I want to remove the front mudguard bracket (the one between the forks) to treat some rust and was wondering whether it can be done without taking the wheel off as?
No I mean can I take the bracket off without taking the wheel off. I'm not sure there is enough room to back the bolts out
Photos of the bolts you are referring to in relation to the wheel. Once we have seen these, one may be able to offer you further advice one way or another
Oh right so you backed the bolts out of the bracket between the forks without taking the wheel off. How much room was there. Did the bolts almost hit the tyre?
Just take the wheel off it'll be a lot easier. Service your brake caliper at the same time. Use copper grease on the threads when you put them back in. Mine were all as dry as snuff, obviously none applied at the factory on assembly.
They do not grease threads at factory because can lead to torque setting discrepancy. By all means lube the threads but re-torque calliper mounting bolts after a full heat cycle of brakes (i.e. A road test)
Just take the wheel off it'll be a lot easier. Service your brake caliper at the same time. Use copper grease on the threads when you put them back in. Mine were all as dry as snuff, obviously none applied at the factory on assembly. Yes I agree Ken, but it's catch 22. Corroded nuts and bolts are a worse problem to me than a slight discrepancy on a torque setting. Problem being particularly with two dissimilar metals i.e. Steel and aluminium, is that the female thread generally within an engine casing or fork leg can corrode so badly that a correct torque loading would likely strip the thread on re-assembly. Copper grease for me every time.
Fair comment & I agree with the metal type issues. I'm not saying don't do it & I agree it saves a lot of grief when dismantling in the future. I'm just making people aware of a potential pitfall. Have witnessed on a few occasions calliper bolts not tight enough as a result. Just recheck your torques after heat cycle.Stay safe
The reason I don't want to take the wheel off is because I have no way of keeping the front wheel of the ground at the moment. I will get something in the future but right now I would like to treat the rust
TBH if you lubricate the threads on any bolt as a rule of thumb you should reduce the torque setting by 20% especially when the bolt is into alloy as there is a real risk of stripping the threads, but I agree with @MickEng lubrication is a really good idea especially on stainless steel.
This is a cheap and safe way to get the wheels off the ground. Particularly useful for bikes without a centre stand £35 brand new off fleabay
You're absolutely right Oldyam. The reduction in friction due to lubrication does increase the residual bolt loading, so a 20% reduction on dry torque settings is recommended.