kit as it was rounded too. Luckily there was a spare cover in a box of parts that came with the bike. I got the bad one off with hammer and chisel.
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