Announcing the Howard Sprocket Mount!

[fatdaddy]

That's too bad, The mount is a great one, sorry it didn't work. The Sarge did give a list of the bikes it would fit. I'm sure there are others it will also fit but I haven't tried every bike in the world yet. (workin on it.) Was your Schwinn a coaster hub?
It does fer sure fit the Schwinn, Huffy, La Jolla and Worksman 26" coaster brake hubs. The Sarge started out with a Huffy so that's the size he made first. If things go well I'm sure he'll check into making other sizes later.
fatdaddy.

 

[happycheapskate]

Edit: These photos are of a KT Hi stop hub with the unmodified howard blocks, tightened down. It has the 12g spokes.

Sorry for slow internet. I had to persuade the blocks down between the spokes with a mallet, not too terribly, and it fits. I think with any KT hi stop hub and standard mtn bike spokes, it should be alright, could press in with fingers, or loosen 1 side of the wheel spokes and drop it in.

http://sadpanda.us/images/906251-ZOFOS0E.jpg[/img

[img]http://sadpanda.us/images/906253-2VY1KRM.jpg
http://sadpanda.us/images/906253-2VY1KRM.jpg[/img

The Schwinn I tried it on for grins, was a 7 speed freewheel hub on a Schwinn Avenue hybrid. It fit between the flanges, no problem with the spokes, and the 9 holes cleared the flange, but the center hole is way bigger than the hub barrel

 

[fatdaddy]

Good deal Happy, I don't think a tight fit will hurt anything. And now we also know it will fit the KT High Stop hub, even if it is a little tight.
fatdaddy.

 

[Sgt. Howard]

Wow... I must admit, THAT was impressive. There have been a few others who had difficulty fitting it between the spokes on a Schwinn... it is within my capacity to shave off the 'dead side' by up to 1/8" to accomodate Schwinn hubs, I will admit I misscalculated that dimention. Future customers- please LMK if you are running a Schwinn so that I can modify the mount. Might even have to do a 'Schwinn Run' on these things...
Expect my website this Summer, complete with feedback and more products.
the Old Sgt.

 

[happycheapskate]

Howard PM'ed me, saying to please return the part with measurements on some hub dimensions, and he would machine it narrower. He offered to pay the shipping, too.

I am pleased with that. I like this part and once we get one installed, we will know if the 1st design needs any tweaks (hub hole size, width, etc).

I am uploading photos in 5 minutes.

I highly recommend ditching the chinese bolts (poop! 1 broke!) and getting some ferrous (black, steel/iron metric bolts) hardware. You will need extra-long bolts, proper washers, and nuts. You should spin the nuts and washers up the bolts, assemble the 3 blocks and center them, loosen the spokes on the cog side till they are almost unthreaded (if necessary) and install the spacers, bolts with washer & nuts.
Thread the bolts down into the 3 blocks, all the way, and threadlock them if you want with blue. You will need washers to account for the thickness of the cog, and for 2mm extra. Then snug down and tighten the nuts, and hacksaw off the excess. If you want, you can grind them after removing the nuts and finally installing the cog and locking it down. It will take a while!

 

[happycheapskate]

7

6

5

4

3

Note. It appears the block needs to rotate a little, but it is centered. The spokes are loosened almost to unthreading. When they were tight, they did not allow the spacers to be pushed in. The wheel will have to be tensioned and re-dished, but the hub will be driven by the block, not the spacers, so all spokes will be affected.

 

[happycheapskate]

If your hub is wider than this, installation should be bolt on and go, with a little allowance for chainline correction by moving the cog left or right. If you have the wide guage spokes, you might have to do some truing stand work, to get the spokes loose and let the spacers in.

EDIT: I've heard that this part is aluminum, and might get torqued! I wouldn't trust it then. If the torque arm or strap fails on a coaster, the bike will pedal you!
Here is the rare and splendid, only $10 coaster brake arm spacer from Spooky Tooth cycles. Call and make sure they have it before you order.

On my KT HS hub, the coaster brake arm didn't clear the bolt heads (where the arm mounts to axle cone) I used to have the cog touching the wheel, and it barely cleared the bolt heads.

You can do a freecoaster conversion for $2 worth of washers, maybe a spring, and your time, if you want to use a rim brake (be sure your wheel is dished perfectly!)
http://www.vintagebmx.com/community/lofiversion/index.php/t1021858.html

I'm going to try this out on mine, since the frame can take an old caliper brake I've got, and the coaster brake is annoying me on the MB when cruising.

 

[happycheapskate]

Ok, Howard has talked with me on the phone. He says the china bolts are grade1, and US stores sell 5 to 8. So I have to get some bolts.

I will post more photos here when I get the clam shell back and installed. I'm excited that some new parts are available, since the kits only come with those rag joints, and I don't trust them.

That's a good idea to make a stock of clam shells to fit Schwinns. If you make it just narrow enough to work well on the Schwinns, why not just do all of them for the Schwinn and Walmart/Shimano hubs that same width too? That should make things lots easier.

 

[happycheapskate]

With the spokes still completely laced, and threaded into the nipples, but loose, the 3 blocks slipped right on there easy as putting a magnet on the fridge. , and could be pushed around the hub with no snags or dragging on any spokes or spoke heads. So I'd say it fits, but it's a tight fit.

Howard mentioned he might go to 1/4" coarse bolts for the 9 holes. That ought to do well, for the buyer, since good 1/4" hardware is common and cheap.

It wouldn't hurt at all though if the blocks were 3/16 or 4/16 narrower. This could be achieved by using hex-cap (allen) bolts and making the two holes in each block closer together, and the overall part narrower. I think it would look a lot better too. Then it should easily fit Schwinns and KT hubs as any other with the same diameter hub. Hope this helps.

Good deal Happy, I don't think a tight fit will hurt anything. And now we also know it will fit the KT High Stop hub, even if it is a little tight.
fatdaddy.

 

[fatdaddy]

I've been waiting for a while for Spooky Tooth to get in the coaster brake extender. I kinda gave up on it.
Shaving a "little" off the sides wont hurt the mount one bit. Perhaps the Old Sarge could do it on all of them before he ships them out. It wont hurt on anything it already fits and may help it fit more bikes.
fatdaddy.

 

[happycheapskate]

Did any other people using this have to loosen their spokes to get the spacers in there? I'm not looking forward to having to re tension the wheel when the cog wears out.

 

[happycheapskate]

I got the Howard Sprocket Mount back today. Thanks! It has been narrowed down as much as possible and looks nice. I will re-install it probably this week, and we'll see how it does. I'll send some pictures.

I'm working on installing the 2 handlebar water bottle cages, too, and the 2 steel-can fuel tanks. I am looking forward to taking off the trash-can tank!

With those 2 done, I will look forward to riding this bike almost as much as my favorite, the tanaka friction drive bike.

 

[Jason A]

This has probably been asked before, but will this adapter work on the Mircargi Mustang GTS? I have the stock rims..the ones with a million spokes! I just got mine up and running but would like to have a good adapter without switching out my rims.
Thanks

 

[fatdaddy]

Don't know the dimensions on the Mircargi hub. The center hole dimension on the Howard Hub is 1.523".
Big Red.

 

[MotorBicycleRacing]

This has probably been asked before, but will this adapter work on the Mircargi Mustang GTS? I have the stock rims..the ones with a million spokes! I just got mine up and running but would like to have a good adapter without switching out my rims.
Thanks

The hub on the "million spoked" wheels have a wide flange that can
be drilled to attach the sprocket directly.

 

[fatdaddy]

The hub on the "million spoked" wheels have a wide flange that can
be drilled to attach the sprocket directly.[/QUOTE

If so, Thats the way to go. SOLID.
Big Red.

 

[rustycase]

Is there a list of what it will fit on the SgtHoward website?
Is there a SgtHoward website?
Will it fit a Schwinn Southport?
Has all the office stuff been sorted out, and the flat rate shipping stuff?
Tnx
rc

yes, I hate ragjoints, and I'm here to stay.
the rag has GOT to go!



.

 

[fatdaddy]

Is there a list of what it will fit on the SgtHoward website?
Is there a SgtHoward website?
Will it fit a Schwinn Southport?
Has all the office stuff been sorted out, and the flat rate shipping stuff?
Tnx
rc

yes, I hate ragjoints, and I'm here to stay.
the rag has GOT to go!



.

I'm not positive but I think the Sarge may be away from his keyboard for a few day's. Something about trying to jump his bike over ten buses through a ring-O-fire. Till he gets back I'll do the best I can for ya.
So far no website.
Will it fit a Southport? I just looked up the Southport and it's a seven speed hub so you would have to measure your hub to know for sure. The Howard hub adapter fits the Schwinn 26" coaster brake hub. The inner hole demension is 1.523". I'll get back to you on the width. I just sold my last one so I'll have to get that info direct from the Sarge.
I think he has a flat rate he charges if it's nothing special for shipping. ( i.e. overnight, express, ect.)
The Sarge is probably busy reparking those ten buses and putting out the ring-O-fire, but give him a few day's and I'm sure he'll have better answers for you. And yer right, That rag joint's gotta go.
fatdaddy.
Fit's the 24 & 26" Huffy W/CBH, 24 &26" Schwinn W/CBH, 26" Worksman and 26" La Jolla Monospeeds. I also just installed one on a No Name, from china, 26" coaster brake wheel, So it's gonna fit a lot of bikes that we just don't know about yet.

 

[Hoze513]

I wish they make them for 32 spokes. And make a custom size.

 

[fatdaddy]

I wish they make them for 32 spokes. And make a custom size.

The Sarge is checking into what it would take for his CNC guy to make different sizes on a run of hubs. I think they are still working out the details. We'll see what the future holds.
Isn't a 32 spoke wheel a standard spoke pattern? Measure your hub, and if it measures 1.523" then yer good for a Howard mount.
fatdaddy.

 

[happycheapskate]

How will you mount a 9 hole cog on a 32 spoke wheel?