I am happy I used the supplied bolt, and drilled my shackle bolt sleeve out so it just barely fit in, I think you will be happiest this way as you are doing too.

 

I dont have the emails any more but HD recommended the size smaller bolt. IIRC it was a metric size.

 

I'll email HD and see what they say and go from there before I do anything else

 

In my opinion, anything short of a snug fit is not good, if that bolt can move at all back and fourth, its just a matter of time before it wears through and breaks or starts to oval out the bushing. Just my 2 cents, I am sure not a pro, just speaking from experience.

 

A smaller bolt will have play inside the bracket holes, like what was mentioned above.

 

Yah I agree with you, that's why I machined the bolt down on the lathe so it would fit snug.
But as said before I should've just drilled out the sleeve inside the shackle bushing so that the strength of the bolt wasn't compromised.

Although I only took .007" off of the bolt so I'm not sure if that is even enough to affect it.

 

I had the same problem with mine. I did some serious smacking to get those things in.

 

I agree, probably would not effect the bolt, but I would hate to chance it.

 

The bolt size he recommended is seriously like a **** hair smaller. There is no play in anything.

 

They probably recommended a 14mm (.551) bolt instead of the 9/16 (.5625)

 

That sounds about right.

Sorry guys, the .0115 difference in size is NOT going to egg out a hole....

 

I'm just gonna go pick some up when I get a chance and use them. Those should fit damn near perfect based off of what I measure the bushing's I.D. To be

 

There are those that get it close and those that get it perfect, your choice and your rig.

 

Serious? A 14mm bolt is perfect. The 9/16 is too big. We're not talking about 1/8 of an inch. We're talking something that is TEN TIMES SMALLER. A quarter of a mm.

 

Well a quarter of a mm is...well...yea I got nothin, that's pretty insignificant, haha.