INSTALLED : Top Hat Adapter on Wheel

[Andyinchville1]

Hi All,

I finally got a little time today and decided to get the Top Hat Adapter put onto a disc brake wheel to show you what it looks like installed....NOTE: I only had 2 old bolts here at the shop so that is why the sprocket is held onto the Top Hat Adapter with only 2 nuts and bolts instead of 9...The sprocket in the pic is a 34T Race Series Adapter Sprocket (race series means bevel machined off to save weight, adapter sprocket means center hole is 2.15 inches in diameter).

Hope this clears up some questions as to what the install looks like....

NOTES: Recommend using 1/2" bolts with thin heads and thin nuts for better clearance (can file or grind standard parts if needed)....Recommend slightly longer M5 bolts to mount the entire assembly to the disc hub...Use washers (or special disc rotor spacers available at bike shops) to center rotor in relocated disc caliper...Can use old 9 hole metal mounts (HD 9 hole mounts only not standard 9 hole mounts (6MM bolts) or washers to space sprocket closer to spokes if needed.... The Top Hat Adapter in the picture has additional lightening holes machined....I was just seeing how difficult it was to lose a little weight off the part....I may redesign the lightening holes on the sprockets to be used with the adapters so the circles won't be "cut off" or covered by the Top Hat itself....May make the cutouts "sausage shaped" with the cutouts....just cosmetics mainly....

I'll try tinkering with the spacing and caliper relocation when I get a chance....(The area between the disc rotor and sprocket needs to have enough clearance for caliper to fit in....also add a little clearance for the chain...) but this should show you how the Top Hat
Adapter works

Andrew

[jf30cp]

bad ass...bad ass!

[Radmanfly]

Someone should put together a list of what parts are needed to add disc brakes to different bikes, front and rear, and provide a variety of kits that cover all variations. Is anyone out there doing that yet, or are there just too many applications to make this practical?

[lennyharp]

Andrew,

I like the design and will need one soon as the bugs are worked out. That should make for a strong wheel, and good stopping.

[luke duke]

Nice work dont know how to transfer my post from the pics area but was just having this discussion with Andy. I have made a similar adapter to Andy's so I can trial a variation of different sized mountain bike sprockets. The main reason was to get clearance to run a rear disc brake.
You will need a 203mm rear disc rotor and a 40 tooth or smaller sprocket to get the clearance. You can buy calaper adapters to shift the 160mm mount out to the 203mm.
Hope this helps!

[Andyinchville1]

Top Hat Adapters Are now available.....Look at our eBay listings for additional information.

Thanks!

Andrew

[MyPC8MyBrain]

If the adapter fits under the brake rotor, wouldn't it move the brake rotor out towards the chain stay by the thickness of the mount ?

It seems like it would not align to the frame caliper mounts if you do that.

I think it's an awesome idea for mounting the sprocket.

[luke duke]

I have a shimano spline mount rotor and there is enough clearance on the spocket side to mount an adapter easily. It was the caliper that has to be clear of the chain that i had issues with, hence the need for 203mm rotor and smaller than 40 tooth sprocket.

[Andyinchville1]

HI,

Yes, the Top Hat Adapter will move the rotor out approximately 1/8"....since there are lots of different frame / hub / caliper / rotor combinations, the end user will have to work with the final spacings of everything (sprocket to spoke distance and rotor to side frame distance)...

The method of varying the spacings can be done by choosing between the
two Top Hat Adapters (1/8" offset or 1/4" offset for the sprocket) and the series of sprocket chosen (standard disc hub adapter sprocket has about 1/8" to 3/16" offset or the race series has zero offset)....To further space the sprocket if needed one can reuse the steel 9 hole mounts and/or use washers of varying thicknesses.

Ultimately, enough space must be made between the disc rotor and the sprocket for the caliper to fit in between (Don't forget to add an allowance for chain clearance)...

The caliper mount and or frame mounts may need to be altered (filed or ground) to properly mount the caliper....

An alternative, as mentioned earlier, would be to purchase a larger rotor and caliper mount to raise the caliper above the sprocket/chain (this would be easy to do since most people go smaller on the sprocket rather than larger thus reducing the possibility of caliper interference....The only thing to be aware of here is the fact that as one gets larger with the rotor some frames with close wheel stays may have to be "modified" a bit for the rotor not to hit the frame....Can be as inelegant as a ball peen hammer to "dimple" for clearance....

Hope this helps you...

Andrew