snapped bolt in 3T ARX stem

dg74
dg74 Posts: 656
edited August 2012 in Workshop
One of the bolts snapped in the stem today (one of two bolts that attaches stem to headtube). Any idea how I can get the remainder of the bolt out before I resort to drilling it out?

Thanks for any advice.

Darren

Comments

  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,549
    get a screw extractor and matching drill bit

    carefully drill hole in broken end of bolt

    fit screw extractor

    extract

    there's a picture here...

    http://moodle.student.cnwl.ac.uk/moodle ... tract.html

    ...you'll need a small size extractor, one that uses a 2mm pilot hole is ok, it leaves you room to drill the bolt without too much chance of borking the stem

    another way is to...

    drill a hole in the non-broken end of the bolt

    screw a smaller screw into the hole, this smaller screw will bottom out in the hole and then cause the bolt to rotate and unscrew
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • dseddon1
    dseddon1 Posts: 122
    Ive had the same happen. SunGods advice is spot on, the Emphasis should be on the word 'carefully' its difficult not marking the black around the holes cause it can end up really scratched.

    My advice, post it back to 3T. This is a common problem with the ARX titanium bolts. I went through 3, yes 3 new stems, with a bolt snapping every time. I really wanted the ARX stealth stem to match the rest of my build so i persevered with it. I had the torque wrench set to 2.5nm and it still snapped. After the 2nd one I had my torque wrench calibrated to be sure it wasn't faulty. Speaking to a mechanic at My lbs he said they have had loads of them snap. I tried chasing it up through Wiggle and the response was simply that they were aware and were happy to just keep replacing them.

    On the plus side, I've had my current stealth series stem for a few months now and ive adjusted it a couple of times and have had no problems since.

    Good luck mate
    #allaboutthebike
  • BePe
    BePe Posts: 2
    I have the same problem with allready the second 3T ARX team Stem. Any idea if 3T cycling is compensating this non-performance by its warranty?
  • crosstowncommuter
    crosstowncommuter Posts: 110
    edited August 2012
    Have also had the same problem with the Ti bolts in my ARX stem, and it seems to be a common issue if you google it.

    Given how critical these bolts are I replaced them with stainless ones for peace of mind - the weight penalty is minimal and it's what 3T use in their lower range stems.
  • BePe
    BePe Posts: 2
    Another possibility is to buy seperate titanium bolts, propably better quality than the 3T bolts.
  • rpd_steve
    rpd_steve Posts: 361
    Ti is just a stupid material for bolts. Its got good specific strength but everything else is sub optimal. Just use stainless steel, or zinc plated carbon steel (found at any machine screw suppliers) or if you really want to save weight (sill IMHO bu there you go) alloy bolts. If you want good quality alloy or steel bolts then get on the blower to Trident race supplies and get some M5/M6 x 20mm ones depending on your stem.

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