Hi Guys, I have pulled a thread on the front axle pinch bolt (2008 SM610) and I'm looking for advice on thread repair. I've never repaired threads before but I don't mind buying a kit and attempting this myself. What I would like to know is, am I better off drilling and tapping the hole to a larger size, or installing a helicoil? The repair looks a little tricky as the bolt goes through the unthreaded hole first, then into the second threaded section. I'm not sure if this will cause me any dramas. Any advice will be appreciated. Cheers.
When you drill, only drill the 1st section. Figure how deep that is and put some tape on the bit. This just makes it easier to tap the back part.
Yes. 6mm to 1/4"-20 is the most common easy fix. To stay metric you would have to install a helicoil. Not hard but then you need to buy or find someone with the kit. Cam.
If you look closely, I think you will see that a longer 6mm bolt can be used in the existing hole. In addition the existing hole can be drilled/tapped 6mm or so deeper in the casting.
Thanks for your help guys, I'll try Xcuvator's suggestion of tapping and using a longer 6mm bolt first (to save me adding another tool to my kit) but if it doesn't work in my situation, will I need to drill out the existing damaged threads first before using the 1/4" tap? Or will the tap have no troubles cutting through?
