Brake light jiggle

[Southwend]

2017 model I was working on the taillight assembly I noticed that when I tightened the two screws holding the taillight unit into the bracket assembly that even when tight the red plastic assembly is free to wiggle in the bracket

Is this normal? I don’t know why I haven’t noticed it before I’m not missing any pieces as far as I know. I assembled using an exploded diagram to be sure I had all of the correct parts

[pdedse]

2017 model I was working on the taillight assembly I noticed that when I tightened the two screws holding the taillight unit into the bracket assembly that even when tight the red plastic assembly is free to wiggle in the bracket

Is this normal? I don’t know why I haven’t noticed it before I’m not missing any pieces as far as I know. I assembled using an exploded diagram to be sure I had all of the correct parts

 
Hello S. Wendelin...

No, it's not normal.  Other forum members and I have had problems with this.  I searched this forum and the other for a fix I came up with involving inserting rubber washers, but the link is dead.

Basically, I think what I found was that the threaded ends of the bolts go in too far, and then they don't grab anything.  By inserting a rubber washer, the bolt's threads grab at the right spot and pull the unit tight, eliminating the rattle/wiggle.

A few photos from the thread that seems to no longer work: 



Or it might have been this washer: 

You might give it a try.  Be gentle with the tightening down. Another member found that his unit where the bolts thread into was cracked if I rembember right.

Edit: since we're not supposed to upload copyright material (the exploded diagram), here's a beautiful artist's rendition of the bolts in question:


Don't laugh.

I believe those threads are too short to tighten down the assembly.  Adding a washer gives the threads more bite in the right spot.  That's my theory anyway.  For me, the bolts with rubber washers pulled the assembly together and no rattle/wobble since (about 6-7 years ago).

[Cormanus]

Drat. I had a hunt for the old thread too, but it wasn't there. It must have bitten the dust when we had a purge of the old forum to try to reduce the number of SQL crashes.

[pdedse]

After re-reading what I wrote late last night, I think it's the smooth body part of the bolt that should have been shorter. The threads grab and begin to pull 2 pieces of the housing together, but then the threads bottom out and the head of the bolt hasn't yet made contact with its end of the housing...therefore, the rattle or wobble.

I remember one or two people commenting that they didn't even notice their housing was loose until this was called to attention, while other members with the EX model reported theirs were fine. Maybe a a number of longer bolts got mistakenly used during production?

[Southwend]

Many thanks the rubber washer idea was already on the table. I bought a couple at the hardware store yesterday. This all began when one of the threaded inserts pulled out of the lens assembly. I had a heck of a time getting the bolt out but managed to by drilling the bolt head out from outside, getting new parts and gluing another insert into the unit with JB Weld, which worked perfectly. 
New taillight units apparently are no longer made and the only replacement I could find was $375.00 which motivated me to great lengths on the repair

[pekingduck]

North American market license plates must stand near vertical, and the license light has to be further back to shine on it.  The chrome housing on the US/Canadian models is noticeably longer front-to-back, and acts more like a pendulum.   
I can imagine when this change was made, it likely wasn't noticed in actual testing.

[the Ferret]

$375 for a tail light is rather silly.


The headlight for my NC 750 is listed for $1145. How silly is that?

[Cormanus]

Silly? It's outrageous. But then I've no idea of the cost of the various components.

[peterbaron]

We'll never close down as long as a CB1100 is still riding, Wendelin.
Welcome back.

[Southwend]

$375 for a tail light is rather silly.


The headlight for my NC 750 is listed for $1145. How silly is that?

Silly wasn’t the word I used at the time. The OEM parts sites I found listed the taillight assembly as no longer available. I suspect the part, listed as made by Stanley, was a limited run to fill the gap. Easier to get a whole new fender from Samurider. 
Nice to see you are still riding, I was bummed when I read the forum was closing down