Tightened my battery mount nuts

[Eric7]

I was cleaning up my bike, checking everything.  I noticed one nut on the battery mount is loose.  One nut was missing.  I want to point this out to everyone because the nut is small and flush with the bolt thread. Meaning any further loosening will cause the nut to be lost.  See enclosed picture.  So I am just suggesting everyone take a look and tighten theirs.  I plan to use some sort of thread lock/locktight stuff on it.  I don't want this nut to come loose again.

It is a small nut but I don't know nut sizes so I rather not spend an hour at the hardware store trying to figure out a replacement.

I am going through the bike double-checking every bolt and nut.  Everything else seems fine.

Rad is taking care of me.  The service is impressive.  Very impressive.

[Veggyhed]

Thanks for the heads up. Looks like I will add a little blue loctite to my screws.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

[natchezz]

Eric7, did RAD mention the size and thread pitch of that little screw? Would be nice to know for reference.

[Radding Along]

The three bolts that mount the tray to the bike are M5 Button - 12mm. I am not sure the size of the nut that holds the aluminum part to the plastic part. You can easily take the bolt to a hardware store to find a matching nut.

[Eric7]

I don't know the thread size for the nut. 

I have a digital micrometer.  On the remaining nut, I measured 5.6 mm (5.59 actually) across the flats of the nut.  The screw is 2.88 mm outside diameter so I guess it corresponds to a 3 mm thread? So maybe it is an M3 screw and nut??? M3 is supposed to be 5.5 mm across the flats but maybe I measured wrong due to the angle I had to use to make a measurement while the one remaining nut is still on the bike. It is not a 5 mm nut because it would not fit a 5 mm socket.  It is not 6 mm because the 6 mm socket was too big.  I ended up tightening using an English (inch) based socket.

Does anyone with more experience/knowledge know the nut's identity based on this measurement?

As you can see from the picture, it is much smaller than the other bolts holding the mount to the frame.  Without the nut, the plastic part of the mount wiggles in relationship to (1) the bike and (2) the metal part of the frame.  The battery mounts to the plastic part. 

It seems that the bike is functional without the part but you might have trouble inserting the battery.  I think it can be fixed by pushing against the plastic part during insertsion.

Rad says they did not have the part but that they would contact their showroom to get the part for me.

The problem is that I cannot get the screw/bolt out unless I take the mount off.  I don't want to take the mount off until I get the part - because it is some work and will leave the bike in a nonworking condition.  I can still ride the bike fine right now.  It is a busy time of year for my work.

When the nut gets here.  I plan to take the whole thing apart and locktight the two screw/bolts.

If Rad fails to follow up (which is very unlikely), I have a plan B.  I will take the whole mount off and get the nuts and bolts and go to a hardware store and try to fit it.  I don't know how to measure a screw or nut to figure out the thread info. 

It is something I can fix.  But since I just got the bike less than one month ago, I figure Rad should at least give me the part.

[Radding Along]

The nut size is metric: M3, .5 pitch

Rad will probably send you a whole new battery tray. Keep it as a spare and go to the hardware store for your nut. Probably better to hit a small store like True Value or Ace. They tend to have better metric selection than Lowes or HD.

[Eric7]

Thank you for the info.  Much appreciate it.  I'll web order it if I don't get the part soon and I'll definitely use some thread locking type glue on it.  I think this is a part that can be easy to lose.

[Eric7]

Giving everyone an update.

I am getting some "misc hardware" sent to me with a list price of $1.  I think I'll be OK when it gets here.  I just want to get a nut - to save me having to fish around in the hardware store for a one-month-old bike. And I am not sure if the nut was there to begin with.  Since the list price is $1, I think it is most likely a nut or a few nuts. 

I'll definitely locktight/threadlock/glue the nut to the bolt/screw.  I think this is a weak point but in a non-critical part.  Small nut.  Not much extra thread on the bolt.  Any loosening will lead to the fall out of the nut.

While more hardware like a new mount would be nice, I don't want to take advantage of the company.  So, hopefully, all ends well when the stuff gets here.

[Radding Along]

I hope I gave you the correct size!

[Eric7]

The replacement part came. I was able to attach the nut to the screw in mount without disassembling the bike.  I enclose a picture of the replacement part (screw and nut) for your future reference and I only used the nut.  I'm keeping the screw as a spare part.  It is a very small part.

I tightened the nut and applied a liberal dose of threadlock. I don't think I'll ever having to loosen that nut again.

●●● Just a heads up to you all - remember to check and tighten and threadlock that nut!!! ●●●