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FYI: Fender / Grab Rail Bolts on Shadow ACE (VT750CDA)

5K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  gunsmoker 
#1 · (Edited)
295011

I'm talking about those three bolts along each side of the rear fender that might be used or replaced in order to install saddle bags or a sissy bar.

I have a 2003 Honda Shadow ACE (VT750CDA). I bought it used with saddle bags and a sissy bar already installed so I never really bothered to look at them until recently when I thought it might be neat to remove them and try riding without them for a bit.

I've been trying to get more into the mechanics of my bike and not knowing anything about mechanics in general has proven to be a bit of a challenge. So, I pulled out my no-name brand wrenches and decided that removing non-critical accessories would be a gentle introduction into a world that I'd previously only watched from the sidelines.

Removing the sissy bar and saddle bags was easy but the bolts were obviously too long and the original hardware was long gone. So what to do? Replacing these bolts turned out to be more of a challenge than I bargained for. I searched and searched for information about this and found nothing so having spent the better part of a day figuring this stuff out, I'd like to share it with everyone here.

The service manual tells us that there are six M8 flanged bolts that connect the fender. The two at the back on each side are typically removed or replaced when saddlebags or sissy bars are installed. The next two are used to support the front end of the sissy bar bracket.

The next bolt (third from the back and just behind the shocks) is different. This one doesn't hold the fender. It holds what is called the 'Grab Rail'. (Not sure why it's called that. Is the passenger supposed to grab this?) These bolts are M10 flanged bolts and they will typically hold the front end of the saddle bags.

This link shows us that the first M8 bolt is 30mm long while the second is 35mm long... and then the M10 bolt is 20mm long.

No problem, right? I'd simply pick up the corresponding bolts from the local hardware store and put them in myself, right? No so fast.

First thing is that my hardware store doesn't sell flanged bolts. They sell metric hex bolts but they aren't flanged and they are usually stainless steel or zinc-coated. Not chromed. My bike still had two of the original bolts in place and one looked pretty rusty so I decided to replace them as well. The new bolts wouldn't look as nice but at least they wouldn't be rusty.

The second thing required a little bit more education on bolts, in general. Specifically in regards to thread pitches. From boltscience.com:
Metric threads are designated by the letter M followed by the nominal major diameter of the thread and the pitch in millimeters. For example M10 x 1.0 indicates that the major diameter of the thread is 10mm and the pitch is 1.0mm. The absence of a pitch value indicates that a coarse thread is specified. For example stating that a thread is M10 indicates a coarse thread series is specified of diameter 10mm (giving the thread a pitch of 1.5mm).
295012

Having obtained shiny new M10-1.50 20mm bolts from my local hardware store, I instantly realized they were the wrong fit when I couldn't thread them by hand beyond a 1/2 turn.

It turns out that hardware stores typically only stock standard sizes. Generally, as the diameter of the bolt increases so does the thread pitch. M8 bolts typically have 1.25mm threads and the ones that I bought worked fine but M10 bolts typically have 1.50mm threads and they didn't work. Holding the old bolts up next to my new ones clearly showed a difference in thread pitch and holding the old ones up to the M8 bolts showed that they were, in fact, M10 bolts with 1.25mm threads. They are non-standard bolts and are not typically carried by most hardware stores.

If anyone knows of a good source for flanged metric bolts with weird thread pitches, please post it here. I'd order from the link above, if needed, but paying $3.65 USD (plus shipping to Canada) for a single bolt seems a bit steep.

For me, I simply decided to put the bar/bags back on and leave it like that.

Like I said, I'm just sharing what I learned. I've spent enough time researching stuff on the internet to know that obscure little things like this can save someone a ton of trouble. I also noticed a number of older threads here that asked similar questions but contained dubious answers. Hope this helps someone. If it helped you, let me know below.

Next project is moving the foot controls forward. Should be easy... right? ;-)
 
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#2 ·
Live and learn, I always learn when I try new things ;)
Yeah, I remove a bolt or nut to be replaced, then carry it with me to the ACE Hardware/NAPA store here in Americus...
Lowes also has a good selection of metric & SAE hardware...
BUT Carry one with ya,
Dennis

Yeah my tractor impliments are another challenge too...
My mistake turned out to be buying a bolt bin for $5...
NOW I`m filling it so I ain`t gotta run to town for hardware...
Yeah I buy a box of 100 each time $$$$$
 
#12 ·
Live and learn, I always learn when I try new things ;)
Yeah, I remove a bolt or nut to be replaced, then carry it with me to the ACE Hardware/NAPA store here in Americus...
Lowes also has a good selection of metric & SAE hardware...
BUT Carry one with ya,
Dennis

Yeah my tractor impliments are another challenge too...
My mistake turned out to be buying a bolt bin for $5...
NOW I`m filling it so I ain`t gotta run to town for hardware...
Yeah I buy a box of 100 each time $$$$$
I bought a BUNCH of aircraft hardware years ago for a really, really good price, must have been over 150 lbs of nuts, bolts and washers etc. Mostly anodized, self-locking SAE stuff. Been trying to use it up for 30+ years. And getting harder as most all my vehicles are metric now,,,
 
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#3 ·
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#4 ·
If I were doing this I'd be looking to put in stainless fasteners. Ideally I'd use socket head (for an Allen wrench) for best appearance, but hex head would do nicely. You might have to use a washer instead of the flanged head like the factory has. McMaster-Carr is an excellent resource for fasteners of all types. Here's what they have to choose from in an M10-1.25 bolt:

McMaster-Carr search page

Frankly, though, if you want the exact original type, I think the PartZilla price is pretty decent. Good fasteners are expensive, and we're looking for specialty ones. Marine supply shops are also a good source for stainless fasteners, as an alternative.
 
#5 ·
I use ALLEN FASTENER as they are cheap enough that I purchase a variety bolts/screws in SS metric etc.. My last order was plentiful as I'm replacing 80's QC bolts on a GW and the shipping was $9 of total $18 order.

Highly recommend them regardless the fastener. Captain D could start his own hardware store. :LOL:
 
#7 ·
Yup, Y`all Come on Down...
Hardware Free to HSN members ;)


I bought longer bolts when I fastened the Road King bags there...
Don`t recall if I used stainless, but I did buy shoulder bolts, AND added a washer inside the bags to help that rubber grommet...
 
#9 ·
On Ebay:




may or may not have what you need,,,
this one could be a bargain
 
#13 · (Edited)
While in the process of rebuilding my 2003 ACE, I removed the saddlebag mounts for cleanup and painting and I was reminded of this post. I am not too worried about the M10x1.25 bolt for now as I am just working to get the beast roadworthy again.

The bolt in question only threads into the aluminum grab bar, and it just occurred to me that if one was willing or interested in making a more permanent change, then using a M8 helicoil and threading it straight into the M10 hole should do the trick to convert that hole to M8 x 1.25.

Personally, I am not going to attempt it as I am not ready to make a semi-permanent change like that, though I measured a helicoil, and it does seem like it would work to allow the use of a regular M8 bolt instead. The helicoil should make the threads plenty strong-enough for any mounting one might want to do (of course stock accessories would have over-sized holes.

I just thought I would share in case it helps someone else out!
 
#14 ·
While in the process of rebuilding my 2003 ACE, I removed the saddlebag mounts for cleanup and painting and I was reminded of this post. I am not too worried about the M10x1.25 bolt for now as I am just working to get the beast roadworthy again.

The bolt in question only threads into the aluminum grab bar, and it just occurred to me that if one was willing or interested in making a more permanent change, then using a M8 helicoil and threading it straight into the M10 hole should do the trick to convert that hole to M8 x 1.25.

Personally, I am not going to attempt it as I am not ready to make a semi-permanent change like that, though I measured a helicoil, and it does seem like it would work to allow the use of a regular M8 bolt instead. The helicoil should make the threads plenty strong-enough for any mounting one might want to do (of course stock accessories would have over-sized holes.

I just thought I would share in case it helps someone else out!
Hmmm… some engineer at Honda did the math and concluded that a thicker bolt with a higher than normal thread count was needed for that particular connection and I’m not sure I’m qualified to question that assessment.
 
#19 ·
I just had to replace the two rearmost bolts on my chrome side rail that goes into the fender on my 96 shadow 1100 ACE.

Because I am adding saddlebag support bars and they attach via a steel collar that's about three-quarter inch thick,
so I need bolts that are three-quarter inches longer than the originals were.

Well, the New bolts did not match the thread pitch of the shorter old bolts I took out(??)

The new bolts that came with my saddlebag kit were
a perfect metric M8 x 1.25
-

-I confirmed this at Ace Hardware.
However the experts at the hardware store could not identify the thread pitch on the factory bolt I took out. They thought it was 8 x 1.25 but it would not work on any of the nuts that they had in the store, and if you put that bolt alongside a perfect M8. x 1.25 bolt pointing the opposite direction overlapping the threads , the threads did not engage each other.

So, I ended up buying a tap in size metric M8 times 1.25 and I used it to clean up the threads or actually re-cut some of the threads on the fender side of the deal, and now the longer bolts that came with my saddle bag kit do work.
 
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