Any tricks to remove this Trail Flite handlebar bolt

[f4radar]

Not much meat there. Thought I’d ask before I did some damage.

 

[Steve73]

i always keep a can of crc freeze off handy for things things like that. i also submerge parts in evaporust 1st.

 

[sparkwizard]

I always smell like Kroil for a reason.

 

[f4radar]

I always smell like Kroil for a reason.

I’m not exactly sure where the sticking part is … I’ve never seen one apart

 

[Triley41395]

Looks like it has a nut on the back. Try a open-ended wrench. You might try tightening then loosening. Go back and forth and add a little more lube as you go.

 

[sparkwizard]

Do you think that is a nut, rusted away on the threaded end of that bolt?
If it is a nut, I would get a small, sharp chisel and split it off of the bolt.

 

[f4radar]

Poor thing had to take one for the team. Comes out pretty easy with a six point socket. The handle bar is still well rusted into the fork. What a pain.

 

[f4radar]

I hate to give up but I’m thinking that may just stay together as a unit.

 

[sparkwizard]

That was for a handlebar, not a fork, right?

 

[f4radar]

That was for a handlebar, not a fork, right?

I guess this system allows for the handlebars to be height adjusted in the fork

 

[f4radar]

No kind of seal where the handlebar goes into the tube so I imagine that well rusted in there. I can’t believe they didn’t build these things to last longer, I mean it was more than 200 US dollars

 

[sparkwizard]

OK. Keep it wet with transmission fluid and eventually it will break free.

 

[cfh]

the design was to allow the handlebars to be removed, so the bike could be easily transported in the trunk of a car. it's not to adjust height. this was MTD's first version of the leading suspension Trail Flite. i'm not a fan of this handle bar system frankly, but that's what you got. you can convert to the motocross style bars in theory i guess. but probably not a great idea. the issue with these bars is related to handling. the motocross bar set up allows the bike to handle better off-road. these bars are more for street riding positioning i guess, and feel "odd", at least to me.

 

[sparkwizard]

On the plus side, they can't be in there very far.