Having trouble getting a classic beam off. I removed the rear seat adjustment hardware. Took off the dust cap red plastic piece and nut. It can freely turn but it wont release. I tried turning it sideways and tapping it with a rubber mallet to see if that would free it but no luck. Is there a trick to it? THANKS
I helped someone with one a few months ago. Are you trying to take the pin out of the frame, or the eye bolt out of the beam?
We were customizing the bike to use a bolt rather than a pin, so we punched the pin out, then tapped threads into the frame. We left the eye bolt attached to the beam. So, if you’re taking the beam off the bike, I think you have two options, a socket to remove the nut from the inside threaded portion of the eye bolt, then pull the beam up, leaving the eye bolt attached to the beam, or punch the pin out of the frame and leave they eye bolt attached to the beam.
Just trying to take the eye bolt out of the beam. I had a beam failure and i bought a new one off ebay. Thanks
Since you need the eye bolt, you’ll probably have to punch the pin out of the frame. Personally, I’d punch the pin out in order to gain better control of the beam/eye bolt. Then, I’d take the nut off the inside of the eye bolt. Next, I’d get a grip on the eye end of the eye bolt and twist it out of the beam. Transfer the eye bolt to the replacement beam. Finally, pin the replacement beam/eye bolt into the frame.
Whats the best way to punch the pin out without scratching up the frame. Thanks
Just make sure that you don’t have one of the Softride frames with a metric bolt, but rather a pin that holds the beam eyelet. If you have a correctly sized punch tool, it’s easy. Line the tool up on the center of the pin, then smack. A sturdy nail or rod that’s a smaller diameter than the hole the pin fills could work, but might be prone to bending. Shorter, would be less prone to bending, so perhaps saw a fat nail so that it’s only as long as the hole. Ultimately, it’s a directed force procedure along the pin axis. The pin itself has little flanges that scratch the inside of the frame hole by design, so there’s no avoiding that.
The bike,shops i brought it too are having a tough time getting the pin out. They have tried lots of different ways. They have some experience removing these but they are stumped. They’re suggesting bringing it too a machine shop to get it drilled out. Then i remembered your post about a hex bolt. If it is one with a hex bolt, where is the head? I don’t see one unless its under the beam. Its a softride R1with a clasic beam if that helps. Thanks for all your help
Please post photos so we can see to a certainty what you’re describing.
The bike is 50 miles away so I’ll get pics soon. I am confused when I’m reading the instructions from softride. They seem to indicate that you can back off the ibolt through the beam without removing the pin. Is that the case?
thanks
I’m 2000 miles away from parts and manuals. Yes, the eye bolt was made separately from the beam, then inserted through the beam, so it can be removed from the beam.
If your pin through the frame is threaded, it would have a head on either the left or right side of the frame. It would probably be a pretty standard 5mm bolt. Otherwise, it is probably a pin with little wings that mash into the frame and wouldn’t be visible once inserted. The pin would be flat on both visible ends of the cylinder.
Search ebay for Softride pins. As of this posting, there are three auctions that have pictures of the pins. You can see the tiny little wings. My suggestion would be punch the pin out, or hand drill it out. Obviously, you want to whack the pin in the direction that the wings don’t have to travel all the way through the frame, but rather come out on the side they entered from. Unless it’s a threaded bolt, I imagine a little oil and a couple hard whacks would dislodge it.