How do you tighten them without marking the finish. They are anodized black and I don't want to mess them up when I torque them down.
How do you tighten them without marking the finish. They are anodized black and I don't want to mess them up when I torque them down.
If they're black AN fittings, they make AN fitting wrenches for that.
If they're ricer-racer lug nuts, you can buy plastic tools that slip over the nut, then the next size bigger socket goes on and you torque to spec.
Shawn
They make anodized aluminum wrenches for working w/ AN fitting to prevent marring.
Bear in mind that anodizing in aluminum oxide which is incredibly hard - they make abrasives out if it. A good quality, good fitting wrench w/ smooth jaws should be fine considering the low torque value aluminum fasteners take.
If you want to be very careful, put a ply a thin card stock or heavy paper in the wrench if it'll fit. Better than masking tape.
These are pure Farkel. Sprocket nuts.
Since this thread is regarding aluminum nuts; is there an application to eliminate the squealing/grabbyness when loosening them?
Ahh, I missed the sprockets thing..
Put a sandwich bag over the nut, push a six-point socket on and be gentle.
Works for the chromed stuff at work.
Shawn
Hasbro wrote: Since this thread is regarding aluminum nuts; is there an application to eliminate the squealing/grabbyness when loosening them?
Never-seez before you install.
Trans_Maro wrote: Never-seez before you install.
^ this, always
It would be nice if you could get a plastic/teflon/nylon jawed crescent wrench to tighten up easily marred fastener. I think I've used plastic or paper over fasteners to prevent marring before.
Show bike builders use leather lined adjustable wrenches. Or they used to, anyway. And, yeah, Put it together with Never Seize... (Take it apart with guaranteed ease....)
I've also seen sockets that are slightly oversized, with a replaceable plastic insert to prevent marring. I think I've seen similar with spanner wrenches.
Well I got it on. I cut up a thick plastic bag and just pushed it over the nuts as I put on socket. Only a few small marks are visible.
Here are some pics - my kids and I bought my wife a gold chain for her birthday - along with front and rear sprockets (2 up and the rear) and the bling sprocket cover and nuts.
Ive had luck wrapping aluminum hardware with a single wrap of PTFE (plumbing thread tape). YMMV.
Good looking bike too!
Rusnak what kind of bike is that? I like the looks of it, I think bikes are the last bastion of modification. I see a bike like that and then look at my beaten up Be Last and just dream.
It is a 2007 Ducati 1098. My wife's bike. She lusted after them for years. She started on a old Kawasaki KZ305, out grew that in 2 months. Bought a wrecked Honda CBR600 Hurricane and fixed it up for her. Then she moved to a CBR600F3 and then a CBR600F4i before she finally got her Ducati.
We bought it used in 2010 for $10,500 which was cheaper them moving up to a new CBR600 (2013 MSRP $11,500/$12,500).
The bike had probably $5 or $6k in modifications to it and just over 3000 miles.
Very nice ride for the lady. I am addmittedly an Akrapovic fan, but that Termignoni makes a beautiful noise on the Duc's.
we both bought used bikes with the Termi kits on them (full system, ECU and airbox lid). The nice thing is that they are Ducati Performance parts - so they have been pretty well developed.
I had Akrapovic on a few bikes, including a Aprilia and I also prefer them to the Termi (especially with Titanium cans). I know that my wife would like that as well as they are located in her homeland - the former Yugoslavia.
In reply to Rusnak_322:
Is this a "Grass is greener on the other side of the fence" moment? 
I know that we are blessed. We have to "settle" for Termi exhausts on our Ducatis. 
If it were my money and I was buying for a bike with stock exhaust - I would buy a used slip-on and a dynojet.
In reply to Rusnak_322:
I keep missing full Akra titantiums for my 10 on 10.net........its annoying. They all seem to go for $500-700 used and get snatched up instantly.
I'm of no help with keeping nice new stuff nice, as all my belongings are trash picked garbage...
But have you told your wife she's awesome today? 1098, seriously? Lucky bastard.
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