[Article] How to remove stripped allens

[rait1]

ok after i stripped my stem bolt i had to ask my brother hos a car mechanic about removing it.He told me that there are several ways to do it :
1) Try to tap 1 size bigger allen key in with a hammer but make sure you tap it in as long as it goes in.(be sure you dont use your most expensive allen key).And then just try to remove it.
2) If that doesnt work then you should try to do the same thing with a key (dunno about its english word) like allen but with 12 corners.
3) If 2 steps above didnt help somewhy you should use a "Easy Out"
its a bit harder way out but if nothing helps then you should do it.
At first you have to drill correct size pilot hole exactly in the middle of the bolt .Then start turning "Easy Out" COUNTERclockwise until the bolt is out :)


Good luck to you and make sure youll wear safety glasses while drilling.

The reason of a stripped bolt is usually poor quality allen key or bolt.
So save some money for a quality set of allen keys.

[Louis K]

The reason of a stripped bolt is usually poor quality allen key or bolt.

Or people who use the wrong size allen key which happens in most cases.

Very good article! I like it. It should be helping alot of people :)

[rait1]

thank you .
well yea personally i guess that people must be quite stupid to use wrong size key but you have to keep the key straight while turning or you may strip it

[fairtrade]

Nice review. Where do u get those Easy Outs? If the bolts are stripped and you don't care about the handlebars, you can just cut on either side with a good hacksaw and hammer out the clamped piece.

[rait1]

thats a hard way to do it :)
but you can get easy outs from most car technique shops or hardware shops.

[Korey]

i've only once had a allen key stuck on... and that was on a seat post clamp... all i did was carefully with an angel grinder with one of them quick zip blades or what ever they are called and cut it where the little gap is... thats just becuase i like playing with the grinder and i didn't want to be creative.

[dirtbiker]

Another good tip is to cut a slot in the head of the bolt using a Dremel or hacksaw and then use a flat headed screwdriver to take it out.

Or you can epoxy the allen key into the bolt, just use the allen key that would fit and stick some epoxy into the stripped part. Let it set and then take the bolt out.

[RICEY]

2) If that doesnt work then you should try to do the same thing with a key (dunno about its english word) like allen but with 12 corners.

Not 12 sided but torx/star keys?;
http://www.prokits.com.tw/English/on_line_cat/06_hex/p62.htm

[rait1]

yea thats what i ment

[sublimeme]

Easy outs are great. Sometimes i can stick a common screwdriver in and it works

Nice review. Where do u get those Easy Outs? If the bolts are stripped and you don't care about the handlebars, you can just cut on either side with a good hacksaw and hammer out the clamped piece.sears-they come in a blu box

[youcantmakeme]

thanks i need to get things ive stripped off

[billytalentisshweet]

1. Make sure your wheel is tight and aligned right in the centre of your chain stay or fork crown. If not it's going to cause you problems later on.
2. Clean your dropouts really well using and exacto for any extra paint on your mounts. Finish with a fine sane paper and wipe everything off. Less friction = better brake.
3. Install the brake arms using generous amounts of a light bycicle grease inside your dropouts, on the outside and in arms. Make sure the mounts are smooth.
4. Install your springs, tension washer and allen screw. Important: Springs have their own sides, if you have a gold and silver spring the gold one goes on the left side and the silver one goes on the right side. If your springs aren't coloured the one that goes counterclockwise goes on the left side and the clockwise one goes on the right side.
5. Do not put any tension on yet, this is the secrect. While your arms are in place and free, install your brake shoes. Try and get them on without any angle. If you have thin pads you will have to face the little angle in the pad so the will hit the rim without an angle.
6. Make sure you have a great centre cross with the arms. If not play with the washers on the shoes (switching the thin with the thick). The good centre cross will help you down the road. Wait to put tension on.
7. Now you have to install your lever. An old one will work fine, but will add friction to the system so if you want a really smooth brake go all out and get a new lever. Grease inside where the housing cap goes, the pivot of the lever, and the crack where the cable itself goes. When your done wipe off all the extra grease.
8. I would recomend a linear cable (1664 makes a very good one, I hear Odyssey has good ones too.) If it is a linear teflon cable it does not need to be lubed. For other cables ie.) gyro cables, you will want to use an extrememly light grease. Do not use WD-40 on anything! It will dry everything out. For gyro cables grease the inside of the middle barrel connector on the lower and upper cable. This will improve the life of your cable and make it smoother.
I. For gyros install the lower cable first, make it so it's not too long and not too short, give it a nice curve. Unscrew the adjustment tabs to the max so your detangler will sit properly on your tabs. This will stop the flopping of your detangler. Do not install the top cable yet.
9. Everything is in place now (Except for the upper cable) There is still no tension anywhere. Relay your your cable to your brake arms with the U brake bridge cable and the little triangle puller. (If you find one of thoes old ones with the set screws, they are the best.) Now to tighten the cable or lower cable. AT LEAST 2 INCHES AWAY FROM YOUR BARREL OR CABLE STOPPER then past your bridge cable (in the triangle). The trick is to pull the brake pads all the way to your rim and then tighten the bridge cable using that knarp or straight to the arm depending on what kind of brake you have.
don't worry if you think it's going to be too tight.
10. Linear kids, everything should be tight, cable, triangle and lever. Now the gyro people should put their top cable in place. It's getting tricky so read carefully. Always start by asttachign the upper cable to the lever and make sure your not going to have to twist the cable so the longer leg will go on the left of the stem when you put the cable in place. Do not use the upper barrel adjuster for adjustment, it's better to work with the centre one.
11. Everything is in place. Now we have to put tention in the springs. Use a 5mm allen key and 13mm wrench, don't over tighten it. Turn the tension washer from the interior to the exterior of the rim. While doing that turn with the wrench, tighten the allen key too. When both sides are done it's time to feel the touch. You shouldn't need to tighten more than half a turn with the wrench. If you do backtrack to the start. Pull the first time hard so the cable stretches. Play with the tension until your pads are equal distances from the rim and until you have the perfect touch.

When pulling hard on the lever you should pinch the bridge cable square to the triangle edges, this will make a square bridge and take away bounce from the pole.



I'll spell check this tomorow.

[billytalentisshweet]

^ Whoops.

[moes]

i have star-nut wrenchs which work great

[flyrider]

Or people who use the wrong size allen key which happens in most cases.

Very good article! I like it. It should be helping alot of people :)



i wus doin that for a while, using standard allen keys for metric allen bolts, so my dad bought me a set of allen keys that r used on a half inch socket wrench.

[Matthew]

ive always thought that one day i could make lots of money by making round allen keys to removed rounded bolts...no ones been interested so far though :(

[Superbeast]

^lol
i jus saw this, definitely will come in handy for me, 4 different bolts on my stem/handlebar clamp are stripped

[allgame91]

i bought a big set of allen keys for a dollar and nothin bad happened

[DanielRobinson]

i bought a big set of allen keys for a dollar and nothin bad happened

YET...... you may see damage in the future

[rait1]

yea. go buy a expensive allens set and you wont regret. it will cost you much less in a long term

[screwglue]

like allen but with 12 corners

those are star keys or whatever blah, anyways i dont see why the bmx industry uses star bolts instead of them hex ones