Stallion Trike Ladder Bar Support Bracket Failure

[ODDOMAN]

My rear support broke on my 2010 Stallion...
i think you call it a ladder bar support.....(there are 2 of these ladder bars, one per side.)
(TBMS said I need to send pictures of the break....I did....more frame breakage....31000 miles....

 

[rocket1lf]

That looks like the new style. I thought it was only the old style with the heim joint up front that broke.

 

[ODDOMAN]

That looks like the new style. I thought it was only the old style with the heim joint up front that broke.

2010 model....snapped at weld I think...
I left a light, noticed steering was turned toward 10 o'clock....I thought I'd better pull over and check it out...touch the brakes , reared wanted to pass me....woe....towed home...

 

[Papa Zook]

Its actually called "ladder bars" because they are somewhat shaped like a ladder.

 

[ODDOMAN]

Its actually called ladder bars because they are somewhat shaped like a ladder.

funny, that the tech at TBMS said I had to climb under my trike and take pictures before he knew what I was talking about....lol
oh well....

 

[ODDOMAN]

Well received a call from Richard....looks like they will send me the parts I need, free, for both sides to be replaced....I have to pay labor, that better than paying for parts too....
they stand behind their product....I had this Stallion for 5 years now....that's cool....now see if I can change the latter bars out...

ODDOMAN
667
SOUTH CAROLINA...

 

[trikervet]

Ladder Bars:

That appears to be the old style with the jam nut on the forward end. The new style does not have a jam nut on the fwd end. It is welded up solid.

I changed mine out and it was the hardest work I have ever done I believe. On earlier Stallions, the forward attaching bolt was inserted with the head of the bolt outboard. In this position, the fiberglass floor is very close to the head of the bolt. The floor has to be raised up to remove the bolt. Now at some point, TBMS changed this and started inserting the bolt from the inboard position.

It is a piece of cake in this position as the floor does does not have to be raised. Raising that floor up was the most difficult part. You have 15-20 1/4" bolts with self locking nuts on the back side. The head of the bolt is an allen head. It is almost a 2 man job to remove the bolts, as somebody needs to be on the bottom holding the nuts while another person removes the bolt(s) from the top.

When you receive the new ladder bars, there is a lot of excess rubber on the forward mount. It has to be sanded down to be pushed into the mount on the bike. I had to remove quite a bit of rubber before it would go in. The axle had to be pulled back quite a bit to get the old bar out and new bar in. I ran a cargo strap around the axle and someplace on the frame. It was about a day and a half job for me. Much of that was dealing with taking the floor up and putting back down. Hope this helps.

 

[rocket1lf]

That appears to be the old style with the jam nut on the forward end. The new style does not have a jam nut on the fwd end. It is welded up solid. I changed mine out and it was the hardest work I have ever done I believe. On earlier Stallions, the forward attaching bolt was inserted with the head of the bolt outboard. In this position, the fiberglass floor is very close to the head of the bolt. The floor has to be raised up to remove the bolt. Now at some point, TBMS changed this and started inserting the bolt from the inboard position. It is a piece of cake in this position as the floor does does not have to be raised. Raising that floor up was the most difficult part. You have 15-20 1/4" bolts with self locking nuts on the back side. The head of the bolt is an allen head. It is almost a 2 man job to remove the bolts, as somebody needs to be on the bottom holding the nuts while another person removes the bolt(s) from the top. When you receive the new ladder bars, there is a lot of excess rubber on the forward mount. It has to be sanded down to be pushed into the mount on the bike. I had to remove quite a bit of rubber before it would go in. The axle had to be pulled back quite a bit to get the old bar out and new bar in. I ran a cargo strap around the axle and someplace on the frame. It was about a day and a half job for me. Much of that was dealing with taking the floor up and putting back down. Hope this helps.

I've been thinking about this quite a bit. I hope mine never breaks, but if it does, is it possible to drill a hole in the fiberglass by the bolt head, remove the bolt and then plug the hole with a cap? I looked at it when it was up on the rack getting the rear end worked on and it seemed like it would be possible to do it that way. Rick

 

[ODDOMAN]

That appears to be the old style with the jam nut on the forward end. The new style does not have a jam nut on the fwd end. It is welded up solid.
I changed mine out and it was the hardest work I have ever done I believe. On earlier Stallions, the forward attaching bolt was inserted with the head of the bolt outboard. In this position, the fiberglass floor is very close to the head of the bolt. The floor has to be raised up to remove the bolt. Now at some point, TBMS changed this and started inserting the bolt from the inboard position. It is a piece of cake in this position as the floor does does not have to be raised. Raising that floor up was the most difficult part. You have 15-20 1/4" bolts with self locking nuts on the back side. The head of the bolt is an allen head. It is almost a 2 man job to remove the bolts, as somebody needs to be on the bottom holding the nuts while another person removes the bolt(s) from the top.
When you receive the new ladder bars, there is a lot of excess rubber on the forward mount. It has to be sanded down to be pushed into the mount on the bike. I had to remove quite a bit of rubber before it would go in. The axle had to be pulled back quite a bit to get the old bar out and new bar in. I ran a cargo strap around the axle and someplace on the frame. It was about a day and a half job for me. Much of that was dealing with taking the floor up and putting back down. Hope this helps.

Well I did what I said I was going to do....I got a hole saw, and a side drill cut a hole on side on floorboard, and low and behold, taken the bolt out and dropped the latter Bar down with in 30 mins...waiting on TBMS *to send the new one....
Maybe get to drive this on vacation on the 22nd, if I'm lucky....
ODDOMAN
# 667
SOUTH CAROLINA *

 

[Ed Hobgood]

Hope everything works out for you. I know on my 08 I had to get the ladder bars replaced but it was still under warranty and at that time the dealer replaced them but I know it took him two days to complete the job. Sounds like you made the job a lot easier.

 

[Gorilla]

Hope everything works out for you. I know on my 08 I had to get the ladder bars replaced but it was still under warranty and at that time the dealer replaced them but I know it took him two days to complete the job. Sounds like you made the job a lot easier.

Drilling an access hole is a brilliant suggestion. The factory would not do that because can you imagine the up roar from the customer. I bet you can make a cover that blends in so it hardly can be seen at all.

 

[ron545]

Ladder Support

Had a front heim joint break at 65 mph. Not a good feeling. The heim was defective and you can tell that. Just glad no one got hurt. Not much help from TMS. Found some good ones at a 4WD shop. They are 5/8" right hand thread. Replaced both sides. Good luck.

2009 #545. Things like this should not break. Wonder how many people have been hurt because of this and they think they just run out of the road and lost control. If not any there will be.

 

[trikervet]

Ladder Bars:

Had a front heim joint break at 65 mph. Not a good feeling. The heim was defective and you can tell that. Just glad no one got hurt. Not much help from TMS. Found some good ones at a 4WD shop. They are 5/8" right hand thread. Replaced both sides. Good luck.
2009 #545. Things like this should not break. Wonder how many people have been hurt because of this and they think they just run out of the road and lost control. If not any there will be.

The upgraded ladder bars that TBMS came up with completely eliminated the heim joint. The whole affair is welded, there is no adjustment on that end.
Maybe you found some heim joints that are better quality than OEM and won't break. Good that you got it on the road again. Below is a photo of the old and upgraded ladder bars.

 

[ron545]

Ladder Bar

My rear support broke on my 2010 Stallion...
i think you call it a latter support.....
TBMS said I need to send pictures of the break....I did....more frame breakage....31000 miles....

That is the heim joint. That is what broke first. The same place mine did...13,000 miles.