I need to get the front wheel off to replace the cracked offside disc. Tried unsuccessfully to remove the front mudguard and callipers. It's a one-piece mudguard. I've been trying to remove the Allen bolts but the nuts on the inside of the guard are not being held by the bracket which surrounds them and are just turning. The Haynes manual I have isn't very helpful. I don't see how it is possible to grip the nuts to stop them turning.
I understand it may not be necessary to remove the mudguard to get the callipers off. Is this correct? But I'd prefer not to leave the bolts and nuts as they are (the bolts are now just a bit loose). Any suggestions?

Picpac69 - you shouldn't need to remove the mudguard at all if you are just trying to remove the front wheel.  Make sure that you support the weight of the brake callipers while they are disconnected so that you don't put load on the brake lines/hoses



If you need to remove the mudguard, for another reason (like it's now loose!), then those captive nuts on the inside of the mudguard (2 each side) can be a real pain. The steel nuts get pretty corroded (hardly the nicest place to live) and can end up just spinning in the plastic cap that is supposed to stop them from turning when you are unscrewing the allen bolts. The only way I have got them off is by removing the wheel and using mole grips (vice grips) to stop the beggars turning - doesn't do the plastic caps much good though, but you can't get a spanner in there with the caps in place so needs must!

Hope this helps

Hi Paul,

thanks a lot. That's very helpful. But I can't share your views about Scottish independence! Although I'm English by birth, I've adopted Scotland as my 'home country' and I totally support the campaign for independence. Westminster pseudo-democracy and the centralisation of power and wealth in the south-east are not good for the vast majority of UK citizens. Scottish independence would give the UK a much-needed shake-up!

Paul

Hi Paul, the problem is that I need to remove those mudguard bolts before I can take the wheel off because one of them also secures the brake fluid pipe bracket. I'm hoping that I can get a small mole grip between the tyre and the mudguard. If that doesn't work I'm not sure what to do - maybe break the plastic covers (after checking that I can get replacements).
Paul

whats wrong with the vernerable 10 mm open ended spanner ...5mm allen key for the bolt ?

does that help ?...and easy to do

Hi Charlie99 - thanks for the suggestion - but the nut is almost totally surrounded by a plastic cover, so it's not possible to get a spanner on it, unless I destroy the cover (or can it be prised off?).

What about continuing to remove the wheel.  Once you've accomplished that, you should have enough access to use a needle-nose pliers to grip the fender nut and torque down the screws.  That, or remove the nuts completely to get rid of those pesky plastic caps (which don't seem to serve any useful purpose).

picpac69 wrote:Hi Charlie99 - thanks for the suggestion - but the nut is almost totally surrounded by a plastic cover, so it's not possible to get a spanner on it, unless I destroy the cover (or can it be prised off?).

i recon a good secondhand unit could be got pretty easy ....

but the old flat washers could help with future maintenance on the inside of that nut ...eh ?

but as rob suggested ...continue on and let the calipers swing inthe breeze till you can get the fender off ? a couple of hockey straps releives the load of the weight loading on the brake lines ..

Grab them with vice grips and crush the plastic thingies then use stainless socket head bolts and hex nyloc nuts with body washers so as not to damage or crush the guard. Be prepared for a fight if the bolts are coroded into the holes through the fork sliders. There is no thread but they can get very difficult to remove.

picpac69 wrote:Hi Paul,

thanks a lot. That's very helpful. But I can't share your views about Scottish independence! Although I'm English by birth, I've adopted Scotland as my 'home country' and I totally support the campaign for independence. Westminster pseudo-democracy and the centralisation of power and wealth in the south-east are not good for the vast majority of UK citizens. Scottish independence would give the UK a much-needed shake-up!

Paul

Glad to help! 

Being half Scottish (mother's side), having lots of Scottish cousins (scattered across the globe - and there is nothing quite as nationalistic as an expatriate Scotsman ), having lived and worked in Argyll & Bute for 12 years and with both my daughters born on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, I consider myself as much Scottish as English (and will go for dual nationality if the yes vote wins)....however, I think everyone loathes the Westminster crowd and it doesn't really matter if you're English, Welsh, Northern Irish or Scottish - we all get a rubbish deal. Can't really see how an independent Scotland will really help anyone in the long term - it will just transfer the lunacy to Edinburgh (and this will continue to wind up the Glaswegians!).

Anyway, I have no problem with your or anyone else's opinion on the matter! You get to vote on the matter - I don't, so vote with your heart!

On a more serious note - hope you have managed to get your wheel off and sort those pesky mudguard nuts out. I usually leave the brake hose bracket bolt in place and just remove the calliper mounting bolts, which allows me to get the wheel off (hence the need to support the weight of the calliper with a bungy cord or some such). Ricks suggestion of replacing the allen bolts and steel nuts with stainless bolts and nylock nuts is a good one and will make life easier in the future.

I'll certainly go with the idea of replacing the bolts with something more sensible. I can remove the calliper bolts but the callipers don't move much because the brake pipes are so stiff - and held in place by the bracket that's on the mudguard bolt. From what I've read I have to pull the callipers away from the discs to allow the wheel to be withdrawn. I've reserved a long-nosed mole grip at B&Q and will pick it up tomorrow. Hopefully I can then get the bolts out and free the callipers.
Just for interest: does anyone have any idea what could have caused the right disc to fracture in so many places? I must take a photo of it and post it. Paul

I had my front wheel out today (on the solo) and just pulled the calipers off the discs. The brake pipes run through rubber grommets which flex enough to get the calipers out of the way.

Paul.

Hi Paul - thanks again, but I think my bike must have a different arrangement. The rigid brake pipes - including the one that curves over the mudguard to the left-hand calliper - allow almost no movement. I can't see a way of removing the callipers without freeing that bracket.

I took a photo of the setup but haven't been able to upload it despite several tries.

I'm also struggling to free the axle. It won't move at all in either direction despite me using a long extension bar. The tommy bar just bends!

What year model is your bike. The pre ABS models had 2 flexible hoses, one to each caliper from the centre of the steering stem where the model built after the introduction of ABS whether they had ABS or not had the arangement you have.

The calipers should be attached to the forks with two M10 bolts.  Removing those bolts will free the caliper and allow it to move out of the way.  The minimum necessary is to move one caliper enough so that the tire clears the obstruction presented by the calipers being so close to each other.

As for the axle, it is possible that corrosion has seized the axle in place.  Can you try to remove the four M8 clamping screws from the bottom of the fork and use a wedge to VERY CAREFULLY spread the fork bottoms?  You're only looking to reduce the clamping on the axle.  Use liberal amounts of penetrating oil to ease the job.  Continue to try and rotate the axle to break it free.  Once free, twist and pull to get the axle out.

1 down, 3 to go - thanks to the long-nosed vise grip. The length of rebar I got from the local metalworks just bent - no sign of movement. I noticed that one workshop manual mentions using a drift to get the axle out. I tried that and managed to move the axle a few millimetres. 

Is it safe to whack it out?

Yes, I've had this problem, it seems to be tight in the bearings, and when the shaft was removed, was quite dry.  You have the 4 clamp bolts loose?  I would be inclined to tap the shaft backwards and forwards and use a copper/hide type hammer. John

Hi John - thanks. It looks very dry. Have been spraying Lidl's equivalent of WD40 on it. I'll try a softer hammer than the lump I used a couple of times!

Paul

Got the wheel off this morning after a final struggle - thanks to the vise grip. Do the brake discs come off the wheel easily or do they have to be persuaded? I've removed the four bolts and have tried pulling at the discs (don't want to hit them with anything) but there's no sign of movement. Is there a special puller for them?
Thanks, Paul

The should come easily just use a bit of wood and try to lever then off it may be a bit of corosion holding them.