Loose Harley front fender rivets: third times the charm
Harley front fenders are known for having problems with the rivets holding them on the bracket. On my trike, I drilled out the rivets and plug welded the holes and even welded the the edge of the fender to the bracket. But on my daily commuter ‘89 sportster, I first tried tightening up the rivets, but it didn’t last long. The parts that I peened over just broke off. As an emergency fix, I used a couple pop rivets and washers. Then there was the adventure with the new larger tire that caused me to remove the entire fender.
But now rainy season is approaching and I need a front fender. First I need to make sure it doesn’t rub against the tire. I adjusted my vise to the width that the bottom of the bracket needed to be to mount to the forks. This also prevents the bracket from just “veeing” out when I spread it. Then I used a hydraulic spreader and a portapower to bend out the top of the bracket.
Next I drilled out the rivets.
Then I replaced the rivets with stainless steel 10-32 screws and nyloc nuts.
Here it is mounted:
Still not looking forward to riding in the rain though.
We may try the bunk bed idea here in Manila. We have a boy-6 and a girl-5 and baby on the way next month. Thanks Eric!
Comment by Dave Chance — February 20, 2007 @ 12:42 am