How to replace lost captive nut on R12GS frame?

[Tim Cullis]

I've lost the captive nut that's attached to the frame of the R1200GS that accepts the bolt securing the topbox support/grab handle arrangement.

This is an overhead view of the area when it's stripped down.

The captive nut should presumably be welded or whatever to the underneath of the looped metal bar. I need some way of securing a new nut to this area.

To make it more complex however, the plastic pillion area cover has to be reattached before the nut can be used, and this obscures much of the access to the nut.

Side view of same.

Firstly, does anyone know how captive nuts are normally secured? Is it a weld, solder, glue...??

Anyone any ideas on how to hold the nut in place, ideally for more than just a one-time connection?

Tim

 

[Fanum]

Sounds like a good case for visiting your dealer and yelling 'warrenty!!' at them Tim.

 

[John Armstrong]

Could try a rivnut which is effectively a cross between a rivet and a nut, hence rivnut. Access needed is normally not much more than that needed for the bolt itself. If the dealer doesn't have one you could try a body shop or kit car maker. HTH.

 

[Bullwinkle]

Warranty should cover it, but I wonder how they'd handle it. They would probably send a replacement subframe. End result, a lot of work and down time (if they honour the claim). This nut would probably have been (poorly) spot welded in place.
It seems you could solve the problem yourself by epoxying a nut to the correct location, being careful not to get epoxy on the threads. Use a shorter bolt to tightly locate the nut and epoxy around the side of it.
Best of luck, regardless of your choice...

 

[Tim Cullis]

Thanks for all the replies. I've since phoned Darren at SLM and pointed him to the thread. Darren has a subframe in stock and has looked at how the nut is held. He's happy to either swap the subframe over or spot weld a new nut in place on the existing frame, either way it would be on warranty.

As they would need the bike for half a day and it's close to a 100 mile round trip from the South Coast I might play with Bullwinkle's epoxy idea first.

Tim

 

[alecmuffett]

I've lost the captive nut that's attached to the frame of the R1200GS that accepts the bolt securing the topbox support/grab handle arrangement.

Tim: have you a picture of the entire rear frame with the cover removed? I am interested at what the other end looks like, near the seat where the two lozenge-shaped mounting bolt holes are...

It'd save me unscrewing everything just to see.

Thanks if you do!

 

[Tim Cullis]

Sorry, no.

Tim

 

[alecmuffett]

Sorry, no.

Ah well, worth a shot. Thanks anyway.