Sunday, September 18, 2011

the anatomy of a fork

So I'd scored a set of mutt forks from HamBone to mix with a set of mutt forks I already had and wow is this getting complicated. You'd better sit down for this one cuz it's about to get confusing.
The goal: to run a '69-'72 front drum wheel on a set of adjustable rake trees.

My forks: I've got a set of older-than-'69 lowers, 4" over 41mm tubes, and a set of generic triple trees.
Issue: the lowers are set up to run the drum on the left an my wheel is set up to be on the right.

New forks: 1980 FLH dual disk lowers, stock length 41mm tubes, adjustable rake triple trees.
Issue: I was planning to just shave the disk brake mounts off these lowers and use a muffler strap to anchor the drum brake to the lowers. However, the lowers are not compatible with the axle from the drum wheel I want to run.

So...I thought well at least I can use the old lowers I had by flipping the left side to the right to hook-up the drum brake. I can't shave the fender mounts off because the lowers have been chromed, but at least it would function for now. Except...the internal components of these forks are completely different, observed below.


fig.1- Old set of forks


fig.2 - Forks from Lee

So...I either need to find an obscure set of lowers that both accept a star hub and drum brake for right side hook-up and will accept tubes with the same deep threading to accept the adjustable triple caps (not frickin' likely)...or...I can give up on the adjustable rake option and get new right side drum set of lowers and stock length tubes (that's a lot of new parts I need)...or...I can give up on the drum dream and just run the dual disk wheel on the complete set-up I got from Lee (just need disks, calipers and MC). Phew! Custom mutt building is tiring.

1 comment:

  1. dude! you do that shit for fun. if it stops being fun don't force it. yer prolly gonna keep that shovel for ever... or at least till you can justify a pan. would you run the dual disk setup with like one disk? thats still got style and if your rear disk isnt that shit hot, could a little extra stopping power mean unacceptable aesthetics? KEEP-THE-RAKE! KEEP-THE-RAKE!

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