Originally Posted by
robalong
An interesting observation. The problem with Allen and Torx instead of a hex nut is that they can't be freed by careful grinding. Sure, the heads can be ground off, and the rest drilled out ... but I would never attempt that. To me, that's a task for a skilled engineer in a machine shop with specialized machines and toolings.
A hex nut can be removed by brute force if necessary - grinding, chiselling, hammer and punch. All quite primitive. For someone with a bike loaded with Allen and Torx bolts, the only way is to have top quality tools. It's a good idea to attend to such bolts periodically. Turn back the bolt a tad, and retighten, to avoid its getting stuck in there.
I stick to old bikes, because I only occasionally see an Allen bolt head, most often on the handlebar stem. I've never had a problem with those.
Cheers!
I once had a torx bolt where the socket had stripped. I was able to grind slots on the top edges of the bolt head, and turn it out with a flat-blade screwdriver.
I would never let the type of fasteners determine what type of bike I have, especially since my preference is for newer bikes. I'm also not opposed to having an excuse to buy a new tool.
