[blown alcohol]

What size is used on these bikes (05 heritage classic). I want to take the riders bike rest off, and put the orginal passenger sissy bar/backrest on. Any tips on working with these torx bits? I searched threads and it seems people are having problems stripping the bolts or breaking the bits.

 

[msocko3]

Can't help you with the size, but I can say quality is the ticket to long bolt and tool life. Do your self a favor and spend the extra couple bucks on a good set of Torx bits, the bargain basment type don't fit tight enough in the bolt head and they will break easy. I broke a cheap #27 in the blink of an eye, I then got smart and got the good Mac Tool set that my dad has and they did the trick.The stripped bolts are because the bit doesn't fit tight enough in the head of the fastener.

 

[butthertz]

I had the same problem you are having. Those 4 screws are heavily Loctited and require a tight fitting torx wrench. I bought a set of el cheapos and ended up stripping the heads. I spent 3 hours on these 4 screws and ended up having to drill them out and retapping.....what a p.i.t.a. A quality set of star torx bits and a pneumatic ratchet would be ideal.

 

[GPO03FatBoy]

Can't help you with the size, but I can say quality is the ticket to long bolt and tool life. Do your self a favor and spend the extra couple bucks on a good set of Torx bits, the bargain basment type don't fit tight enough in the bolt head and they will break easy. I broke a cheap #27 in the blink of an eye, I then got smart and got the good Mac Tool set that my dad has and they did the trick.The stripped bolts are because the bit doesn't fit tight enough in the head of the fastener.

Also, beware the 27. A lot of sets will come with even 5's but not have the 27. I f you aren't paying attention you can strip a 27 bolt with a 25 driver in a heartbeat. I went the easy way and bought Craftsman. I backed up the driver set with a socket driven set to make sure I could get good pressure and torque on the hard to turn screws.

 

[JamieWG]

Yep, make sure you get a T27. Also, some people say that the real prob with HD torx heads is because they are "Torx Plus" which is a different ballgame from regular Torx. Torx Plus are a little bigger than regular Torx. You might want to look for Torx Plus too. I have no idea because I have never used Torx Plus, but I did rip the hell out of one of my derby cover torx heads, and yes I did use a T27 bit. I'm fixing to drill it out today.

 

[AlanS]

I just picked up a new, 12-piece SnapOn set of Torx bits on eBay for $114 (shipped to my door). This is a typical eBay price for this set (I've seen people pay less, and a little more). The retail price is $243. I went to Sears, but they only had a five (or was it 7?) piece set, said to order what I needed online. I figured if I had to wait, I'd just do the eBay thing - and it worked out. (I had a set of the cheapos, but they didn't fit the Torx heads very well and though I didn't strip one, it made me nervous, i.e., it was only a matter of time.)

Alan

 

[xkvator]

go to www.textronfasteningsystems.com
type in torx plus in their search box
click on torx plus
click on performance comparisons

i don't know how to just post the link...sorry

it shows pics of the dif. between torx & torx plus

 

[Gasdiver]

What size is used on these bikes (05 heritage classic). I want to take the riders bike rest off, and put the orginal passenger sissy bar/backrest on. Any tips on working with these torx bits? I searched threads and it seems people are having problems stripping the bolts or breaking the bits.

Harley doesn’t use Torx! They use Torx Plus! There is a difference! Torx will “cam out” under a load, i.e., loctited, etc. Torx Plus is a straight spline that doesn’t tend to “cam out” under heavy load! I’ve had to replace more sets of derby cover screws for guys who tried to use Torx bits on them. I use Wiha tools for my Torx Plus tools. Look them up. German made, high quality!