Thank you for the heads up. Do you think I'd be alright if I ran the shocks partially compressed with limiting straps so they can never fully extend? I come from a desert racing background and that is common practice since most shocks, (even expensive American and German made ones) should never fully extend or compress.
Another B.T.R. Build.......
- Thread starter JohnThomas Sorrels
- Start date
Thank you for the heads up. Do you think I'd be alright if I ran the shocks partially compressed with limiting straps so they can never fully extend? I come from a desert racing background and that is common practice since most shocks, (even expensive American and German made ones) should never fully extend or compress.
The question is if you want to keep the look you have right now,
or if you want a good working front suspension!!??
Here is the second problem:
Your front axle is moving forward in a much higher rate then is is moving
upward (just looking at the video)!!
Now in static testing you seem to have a suspension......
but you will find out when you test in real riding conditions,
the wheel does not want to go forward (a lot) and up to roll over a bump!
It will stay against the stop....rigid!
The Schwinn front fork, aside from being a sad excuse of a front suspension
for this very reason, has a additional spring to get compressed when the
fork is moving back! So there is not hard stop either way!
Here is one way to solve the problem:
Looking at your pics, it seems you have A LOT of trail!
You could convert this fork with ease to a leading link suspension!
make two short (4 -5 inches arms which pivot on the "now axle" point of your fork(arms facing forward, small bearings), make holes for the axle in the two arms and attach your shocks between the arm and fork tube left and right! (distance between pivot point of arm and shock decides hardness..!)
Set your trail to between 4.5 and 5.5 inches and weld an "upper tipple tree"
in! Done!
Unloading brake force to the fork tube with a "same length link" to the
brake anchor should be no problem!
Hope it makes sense...??
or if you want a good working front suspension!!??
Here is the second problem:
Your front axle is moving forward in a much higher rate then is is moving
upward (just looking at the video)!!
Now in static testing you seem to have a suspension......
but you will find out when you test in real riding conditions,
the wheel does not want to go forward (a lot) and up to roll over a bump!
It will stay against the stop....rigid!
The Schwinn front fork, aside from being a sad excuse of a front suspension
for this very reason, has a additional spring to get compressed when the
fork is moving back! So there is not hard stop either way!
Here is one way to solve the problem:
Looking at your pics, it seems you have A LOT of trail!
You could convert this fork with ease to a leading link suspension!
make two short (4 -5 inches arms which pivot on the "now axle" point of your fork(arms facing forward, small bearings), make holes for the axle in the two arms and attach your shocks between the arm and fork tube left and right! (distance between pivot point of arm and shock decides hardness..!)
Set your trail to between 4.5 and 5.5 inches and weld an "upper tipple tree"
in! Done!
Unloading brake force to the fork tube with a "same length link" to the
brake anchor should be no problem!
Hope it makes sense...??
Alright, thanks for the advice. I'm going to finish up other things first and think about how I want to redo it, I may just make it rigid or probably completely redo it with a leading link, girder, or other type. I've sort of been wanting to shorten the head tube anyway.
Also, while I've got your attention, would you trash these shocks all together? Or if one was incorporated into a properly designed girder fork do you think it'd be all right?
For John Thomas Sorrels - congratulations for your work on the motor bike. Very nice, very inspiring and I like it. I'd also realized such construction. Can I contact you for advice on the particular geometry of the frame and details concerning the construction?
Have a nice day and greetings from the Czech Republic.
Have a nice day and greetings from the Czech Republic.
Sure, although most of my plans and details on the build are already in this thread.
At this point we do not see us using the shocks!
Questionable construction with NO dampening! Pogo-stick for midgets??!
Girder fork has one major disadvantage:
Because you have 4 bearings or bushings for the links at the
steering-head level, any play in them will be multiplied XXXXX-times
to the tire contact patch! ( The only good thing this fork has, is the
direction of travel! )
That "loose feeling" of the Grider was the main reason that the Springer-fork did so much better! Being a short link, play of bearings is a minor concern!
Springer forks can be leading or trailing link.
From the standpoint of the best handling "old-style" front suspension,
short leading link will win! Trailing link is second! Girder and "Schwinn" are
not even on the same page!
Whatever you build, make sure you have a dampener and travel stops
in case of a failing spring / shock !
Pic shows our leading link front fork we use for years now on our bikes!
Attachments
I've been slowly working on the tank and drivetrain, I also took Bigboys' advice and changed the front end. Here's a little teaser for now...
