Fender mounted tail light mounting problem

[JeffIA]

I just discovered this site and anticipate spending hours reading and lurking, but I do have a question. After bringing our Tri Glide home, I discovered one of the rear tail lights was loose and rattling against the fender. I removed the two bezel screws and tried to tighten the screw that attaches the chrome base. That screw just spins and doesn't tighten (nor does it come loose). The (brass?) threaded insert spins also. I tried holding it with pliers but there's not much clearance to work. I suppose I will have to remove the wheel to get some room to work. I don't know if it's cross-threaded or what exactly. Has anyone dealt with this? Is that threaded piece supposed to be glued in, pressed in, or ...?

Thanks in advance for any tips. -Jeff

[rhino 2]

I just discovered this site and anticipate spending hours reading and lurking, but I do have a question. After bringing our Tri Glide home, I discovered one of the rear tail lights was loose and rattling against the fender. I removed the two bezel screws and tried to tighten the screw that attaches the chrome base. That screw just spins and doesn't tighten (nor does it come loose). The (brass?) threaded insert spins also. I tried holding it with pliers but there's not much clearance to work. I suppose I will have to remove the wheel to get some room to work. I don't know if it's cross-threaded or what exactly. Has anyone dealt with this? Is that threaded piece supposed to be glued in, pressed in, or ...?

Thanks in advance for any tips. -Jeff

A very small drop of crazy glue applied just to the brass might just hold it in place enough to remove the screw...Or tighten it........

[Ed H]

I just discovered this site and anticipate spending hours reading and lurking, but I do have a question. After bringing our Tri Glide home, I discovered one of the rear tail lights was loose and rattling against the fender. I removed the two bezel screws and tried to tighten the screw that attaches the chrome base. That screw just spins and doesn't tighten (nor does it come loose). The (brass?) threaded insert spins also. I tried holding it with pliers but there's not much clearance to work. I suppose I will have to remove the wheel to get some room to work. I don't know if it's cross-threaded or what exactly. Has anyone dealt with this? Is that threaded piece supposed to be glued in, pressed in, or ...?

Thanks in advance for any tips. -Jeff

Did you just buy it?. If so take it back where you got it and make them fix it.

[OLBLU]

The fender is some kind of plastic , so be careful with it. I agree with the other poster , make the seller fix it.

[rhino 2]

Jeff......I just looked at your profile ....And you have a 2020 Trike....Like the pervious posters said.....Take it back to the dealer...

[Mykneesbehurtin]

Our neighbors just bought a 2020 and we removed the seat to take the hand rail off and found that the shock adjustment knob wasnt bolted down so we had to put lock nuts on it.Crazy that so much stuff gets missed.

[PosseRider]

I would take it back to Dealer. It is new,under warranty, and if you screw something up trying to fix, it could be costly. Take it back.

[Jack Klarich]

Those well nuts can be a pain, take it back . You have a bumper to bumper warranty

[JeffIA]

My OCD and ADHD and whatever else I have got the best of me, plus the dealer is an hour away, so...

The mounting screw was not fully tightened against the fender and the screw threads had red loc-tite, so that's what made it not want to loosen nor tighten. Using vise-grips on the flange part of the well nut wore it down enough to let it pull through the fender (that wasn't my intent, but it worked out that way). Got a similar but longer screw and nyloc nut and reassembled. Still tight after a couple rides.

That red loc-tite is stronger than the engagement of the well nut in the plastic housing and you will spin the nut before the loc-tite breaks. I intend to buy a manual set, to curious to see if there is an actual R&R procedure for that.

[rhino 2]

My OCD and ADHD and whatever else I have got the best of me, plus the dealer is an hour away, so...

The mounting screw was not fully tightened against the fender and the screw threads had red loc-tite, so that's what made it not want to loosen nor tighten. Using vise-grips on the flange part of the well nut wore it down enough to let it pull through the fender (that wasn't my intent, but it worked out that way). Got a similar but longer screw and nyloc nut and reassembled. Still tight after a couple rides.

That red loc-tite is stronger than the engagement of the well nut in the plastic housing and you will spin the nut before the loc-tite breaks. I intend to buy a manual set, to curious to see if there is an actual R&R procedure for that.

All's well that ends well.........I'm surprised that they used a Red loc-tite....

The last 4 Harleys i owned the factory used a wax type yellowish color loc-tite..

[charger212]

I just brought my 2020 tri glide home last week. I had ordered some bras for the fenders, well they came a couple of days ago and when I went to put them on I was greeted with the same problem you had but on both tail lights. It seems that harley in their infinite wisdom put the brass blind nuts in with a dab of glue and used a thread locker on the screws. When I turned them it broke the little bit of glue on the inserts and started spinning. So I had to take the rear tires off and break off the glue , I then used a dremel to cut a groove in the nutsert so I could use a flat blade screw driver to hold it while my wife used a screw driver to get the screws out. I then got a bolt of the same size and reinstalled the tail lights. I've been doing stuff like this and more for years so it wasn't a problem for me. I didn't use the screws Harley had used because I couldn't get the red thread locker off plus I was able to tighten the bolts better with a ratchet. This is my 9th Harley but my first Trike and I sure was disappointed to find this problem already but that seems typical these days for anything you buy.

[rhino 2]

Robin..............Welcome to Trike-Talk.......

[Gorilla]

I just brought my 2020 tri glide home last week. I had ordered some bras for the fenders, well they came a couple of days ago and when I went to put them on I was greeted with the same problem you had but on both tail lights. It seems that harley in their infinite wisdom put the brass blind nuts in with a dab of glue and used a thread locker on the screws. When I turned them it broke the little bit of glue on the inserts and started spinning. So I had to take the rear tires off and break off the glue , I then used a dremel to cut a groove in the nutsert so I could use a flat blade screw driver to hold it while my wife used a screw driver to get the screws out. I then got a bolt of the same size and reinstalled the tail lights. I've been doing stuff like this and more for years so it wasn't a problem for me. I didn't use the screws Harley had used because I couldn't get the red thread locker off plus I was able to tighten the bolts better with a ratchet. This is my 9th Harley but my first Trike and I sure was disappointed to find this problem already but that seems typical these days for anything you buy.

welcome robin

[JeffIA]

Welcome Robin! I hope that's the only problem you ever have with it. This is our first Harley. I figured the dealer wouldn't have an obscure part like that on hand and would do something similar anyway.

I just brought my 2020 tri glide home last week. I had ordered some bras for the fenders, well they came a couple of days ago and when I went to put them on I was greeted with the same problem you had but on both tail lights. It seems that harley in their infinite wisdom put the brass blind nuts in with a dab of glue and used a thread locker on the screws. When I turned them it broke the little bit of glue on the inserts and started spinning. So I had to take the rear tires off and break off the glue , I then used a dremel to cut a groove in the nutsert so I could use a flat blade screw driver to hold it while my wife used a screw driver to get the screws out. I then got a bolt of the same size and reinstalled the tail lights. I've been doing stuff like this and more for years so it wasn't a problem for me. I didn't use the screws Harley had used because I couldn't get the red thread locker off plus I was able to tighten the bolts better with a ratchet. This is my 9th Harley but my first Trike and I sure was disappointed to find this problem already but that seems typical these days for anything you buy.

[roadblaster]

I bought a new tri-glide (2021) and while putting a set of fender bras on I pulled/twisted that taillight insert out of the fender. The tail light screw was just spinning around and then I saw the brass insert laying on the ground. Well dang it now tail light is hanging, I'd have to take the tire off to get to the underside and the bra is not put on.

I turned the brass insert around and JB weld it in, my WAG was that the 1mm lip on the brass was not going to hamper taillight install and the JB would hold enough to remount the light. So my question is this, should I take it back to Harley, or wait until the 1k service and have them install the bras and fix their insanely cheap plastic fender and insert. Very disappointing in how fragile that fender is at a support point, hopefully the fender is held on by better means than the tail light is. Suggestions please. Thanks.