Hardware refurbishment/replacement

[Trike_crazy]

Ok, so I've kind of started in on a project that I would like to see turn out a little bit better than your average rider. I'm wondering how some of you guys refurb your oem hardware or where you find suitable replacements when OEM is not an option. I don't want to overlook small details but its not going to be a "show" tyoe build. Just something that is really clean..

[atc007]

A LOT of hardware is still available oe,shop all the brands and you might be surprised how far $40 will get you! Otherwise, a tumbler, then recoat them with zinc. Also, the old wire brush on a benchtop grinder also works well. Wear leather gloves.

[oldskool83]

I don't use old hardware unless its special or can not get it anymore. If you have an ACE hardware store close by its worth the trip to just get every size you need. Even cheaper on McMaster-Carr.com


Items like Carb Bowl screw you should just throw away. About 1% of the US population knows any Phillips head on a JAP bike is a DIN Phillips head...thus using an American Phillips head always strips them because of the difference in pitch. This is why 90% of front master cylinder screws are stripped also.

Just buy new loose hardware...kinda like exhaust studs...why use some 30 years old that have been heated up and down and always like to sheer off.

I keep a huge box full of old hardware for powercoating purposed only. I wouldn't waste the time or money trying to make OEM stuff NOS again unless your wanting to have it 100% OEM and dream about it sitting there in the garage.

[Jmoozy27]

I pulled the motor and parted a trx200sx and had all sorts of cool honda hardware that I have reused on a few builds. Quads make the best parts machines....

[Trike_crazy]

Im mainly worried about some of the longer bolts like the engine mount bolts. Also finding some of them with the flange style head in all of the sizes I need has been difficult in the past. The 3 wheeler in question is a dx225 that is getting a 250 timberwolf engine and swingarm like the one I raced at trikefest this year only this one is for my wife.

[oldskool83]

If it does not have a flanged head use a washer and a bolt with out a flange. It wont effect anything. At the end of the day it's just hardware.

[Trike_crazy]

True, I just like the cleaner look of the flange head style. You guys have been a great help. I guess I'm going to have to get busy looking up bolts and nuts lol. But not until I find out how much powder coat for this is going to cost me.

[Jmoozy27]

Can you steal hardware from the quad?

[86125m]

I can always get flange style heads from either home depot or my favorite parts store keeps alot of aftermarket hard were in stock with flange style in stock. So I would not worry about finding flange style bolts

[Dirtweed]

If the original hardware is in good shape I just get it Zinc coated clear. I tried yellow, but I like the clear better.
Bolts and nuts turn out like new. If the hardware is in bad shape I hit a hardware store or get a polished bolt
kit off eBay.

I also had the axle for my 250R zinc coated and it turned out excellent.

http://www.pbase.com/dirtweed/image/157426155/original.jpg

The yellow (Gold) doesn't turn out so well on my LT250s
http://www.pbase.com/dirtweed/image/150855571/large.jpg

[Trike_crazy]

All of the hardware from the quad has been painted over with spray paint and the dx has had the same done to it. Whats the cost to replate hardware in white zinc? Or an axle? Like I said this is the most I tried taking on while building an atc/atv.
222040
222041

[oldskool83]

put it in a gallon of paint stripper or pinesolve. That's how I clean carbs lol.

[Flyingw]

I'm with Dirtweed. Find a metal finisher and take all your steel parts to them for re-plating. I have a local place that does mine. Nothing like getting back freshly replated hardware. Its like Christmas time.

[bkm]

I removed every nut and bolt, wire wheeled the corrosion and the first few layers of my skin off my fingers, then sent it to a local plater. I could not be happier with the outcome and in my opnion, makes or breaks a lot of builds.

[Dirtweed]

My Axle was $30 and the rest of the part for the entire 250R where like $40 including the swing arm bolt front axle everything I found
that was bare metal. My Axle was nasty looking too covered in paint and corrosion. I didn't even wire wheel my stuff I just cleaned off
the dirt and grease. It all goes in an acid bath to strip the corrosion and then plated.

I even sent in my tanks for Electroless Nickel plating. No more rust in those!

http://www.pbase.com/dirtweed/image/160695849/large.jpg

[Flyingw]

My plater tumbles hardware. I wasn't too thrilled with the results so now I run all the hardware through a degreaser then I bake everything in the oven at 450 for about two hours then everything goes in to the bead blaster before going to the plater. Much better results taking them clean stripped steel. Its worth the extra effort.

[Dirtweed]

With all that work I bet!

[TheCrackary]

Give Specbolt.com a look, great quality and price.

[Trike_crazy]

So it looks like a lot more sand blasting and wire wheeing in my future lol. I already had planned to sand blast the frame and swingarm myself at my work. I guess I'll just havecto plan that into my work schedule too. Thanks again for all of the tips and tricks. My wife will be super excited about this build. She knows I'm building it but she's not expecting it to be as nice as I am trying to make it.

[ctk]

My Axle was $30 and the rest of the part for the entire 250R where like $40 including the swing arm bolt front axle everything I found
that was bare metal. My Axle was nasty looking too covered in paint and corrosion. I didn't even wire wheel my stuff I just cleaned off
the dirt and grease. It all goes in an acid bath to strip the corrosion and then plated.

I even sent in my tanks for Electroless Nickel plating. No more rust in those!

http://www.pbase.com/dirtweed/image/160695849/large.jpg
That's a great idea. Got any more pics? Can it still be painted?

[Flyingw]

Sure it can be painted but one has to be careful with any sanding as you may sand right through the plating. In a situation such as this, a very light sanding with fine paper is all that's needed.

[Dirtweed]

Don't care so much about the plating on the outside it is the inside that is important to me. So if it gets blasted off before powder coating
or sanded before painting doesn't matter to me.

[Trike_crazy]

Hopefully I can find a plater here locally around my where I live or work that does good work. The bolts that are on it now look like they are done in a black zinc under all of that paint. I'm wanting more of the shiny look so I'll be going for the regular zinc. Hopefully everything works out. Thank you guys for helping me with my questions. This should be a fun deal when its all said and done. I should have some progress pictures up in a few months when things kick off.