Rear hinge pin

[gordon]

Does anybody know of a good way to change the hinge pin on an flh rear fender without screwing up the sheet metal too bad?
Thanks, Gordon

[Panacea]

I tried bending the tailpiece just enough to slide the pin out for painting, but then I realized I'd have to bend it back after painting and decided to leave it in.MW

[gordon]

Yea panacea thats probley what I'll have to do is bend that metal to get the pin out I' m lucky that the fenders not painted yet. This pin is so loose and worn that when i'ts bolted to the bike it viberates real bad at the hinge point
Gordon

[mbskeam]

well you can grind off the rivets from the underside, then you fix the hinge.
if you look at some bikes you will see button head bolts or acorn nuts in place of the rivets, now you know why.
if I had to do it all over again after fixin the cracks in mine, I would put it on the bike, get it all lined up real nice, even gaps etc.....
then make up 2 straps and weld them on the underside locking the 2 half's together. I know that this would not let the rear part flip up, but as we all know, as soon as this is done.....pop goes the paint off of the hinge or fender.
one of those roll under bike lifts work great for getting the back tire off, with out messin with the fender.
this is much cheaper than gettin it repainted........

mbskeam

[gordon]

Hmmmm Good idea Mbskeam I think I'll do that , bolt up the fender real tight , take off the back wheel , and weld it up with a couple of straps on the under side. Damn sounds too simple , why couldn't I have thought of that?
Thanks Mbskeam,
Gordon

[panfreak]

I simply tacked the fender shut without straps and haven't suffered for it. I do have a bike lift though, and like Mike said, without it, I'd hate to try and pull my back wheel.
I had another occasion to need fender rivets, and had a bitch of a time finding some with the low profile like what HD used on fenders. I went to a farm equipment place (this ain't the big city!) that sold tons of tractor crap and found what I needed there for next to nothing (really, I think it was $2.00 per dozen or so). Do yourself a favour though and burrow a dimple with a die grinder into whatever you use for a dolly, saves the head of the rivet. That may not be a surprise to some, but hey, I'm not a body man and you just never know what other back yarders are picking up here.

[dirtpandan58]

If I had to do it again, I would take the hinge off, have it chromed, put it back on, mask it off and paint the fender. The hinge is still usable and the chrome won't chip.

[fourthgear]

They do make a billet hing cover , to cover the hing so you don't see the buggered up paint , but a loose pin , you will have to do some adj. of the hing to tighten it up. That hing cover is some what unsightly , but it comes with a new hing pin which might help and its about $ 40 which does not help.