Clark Carbon Fiber Handguard Install

[Kyle O]

OK, This will be my first barrel/handguard change out. I've got the ar specific tools ordered

-vice block

-nut wrench

-strap wrench

-epoxy

I've done the searches, and watched the youtube vids, the brownells stuffs, and it all seems pretty strait forward. Nothing mysterious.

Couple of things about the Clark handguard. Apparently, the only way to get the barrel nut on is to use a strap wrench. But, almost everything I came across says to use some anti sieze/grease on the barrel nut thread area EXCEPT for one thread on these forums, someone mentioned using red locktite on the barrel nut threads (but only for the aluminum clark nut).

Also, I saw where someone used gasket compound on the actual part of the barrel that goes into the upper, another blue locktite there, and some vids showed guys greasing that area also.

How important are these things? What do they do? Would it be a disaster if I wanted to do future work on it, or just a minor bother?

Fill me in folks.

[Dan Sierpina]

Ask 10 people on the internet, get 13 answers! Use Neversieze on the barrel nut. Use epoxy to bond the tube to the nut. DO NOT use Loctite on the nut, that's for a V-Tac or one of Firebird's handguards that use a separate "nut" to lock the barrel into the tube attachment. (V-Tac and the mentioned Firebird handguards are 3 pieces, not counting screws to attach the tube)

On a humorous note, since the Clark nut is going to have the carbon tube epoxied to the nut, you can use a large pipe wrench to tighten the nut. If the gas tube hole doesn't quite line up.

[Kyle O]

thats actually one of the recommendations on the clark site, is to pipe wrench it, and file down the burrs.

[Dan Sierpina]

thats actually one of the recommendations on the clark site, is to pipe wrench it, and file down the burrs.

Sick minds think alike!

[GentlemanJim]

Thats about the only way to tighten it with enough torque

I dont like that handguard, as you have to glue it together, and its a booger to get back off and reassemble when it becomes nessessary

I dislike putting a plug in here, but

A system like mine is servicable..and our carbon fiber tube is interchangeable with the aluminum tube

I prefer exact torque values on the barrel nut...you just cant have that with a non indexible type system.

Dan gave you the proper info on install, dont be using locktite on the barrel nut

An old trick to prevent stringing shots (caused by loose fit barrel to reciever) is to use RTV in a film around the barrel extension

This firms up the fit, and gives no wiggle room during thermal cycles, that may be one of the things you were refering to.

Jim

[Firetoad]

I use a moly based wheel bearing grease on my barrel nuts.

I recently installed a Clark handguard and used a pipe wrench to take my nut to its final "torque". No problems at all with the wrench marks. If you think about it, it actually adds a little more surface area/roughness for the epoxy to adhere to.

Also, there is a tool other than a strap wrench that you can use to remove the handguard if ever needed. DPMS makes a barrel nut wrench called the "DPMS AR-15 FREE FLOAT TUBE WRENCH". It actually engages the barrel nut from the rear. Brownells sells them.

[sniperfrog]

Thats about the only way to tighten it with enough torque

I dont like that handguard, as you have to glue it together, and its a booger to get back off and reassemble when it becomes nessessary

I dislike putting a plug in here, but

A system like mine is servicable..and our carbon fiber tube is interchangeable with the aluminum tube

I prefer exact torque values on the barrel nut...you just cant have that with a non indexible type system.

Dan gave you the proper info on install, dont be using locktite on the barrel nut

An old trick to prevent stringing shots (caused by loose fit barrel to reciever) is to use RTV in a film around the barrel extension

This firms up the fit, and gives no wiggle room during thermal cycles, that may be one of the things you were refering to.

Jim

Wait a second, you have carbon fiber HGs too? Can you post some pictures of those? I keep checking your website for updates on your extra long handguards but it hasn't been updated in awhile.

[blind bat]

So, everyone out there running the Clark hand guards has to torque the barrel by feel?

[MarkCO]

Wait a second, you have carbon fiber HGs too? Can you post some pictures of those? I keep checking your website for updates on your extra long handguards but it hasn't been updated in awhile.

We'll have pictures up soon. If you make it to SHOT, there will be two there.

[AlamoShooter]

Wait a second, you have carbon fiber HGs too? Can you post some pictures of those? I keep checking your website for updates on your extra long hand guards but it hasn't been updated in awhile.

We'll have pictures up soon. If you make it to SHOT, there will be two there.

I saw the Fire-bird/ with-Carbon hand guard on Mark's gun = it is very cool Did I say Very Cool! and he / they can cut holes and slots. if I did not have prize table Vtac hand guard in the box = I would have the Fire-bird Carbon on order.

Did I say that

^{! Its Coo l!}

Edited January 15, 2011 by AlamoShooter

[MarkCO]

I saw the Fire-bird/ with-Carbon hand guard on Mark's gun = it is very cool Did I say Very Cool! and he / they can cut holes and slots. if I did not have prize table Vtac hand guard in the box = I would have the Fire-bird Carbon on order.

Did I say that

^{! Its Coo l!}

Actually, you saw prototype v.3 which was a test mule for temp and impact. V.4 is even cooler and is what our production Handguards will be based on.

[GentlemanJim]

Seems the cat has exited the bag

I should not have posted here...apologies for drifting the thread

Jim

[Kyle O]

Seems the cat has exited the bag

I should not have posted here...apologies for drifting the thread

Jim

No apologies necessary, Good info is good info!

I happen to live just a skip & jump away from Clarks, so I checked with them first, and got a 16" handguard (not offered in catalog), just down the road, so thought I'd give it a try (as well as learn some basic ar smithing stuff while at it), but wanted to get the inside info from the good folks here before I started doing something stupid like gluing the nut on with locktite or something

Would you put the RTV on the bbl extension if you had it already? It's a bushmaster carbine upper receiver, and a Noveske barrel.

[AlamoShooter]

Seems the cat has exited the bag

I should not have posted here...apologies for drifting the thread

Jim

No apologies necessary, Good info is good info!

I happen to live just a skip & jump away from Clarks, so I checked with them first, and got a 16" handguard (not offered in catalog), just down the road, so thought I'd give it a try (as well as learn some basic ar smithing stuff while at it), but wanted to get the inside info from the good folks here before I started doing something stupid like gluing the nut on with locktite or something

Would you put the RTV on the bbl extension if you had it already? It's a bushmaster carbine upper receiver, and a Noveske barrel.

And we thought you were a Sharp guy:blink: , Why not take it to Jimmy Clark if you are close and let him do his magic on it. Do you have any Idea how many rifle trophy's Mr Jimmy Clark has?

[Kyle O]

Seems the cat has exited the bag

I should not have posted here...apologies for drifting the thread

Jim

No apologies necessary, Good info is good info!

I happen to live just a skip & jump away from Clarks, so I checked with them first, and got a 16" handguard (not offered in catalog), just down the road, so thought I'd give it a try (as well as learn some basic ar smithing stuff while at it), but wanted to get the inside info from the good folks here before I started doing something stupid like gluing the nut on with locktite or something

Would you put the RTV on the bbl extension if you had it already? It's a bushmaster carbine upper receiver, and a Noveske barrel.

And we thought you were a Sharp guy:blink: , Why not take it to Jimmy Clark if you are close and let him do his magic on it. Do you have any Idea how many rifle trophy's Mr Jimmy Clark has?

OH, yes by all means JC could build a superior rifle, shoot better than I also, but this project is about me learning new things, and not matching a custom smiths work. I'm a tinkerer by nature, and this has always been on my "want to learn how" list. So, now the time is upon me to ask these things.

[boomfab]

Yeah, it's best to avoid any thread locker on handguard nut threads. There's so much surface area that even with enough blue loctite, you can effectively make the assembly permanent. Been there, done that. I use moly grease on the threads.

[AlamoShooter]

OK I admit I would do the same thing as Mr O

And all the time I would be sweeting learning something new to me, constantly second guessing my self

[Long Range]

Hiperform sells a pre-epoxied carbon fiber float tube with a nut on the end to remove and replace as needed. They sell a wrench for it too for $10.

http://hiperform.com/hand-guards.htm

[blind bat]

Do the hiperform hand guards attache directly to the upper receiver or is there an intermediate piece that the hand guards screw to? Do you need to torque or shim the hand guard to get the bipod/sling swivels in the right spot?

[Long Range]

Do the hiperform hand guards attache directly to the upper receiver or is there an intermediate piece that the hand guards screw to? Do you need to torque or shim the hand guard to get the bipod/sling swivels in the right spot?

It is non-indexing, and attaches directly to the upper (aluminum nut, very light). That is why it is fairly inexpensive. Mount first and then drill your holes for the bipod/sling swivels at your desired location if you want them. Or no bipod and use the front gas block/sight for the sling mount and don't drill anything.

Good luck.

[Firetoad]

So, everyone out there running the Clark hand guards has to torque the barrel by feel?

I did, in essence, torque the barrel nut for my Clark by hand. I simply went to the first gas tube hole in the barrel nut that started giving me some resistance and then went to the next hole. With the installation torque range of the barrel being such a wide range, 30-80 ft-lbs, as it does, I felt that my non-instrumented hand installation was adequate.

[Graham Smith]

Use epoxy to bond the tube to the nut.

I don't know if I did a good thing or a bad thing, but I opted for a different approach. I drilled three holes through the tube and the nut and used nylon "push pins" to secure the tube in place. It looks odd but works quite well. It also makes it possible to remove the tube if I need to.

[MarkCO]

I did, in essence, torque the barrel nut for my Clark by hand. I simply went to the first gas tube hole in the barrel nut that started giving me some resistance and then went to the next hole. With the installation torque range of the barrel being such a wide range, 30-80 ft-lbs, as it does, I felt that my non-instrumented hand installation was adequate.

Your torque by hand, unless you are very strong, will be in the 15-18 ft-lb range.

I don't know if I did a good thing or a bad thing, but I opted for a different approach. I drilled three holes through the tube and the nut and used nylon "push pins" to secure the tube in place. It looks odd but works quite well. It also makes it possible to remove the tube if I need to.

I'd be real surprised if that is a long lasting configuration. Seems it would be floppy.

[Firetoad]

I did, in essence, torque the barrel nut for my Clark by hand. I simply went to the first gas tube hole in the barrel nut that started giving me some resistance and then went to the next hole. With the installation torque range of the barrel being such a wide range, 30-80 ft-lbs, as it does, I felt that my non-instrumented hand installation was adequate.

Your torque by hand, unless you are very strong, will be in the 15-18 ft-lb range.

I got the power!

Darn expert witnesses! Details, details...

To be truly representative of the method that was utilized to install my Clark barrel nut, the first sentence above should have read as follows: "I did, in essence, torque the barrel nut for my Clark by hand using a hand tool, i.e. pipe wrench, and did not use a torque wrench."

I don't know if I did a good thing or a bad thing, but I opted for a different approach. I drilled three holes through the tube and the nut and used nylon "push pins" to secure the tube in place. It looks odd but works quite well. It also makes it possible to remove the tube if I need to.

I'd be real surprised if that is a long lasting configuration. Seems it would be floppy.

I would agree here. I would not think that the expected lifespan of the nylon "push pins" would be very high given the nature of and use seen by AR's in Multi-Gun. Button head cap screws and threaded retainers, e.g. nuts, nutserts, tapped holes, would be a much more solid method of mounting. YMMV.

Edited January 18, 2011 by Firetoad

[Graham Smith]

Seems it would be floppy.

Not in the least. The tube is just a little loose in fit, but a little piece of tape on the barrel nut first makes it very snug. As for the nylon pins, they fit quite tight and with three of them you are never going to generate enough sheer force to dislodge or break them.

Like I said, I may have made a mistake here, but it has worked so far and the gun has been through three days of training with me without so much as a wiggle.

If I have any complaints about the carbon fiber tubes, it's that they get hot to the touch in the sun and are slick when your hands are sweating. For those two reasons alone, I'm thinking about replacing it.