Buddyseat Bolts replacement

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DeltaElite
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Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#1

Post by DeltaElite »

Today I wanted to assembly my buddy seat.
Starting with the mounting of the front spring bracket (#52551-36A) the party was over before it began.

One of the bolts welded to the seat pan was obviously welded in the wrong position by approx 15mm.

What to do now? Removing the bolt should be no problem.

But how do I get a new one on the pan?
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TF104
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#2

Post by TF104 »

DeltaElite wrote: Thu Jul 21, 2022 10:02 pm Today I wanted to assembly my buddy seat.
Starting with the mounting of the front spring bracket (#52551-36A) the party was over before it began.

One of the bolts welded to the seat pan was obviously welded in the wrong position by approx 15mm.

What to do now? Removing the bolt should be no problem.

But how do I get a new one on the pan?

20220721_220740.jpg
I would build a new bracket with the new bolt pattern,
Lowbikemike
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#3

Post by Lowbikemike »

Or slot the bracket holes on both sides and use a washer under the nut to hold in place.
DeltaElite
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#4

Post by DeltaElite »

Slotting is not possible, Bracket is less wide than studs are apart.

Do welding studs exist? I assume they would have to be 3/8" UNF? Couldn't find any on a quick search. What are they called in the US?
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#5

Post by RUBONE »

I also would just build a new bracket to make them work. Those are not factory installed bolts, they have been replaced before. Any welding on the pan can destroy the foam and possible even the cover so not recommended unless you plan or redoing all of that.
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#6

Post by Robbo »

One option mught be to weld a piece of decent thickness flat bar across the bracket and the redrill the holes in the flat bar. You might need to reshape to bracket a bit to fit between bolts, or slot the holes as Lowbikemike suggested (that would at least help line everything up).
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#7

Post by DeltaElite »

Ok, i checked the area today, with very unsatisfying results.

When grinding of the top coat of the bolt area it came to me that someone made a rectangular steel plate, drilled two holes in it, put flatheaded studs through the holes from behind, spot welded them to that plate and then welded this plate with the 2 studs on top the seat-pan.

On the right side (the bolt that has the wrong position) i could see that the bolt was not properly welded into that plate. Between 11-o'clock and 5-o'clock i could see a gap of about 0,03" between the bolt and the plate. So i wanted to check how strong the connection was :oops: and put two nuts on it, countered them and then started to apply force. The bolt sheared of @ approx 40ft/lbs and turned loosely :roll: .

So i cut it away since it would be of no use anyhow. Now i have 1 bolt in the right place, a 2mm steel plate welded onto the seat pan (giving me enough thickness for further welding).....the only thing i would need now is a 3/8"-24 welding stud for top-welding-mount

Looks like this does not exist?
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#8

Post by awander »

Get a bolt and cut off the head?
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#9

Post by panheadrider1961 »

take seat and mount bracket to a GOOD TIG WELDER cut off whats there flush align bracket center, place a stud on left over bolt surface tig new stud to old bolt material use cooling putty they make to stop heat and surround weld area to stop blister
you must have got a super good deal on wrong year and missed up condition to pay for repair good luck
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#10

Post by RooDog »

I would rework, widen, the bracket before messing with the seat.
It is very hard to find someone willing to do the job, and even harder to find someone who will do it the way you want it done, and in a reasonable amount of time, like, yesterday.
The bracket is expendable....
....RooDog....
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#11

Post by Robbo »

If there is a steel plate already in the seat you could drill a hole, insert a rivnut/nutsert and then use booker rod with green locktite (the one that wont budge without heat). No welding required. You can break out loctite if you try but not at the tension you would need on seat mounting bolts. You could also use a bolt instead of a stud as well
Rivnuts would probably be ok even without a steel plate inserted as the seat base steel would be thick enough anyway.
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#12

Post by DeltaElite »

Thank you so much for that simple and yet ingenious idea. Seems that rivnuts are much easier to obtain in 3/8-24 than welding studs and best of all: I can do it all myself (always wanted to buy a rivnut tool anyways😊)

If I can get a countersunk rivnut I could even make it flush and look nice and clean.
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#13

Post by RooDog »

Beware. Rivnuts depend on being squeezed into battery. If they ever lose purchase and spin free you will be in a hard place to remove an inserted screw. Do not use any locking liquid on your inserted screws, anti seize is best, and use flat an lock washers to secure the attachments....
I have had to deal with spinning Rivnuts used to secure door mirrors on trucks, and the only fix was to cut the assembly apart. Do be sure to use steel Rivnuts, and not aluminum.
....RooDog....
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#14

Post by Robbo »

RooDog wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 8:11 pm
I have had to deal with spinning Rivnuts used to secure door mirrors on trucks, and the only fix was to cut the assembly apart. Do be sure to use steel Rivnuts, and not aluminum.
....RooDog....
Steel would allow you to tack weld them if they spin. I have had that happen but they are usually good if the grip thickness of the insert is right for the material it is going into.
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Re: Buddyseat Bolts replacement

#15

Post by Robbo »

I was only thinking loctite on the booker rod into the inserts to hold them like studs, definitely not on the nuts and not if you use bolts into the inserts instead of studs and nuts.
Anti sieze on the nuts is a very good idea.
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