QUICK RELEASE FASTENERS
The fitting and removal of Lambretta running boards is probably one of the most fiddly and frustrating jobs I have ever come across. You normally only need to do it where there’s something wrong and I’d rather get straight in to the problem than mess around while artic trucks come hurtling past! For some time, I’d been looking at quick release fasteners so you can easily remove the running boards from the frame. Several of my fellow Lambretta riders had suggested the DZUS® QuarterTurn Fasteners from Southco and so I quickly bought some. However, what I did not realise, was the art in selecting the right length fixings, or studs, as Southco calls them. Although my initial efforts worked and were a vast improvement, I was struggling as some were too short, making their use not quite as slick as I had intended.
The DZUS® Quarter-Turn Fasteners were developed for the aerospace industry. They were intended to securely hold panels in place that are regularly removed for inspection. The fasteners use a quarter-turn mechanism that is an over centre design, meaning that they require a sustained force to undo and will not rattle loose. However, this design relies on the selection of the correct length fixings (studs) being used from the start. The stud feeds into a frame-mounted clip-on receptacle with twist action. With respect to the running boards, you may need to open up holes to allow the studs to align correctly.
This in mind, I then spoke to Southco regarding the selection of the correct DZUS® Quarter-Turn Fasteners assembly. The installation is simple, requiring nothing more than a pair of measuring callipers and a little patience. You need to know the measurements of the individual elements that are being fastened together and add them all up. Make sure you take into account any additional washers and the clip-on receptacle for the frame itself. I had opted for an additional plastic washer for paint work protection (normal stud length takes into account one plastic washer). The following measurements were used in conjunction with a table available on the Southco webpage. Frame: 5.8mm Running boards: 3mm Additional plastic washer: 0.5mm Clip-on receptacle: 0.8mm Bridge piece: 3.9mm
Obviously the bridge piece only affects two of the fixing points and can be discounted for the others. When these measurements are compared with the Southco table, it means a stud length of 17 (without bridge piece) and 21 (with bridge piece) are required for my scooter. To get the perfect fit it might be wise to measure all of the fixing points individually, as the thickness in the body work may vary. The table can be found via the following link: https://www.southco. com/static/Literature/D8.en.pdf
Southco supplies DZUS® Quarter-Turn Fasteners with a variety of stud heads, and I’ve opted for the ‘D-ring’ (bail head) style for sheer speed of release. However, for the more security conscious among us, you can get different head styles that require a security head tool or standard screwdriver/Allen key. Jordan