Bar end nut & bolt

[short-edd]

I’m trying to refit the bar ends but now the rubber (that retains the nut) is not gripping / holding in place and as I tighten the bolt it moves up until there’s no thread left , at this point I can pull the complete assembly out by hand.
Any ideas, solution or tricks.
Edd.

[MartinW]

First things first .... Have you got all the bits.

Juvecu posted these pictures some time ago ...

[willbo]

Sounds like the last nut might of come loose into the bar to me

[Juvecu]

Blow it out with some compressed air or tip the bike to that side (carefully.) You can try fish it out with some wire, but that's a PITA. Alternatively, leave it there and just stick a washer and a nut on the end (M6 I think.)

[short-edd]

I did have to use my air compressor to fish the nut out and boy it shot out, took 20mins to find it.
I have the full assembly as per the photo 1, but it won’t tighten it up and I can pull it out as per photo 2.
It strikes me that the end rubber encapsulating the nut won’t expand enough to hold firm.

[putbinoot]

Long time since I touched mine so can't remember if you are supposed to tighten it up before you put it in so it's a hard fit, that way it will grip once it goes in and you should be able to tighten it.

[Juvecu]

Nope, tighten it after it's in. Just have it assembled so that all the bits are touching each other lightly. After that, stick it in the hole and slowly tighten it up while lightly pressing the bar end down so that the long bolt inside presses the last rubber into the inside of the bar so it doesn't rotate before the bolt is tight.

[greywolf]

Try tightening and loosening outside the handlebar first to make sure nothing is sticking and the rubber collar is expanding. Maybe then what is happening will be clearer.

[short-edd]

Success at last, I tried the various methods suggested (many thanks gents)
In the end I squashed the captive rubbers in the vice to expand them, assembled
Everything and with a little pressure eased it in to the bar and they seem to have tighten up,
The proof of success will be when I road test it.
Edd.