leob1

My wife came home the other day and handed me a 4-ish inch long bolt. "What's that?" I inquired. It was the bolt that holds on the wheel saddle. It had backed all the way out. And luck would have it she noticed it while he was loading her bike so it didn't get lost. This prompted me to go get a new tube of lock-tite, and put some on before I put it back together. Then I decided to check the rest of the nuts and bolts. While none where 'finger' loose, about half required very little effort to remove them with a wrench. Those also got a drop of lock-tite.

My advice, check yours before you lose a bike, or worse!

Troul 

oh boy, that'll trigger some opinions.

Good catch & luck too!

trailangel

What is a "wheel saddle?"

cxwrench

The what?
And Loctite should not be used everywhere, in fact very few places. Grease. Grease. Grease...and proper torque.

HillRider

I think he's describing the part of a hitch rack that the bike's wheels sit in when its being carried.

70sSanO

I really haven’t had an issue with any bolts coming loose that are in one of our bikes.

I would agree with checking a bike rack. I imagine that people check their bike racks with much less frequency than their bikes; which in some cases might be a number of years.

John

easyupbug 

^^This is wise.^^ I have 18 bikes of my own and 6 for the kids/grandkids when they visit and just don't have a problem with grease and torquing. If you do use Locktite use the blue-242, it will come apart with common hand tools, if a very small hex head you might want to touch it with a soldering iron to heat to be sure it releases w/o stripping the hex.

bmcer

We may be missing the point. There's a good chance the OP is talking about his bike carrying rig and not the bike itself. That way, "wheel saddle" makes sense

ARider2

Yes, anything that has fasteners on a bicycle should be checked periodically for proper torque. The torque requirements vary quite a bit, for example maybe 5 or 6nm for some handlebar clamps, to 35 or 45nm for some crank arm bolts. Torque values can be found printed on many parts that are of better quality but such parts are rarely found on lower priced bikes. Checking the torque on all critical fasteners and components of a bicycle should be performed during a routine annual tune-up. Few fasteners require Loc-tite but some do and others require lubrication. If one is unsure of proper torque or what type of lubricant to use (or how much of it) a tune-up is best left to an experienced bicycle mechanic.

rumrunn6

thanks for the reminder, tho I've already been told I have a screw loose somewhere. sorry, couldn't resist

fooferdoggie 

I watched one guy recommending super glue instead of locktite.

trailangel

Ya, now I get it. I never occured to me to put bikes on a rack and transport them.... I get on and ride right from home. Yakima calls it a "wheel tray" ...
Thule calls it a "wheel holder"... so my question... what is a "wheel saddle"
I am not a mind reader.

veganbikes

Proper torque and grease or anti-seize does wonders. I don't really get a lot of loose bolts and I rarely use thread locking compounds. Not to say they don't have their usage but using instead of a place most people and companies would recommend grease or anti seize and proper torque is kind of silly.

bmcer

Just guessing here, but maybe something like a short section of channel. Hope the OP jumps in here

Papa Tom

I wouldn't waste any more time trying to figure it out. The OP seems to have ditched this thread already.

leob1

Sorry if I wasn't clear it on the bike rack, a Kuat Sherpa.
Kuat calls it a cradle, you manufacturer name may vary.