lcrken
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If they are Morris (aluminum or magnesium), there will be a Morris logo cast in the rim, shown below
Ken
Replacing Front End
- Thread starter davamb
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If they are Morris (aluminum or magnesium), there will be a Morris logo cast in the rim, shown below
Ken
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- Nov 11, 2008
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lcrken said:
Thanks Ken, yeah, can't see anything like that, so chuck that one out the window. Don't care, I like 'em and built the bike's "look" around them. Will need another lick of paint real soon, they're looking pretty tatty.
Anyways, I eventually gave in to Swoosh's suggestion and forked out my tax return, went without food for a month or so and bought the Andover front end complete. A burger or two over $2k Aussie landed. Great service from the guys at Andover. Just a tad miffed at the courier charging me $20 to collect the GST, but still and all a very good deal and I'm happy.
The interim has been spent integrating my old wheels - making spacers and redoing the crappy DPO's brake effort with something that I hope is a bit better engineered and effective.
Here's how I went about setting the caliper location:
Took 3 attempts with some MDF to fine-tune, but infinitely easier than doing 3 runs with aluminium plate!
The end result. Needs a run to scrub off that surface rust! Seems to work ok up and down the driveway, but without the forks being setup, it's a meaningless dive fest.
Brake lever and master cylinder sourced locally on the interwebz for around $25. This is low-profile and allows the clip-ons to be positioned at the top of the fork. Not yet sure if it moves enough fluid to be properly effective. One step at a time. At least it comes with a pressure switch, the old (Suzuki) master cylinder used a mechanical switch which was a bitch to set up. I've still got to shim out the clip-ons as the old forks were 35mm. Got some stainless shim from old solder paste stencils kicking around somewhere, will dig that out.
Main job that remains is setting up the forks, not sure how this all goes together: the rod that engages with the cap and sets the cap screw height. I've parted-off some pipe to make (approx 5mm) spacers if these are essential to replace the instrument brackets.
If anyone can point me to a fork setup or rebuild guide, I'd appreciate it.
Might be back on the road tomorrow!
Fast Eddie
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Dave, very nice caliper adapter plates you’ve made there sir.
IMHO that still seems like a lot to fork out only to have standard internals. But so long as you're chuffed with ‘em that’s what counts !
IMHO that still seems like a lot to fork out only to have standard internals. But so long as you're chuffed with ‘em that’s what counts !
xbacksideslider
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As for the brake, maybe keep the Lockheed but increase disc diameter and rework the caliper bracket to allow for the new larger disc?
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Cheers guys,
yeah, look there was a big range of options to consider, most of them pretty damned expensive. I did not have any joy with cartridges (and would still have the brake problem to address) and some of the alternative forks were pretty steep when delivery also included.
Swoosh's suggestion of the complete Andover front end just seemed the best compromise when all was said and done. It was a guaranteed-to-work solution. And I can always fit updated internals should I ever have more than 10c to my name again or feel the need. Time will tell.
The Lockheed caliper was a piece of rubbish John - it was always on the cards to be dumped. It wasn't a great performer. I was always planning my braking in another postcode. Hopefully this 4-pot will do the job. Also have my eyes on some Grimeca copies that look the part, but again, money is the key point there.
Not sure what the issue is with cast iron discs Al, is this only in the white heat of track racing or do you suggest I toss away the discs off my Pantah as a safety precaution?
In the meantime...
Front end up and functional over the weekend.
Spacers made up in titanium from a test billet brother Luke grabbed from work (he's an engineer at a certain aviation concern - they go through a LOT of titanium).
Forks filled and setup ok, feels a lot better than the old feckers.
Fasteners all changed to high-tensile. Will swap over to cap screws if and when I can locate some.
Spacers made to replace the instrument mounts from parted-off pipe. (My brother has left his lathe at my place while his man cave gets built. Sorry, I meant "our" lathe!)
Shimmed-out the clip-ons last night from a stainless solder stencil off-cut (old forks 35mm). Checked all fasteners were tight. Refitted the mirrors and front mud guard and adjusted the brake pipe so it doesn't foul on lock.
I'll try another bleed tonight as I'm still not happy with the lever, I can almost pull it to the grip. Might operate fine, won't know until on the road.
Also need to wire up the brake light circuit to the master cylinder switch. Should be an easy job that one.
Then I really can't see anything stopping me from a test ride.
Also got given a Dave Taylor headsteady for my last b'day. Must fit that sometime soon...
Oh and no sign of any "M" cast into the wheel rims. Meh...
yeah, look there was a big range of options to consider, most of them pretty damned expensive. I did not have any joy with cartridges (and would still have the brake problem to address) and some of the alternative forks were pretty steep when delivery also included.
Swoosh's suggestion of the complete Andover front end just seemed the best compromise when all was said and done. It was a guaranteed-to-work solution. And I can always fit updated internals should I ever have more than 10c to my name again or feel the need. Time will tell.
The Lockheed caliper was a piece of rubbish John - it was always on the cards to be dumped. It wasn't a great performer. I was always planning my braking in another postcode. Hopefully this 4-pot will do the job. Also have my eyes on some Grimeca copies that look the part, but again, money is the key point there.
Not sure what the issue is with cast iron discs Al, is this only in the white heat of track racing or do you suggest I toss away the discs off my Pantah as a safety precaution?
In the meantime...
Front end up and functional over the weekend.
Spacers made up in titanium from a test billet brother Luke grabbed from work (he's an engineer at a certain aviation concern - they go through a LOT of titanium).
Forks filled and setup ok, feels a lot better than the old feckers.
Fasteners all changed to high-tensile. Will swap over to cap screws if and when I can locate some.
Spacers made to replace the instrument mounts from parted-off pipe. (My brother has left his lathe at my place while his man cave gets built. Sorry, I meant "our" lathe!)
Shimmed-out the clip-ons last night from a stainless solder stencil off-cut (old forks 35mm). Checked all fasteners were tight. Refitted the mirrors and front mud guard and adjusted the brake pipe so it doesn't foul on lock.
I'll try another bleed tonight as I'm still not happy with the lever, I can almost pull it to the grip. Might operate fine, won't know until on the road.
Also need to wire up the brake light circuit to the master cylinder switch. Should be an easy job that one.
Then I really can't see anything stopping me from a test ride.
Also got given a Dave Taylor headsteady for my last b'day. Must fit that sometime soon...
Oh and no sign of any "M" cast into the wheel rims. Meh...
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- Nov 11, 2008
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- 834
Just back from my first test ride and guess wot? I'm still alive!
Nothing fell off and nothing broke. I'll now go over every nut and bolt and check and re-tension.
Front end just soooooo much better. You would not believe how much stiction the old rubbish had. Maybe the rechrome didn't end up at the original diameter or something. Don't really matter now. Seems the spring rate is a bit stiffer too, so much less dive - which, when the stiction was included, made for not a very pleasant experience! Something you always had to ride around.
And as for the brake. Well. Another mega winner. Took a handful of hard stoppies to start to get things bedded-in, but after about 20 or so hard pull-ups, it's starting to stop quite nicely. Not up to any of my twin-disc moderns of course, but orders of magnitude better than the old shitter.
Check out the contact patch:
No big deal you say, but y'see, the old caliper overlapped the side of the disc as it was designed for a different rotor diameter, but this is right on the money.
Still able to pull the lever almost to the grip so not sure if the master cylinder bore is too small or there's still air in the system. Doesn't appear to "pump-up" so I'm thinking the former.
More fettling and reckon she might be up for run around the hills before the weekend's out.
Nothing fell off and nothing broke. I'll now go over every nut and bolt and check and re-tension.
Front end just soooooo much better. You would not believe how much stiction the old rubbish had. Maybe the rechrome didn't end up at the original diameter or something. Don't really matter now. Seems the spring rate is a bit stiffer too, so much less dive - which, when the stiction was included, made for not a very pleasant experience! Something you always had to ride around.
And as for the brake. Well. Another mega winner. Took a handful of hard stoppies to start to get things bedded-in, but after about 20 or so hard pull-ups, it's starting to stop quite nicely. Not up to any of my twin-disc moderns of course, but orders of magnitude better than the old shitter.
Check out the contact patch:
No big deal you say, but y'see, the old caliper overlapped the side of the disc as it was designed for a different rotor diameter, but this is right on the money.
Still able to pull the lever almost to the grip so not sure if the master cylinder bore is too small or there's still air in the system. Doesn't appear to "pump-up" so I'm thinking the former.
More fettling and reckon she might be up for run around the hills before the weekend's out.
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