Need help with parts

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I just got a fork I kind of like, no disc tab though. Not sure what it's made of either, but could have a tab welded; or could just use caliper brakes.
 
the welds hold, they fail about 3 inches below the bottom of the steer tube.
 
I just got a set of low rise silver Turner Motocross bars from Motosport for $11.77. They must be a discontinued item as Turners are usually in the $50 price range. They have them in silver and black and in various rises. The cross bar is narrow so you don't have to spread your forged steel or alloy stem very much to get them on. For those who don't know the trick, slide your gooseneck on the bar end and turn it so you can use a pry bar to just open it enough to fit over the small cross brace. If you use a forged steel one it will probably go right back, forged alloy needs to be squeezed back a little. They also come with a padded bash guard. You need a Problem Solver shim so they will fit a bicycle stem. I have used similar bars before and cut them down so they were't so wide. I got them in about 3 days from Motosport so I was happy. The ATV bars have a higher rise. Something to think about if you want the classic Klunker hybrid look.
IMG_1186.JPG
 
Last edited:
I have a set of bars from a diamondback joker, if I decide to go with motocross bars I can get them from u part it for next to nothing.
 
Falstaff said:
I have a set of bars from a diamondback joker, if I decide to go with motocross bars I can get them from u part it for next to nothing.
Click to expand...

Old motocross bars are hard to come by here. I always end out buying them and the inexpensive ones seem to be on back order or sold out. In the past I have had to wait months for restocking before I got them. Old chrome ones would be super sweet. I am not sure what I will put these bars on, perhaps the Schwinn DX I pictured above? The DX has a blown Bendix Manual 2 Speed and I have others but they are weak with poor brakes anyway. I have an old Sachs drum brake 3 speed internal geared hub that I just finished finding all the parts for. I collected several old ones for all the parts. It has new guts. They are reputed to be a little tougher than other internal geared hubs so my next step is to build a wheel using my old classic Araya god awful anodized blue rims. I might put these on the DX or build another klunker. I have an old rear drum brake that I put a 6 speed Mega Range on years ago and it is sitting in a parts box. I should use that for a klunker but I can't decide what to do, dah, so many decisions. I could also just go single speed as I already have a wheel with a Shimano E110. Klunker fever is bad.
 
If you use a stem for a BMX bike there is no need to shim for the motocross bar as they are the same diameter at the stem clamp, think 22.2mm. I like to use an older quill style 4 bolt top load stem for the best looks.
 
squirreldh said:
If you use a stem for a BMX bike there is no need to shim for the motocross bar as they are the same diameter at the stem clamp, think 22.2mm. I like to use an older quill style 4 bolt top load stem for the best looks.
Click to expand...

I don't like the look of BMX stems. I usually give or throw them away. I have two now, one with a 4 bolt top and one Y shaped. The 4 bolt is going into my scrap trailer. I might use the Y shaped one but I really am not liking the look. The Y came from an early 80s mountain bike that was beyond repair. I like the old forged Steel Schwinn ones. Tough and the spreading is easier than with alloy. I didn't think the shim would hold up but I have been using it about 4 years and the bars have not moved, which has surprised and impressed me. I wonder if the original Klunker guys had access to Y shaped stems? If they did I would consider using it.
 
When I got my higgins it had a Y shaped stem with a 22.2 bar and a total of 4 bolts for the bar clamp. I got rid of it because I didnt like the way it looked. Kind of regret that now. I always wondered what it came off of, maybe an old moped? Not sure. As far as bmx stems i prefer the older tuf-neck stlye quill stems from the 80s, like the ones from the king sting for example. The newer threadless ones tend to be chunky and blocky, so I agree they dont look so good on a klunker or rat build.

Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk
 
Bicycle808 said:
lmk if anyone wants to sell me their old slingshot (Y-shaped) stems for cheap....
Click to expand...
This discussion got me thinking and I now plan to try my slingshot with the Turner bars. I have tossed out slingshots in the past but now I will keep any I get to pass along. If I decided I don't like them I will offer them up. I just thought they were funky junk that didn't really work until something better came along and not really old enough to be desirable yet. In the 80s I gave up on bikes and gave all my bikes, tools and parts away when i moved 200 miles west. I had an old Cyclo Cross bike from the 70s I sold for $15 and now I really miss it. I wish I had that stuff. I see stuff I had on eBay and it is expensive. I only have two sets of Mafac brakes now, one canti and one RACER. I tossed out many sets of these back in the 70s and 80s so it doesn't take long for stuff to get desirable. I tossed out uncountable numbers of TA and Stronglite, Sugino and other old cool square taper cranks. Now I only have one old Sugino Maxy. I suppose the same will come true for all the BioPace cranks I recently tossed. The new stuff is so much better. I used to visit the bike shops after hours and pick through their dumpsters and got a lot of hubs, cranks pedals and other stuff. I always found a good part for what was missing or screwed up. I used to make knives using the alloy from these old crank arms for the top of the handle. I used the tossed out junk from the bike shops for this. I would cut them off and file them. I would thread the tang and bolt it with a crank bolt and use the dust cap. I may have a few of these knives still floating around in my junk. I haven't thought about them in 25 years. I should see if I can find them, if I still have them, and post a picture.
 
Yeah, prices on biopace rings in good shape are already rising. They used to be considered the first thing you swap out, if you bought an 80s bike equipped with them.

I try not to think about all the stuff i've given away, scrapped, or trashed BITD that's worth, if not a fortune, at least a good chunk of change now.....
 
This is a great thread about Klunker stuff!
Interested in Mission Transit cranks, These cranks are a Tubular Chromoly with a 19 mm 8 spline spindle and bolts included. They say need 19 mm bearings Question will a BMX MID School 19 mm Bottom Bracket (spacers and bearings) interchange with american OPC for Klunker use?
 
Someone needs to make a fat-tire fork with disc (post) mount tabs in a 1" threaded steerer format. I cannot find one in any material, and don't think I will. Since we mostly RAT 1" steerer tube frames (most all old American-made 26-29ers), it becomes a problem if you want disc brakes up front. Disk brake adapters are an afterthought for old forks and frames and look a bit coddled together.
I have a 20's Hawthorne straightbar I am building up with a short head tube, and will be custom-welding disc post tabs on the left leg of an old 26" springer I plan to use. The long, threaded 1" steer tube on the fork will run a standard 1" threaded headset, and then I hope to clamp a threadless 1-1/8" stem above the top headset nut by using an thin adapter that slips over the exposed 1" threaded tube, converting it to 1-1/8" compatible stem. Then you would have a variety of threadless stems which are widely available in diff. lengths and rises.
I think if someone made a 1" threaded steer tube fat-tire fork with post-style disc brake caliper mounts, MANY would be sold. You could then have the option to run either a 1" quill stem or a 1-1/8" threadless stem with the sleeve adapter. Hope is eternal..
 
Last edited:
horsefarmer said:
This is a great thread about Klunker stuff!
Interested in Mission Transit cranks, These cranks are a Tubular Chromoly with a 19 mm 8 spline spindle and bolts included. They say need 19 mm bearings Question will a BMX MID School 19 mm Bottom Bracket (spacers and bearings) interchange with american OPC for Klunker use?
Click to expand...

Short answer: Just buy a bmx-type BB set for 19mm spindles and "American" BB shell. http://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...alie-bottom-bracket-19mm-sealed-bearing-black (I used this one with Redline Flight cranks for a Chicago Schwinn)

Slightly longer answer: you might notice that a lot of these BB sets, including the one I linked to above, say they work for both Mid and American shells. Basically, when you get an American set, you get the bearings, tube spacer, and axle spacers required for a Mid BB shell, plus 2 big-ol cups to press into the American BB shell, to accommodate the mid-spec hardware. Basically, a "mid" BB is a BB machined to fit everything in the original American-szed BB sets, but without needing the cups. So, if you messed up and bought a mid-only BB set, you could solve the problem by buying some American-to-mid cups. But, if you haven't ordered yet, don't do all that. Just buy an American-size BB for 19mm spindle....between that and the Mission cranks, all you'll need is the front sprocket and some 9/16" pedals, and you're ready to rock.

I went into this in-depth a while back; here's a link to the thread.... HTH!
-Rob
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/3-piece-crankset-on-cruiser-frame.86047/
 
SILVERKINGPC said:
Someone needs to make a fat-tire fork with disc (post) mount tabs in a 1" threaded steerer format. I cannot find one in any material, and don't think I will. Since we mostly RAT 1" steerer tube frames (most all old American-made 26-29ers), it becomes a problem if you want disc brakes up front. Disk brake adapters are an afterthought for old forks and frames and look a bit coddled together.
I have a 20's Hawthorne straightbar I am building up with a short head tube, and will be custom-welding disc post tabs on the left leg of an old 26" springer I plan to use. The long, threaded 1" steer tube on the fork will run a standard 1" threaded headset, and then I hope to clamp a threadless 1-1/8" stem above the top headset nut by using an thin adapter that slips over the exposed 1" threaded tube, converting it to 1-1/8" compatible stem. Then you would have a variety of threadless stems which are widely available in diff. lengths and rises.
I think if someone made a 1" threaded steer tube fat-tire fork with post-style disc brake caliper mounts, MANY would be sold. You could then have the option to run either a 1" quill stem or a 1-1/8" threadless stem with the sleeve adapter. Hope is eternal..
Click to expand...

Hmmm. There are far better ways to achieve the same ends. Easiest way, IMO, would be this:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/in...-headsets-machined-for-your-old-frame.102791/
And this:
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/surly-moonlander-fork-135mm-non-offset-black

@chattymatty will machine the cups down to whatever your frame needs. If you have the oem cups, measure the OD of those (with a calipers) at the skirts and send him those specs, and he'll duplicate it. If you don't have the oem cups, measure the headtube's ID with calipers, and send him those specs. He'll turn the cups down to a size equal to 0.1mm over the ID. On a century-old frame, measure top and bottom (as they may now be different from one another due to stretching) and turn the calipers 360degrees, to see if the tube has been ovalized (in which case, you might wanna reconsider the entire project.) That fork will let you run your 1.125" threadless stem (in fac, you'll pretty much have to run that) and you'll just need to make sure you lace the front wheel with a read disc SS hub. Surly used to make a 100mm-spaced Pug fork, but no one seems to have'm and i'm not sure if they plan to make'm anymore, as the 135front makes more sense with fatties...)

If a manufacturer made 1" threaded disc forks, they'd need to make'm in multiple lengths for varying headtubes, and discs with threaded often leads to the headsets loosening after most any hard ride. (Chris King 2Nut headsets seem to mitigate this, and i've found that if you really nail the adjustment on any headset the first time, you probably won't see that problem...)

If you want to run a threadless oversize stem on a 1" threaded system, forget about sleeves. Get a quill-to-threadless adaptor. They weigh a ton, but they're proven kit, and easy to find/buy/install. http://porkchopbmx.com/chromoly-21-1mm-quill-adapter-for-1-1-8-threadless-bicycle-stem/
You can easily find 22.2mm versions, but depending on the vintage and quality of your threaded fork, you might need the 21.1mm...

Lastly, if you weld a disc tab on your old 26" springer, the left leg of that springer is gonna fold. Not even talking about klunkin'-duty; that set-up will kill that fork even just with some JRA cruisin'-duty. You'd be better off fabbing up an overbuilt left leg for that fork, and including the disc tab. Or just buy one of these: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/sunlite-deluxe-springer-replica-fork-26-300-x-25-4mm-threaded
(Good luck finding a 1" threadless headset that will fit that Hawthorne, though...)

HTH
 
Last edited:
You have nailed all the issues down B808, and have great suggestions, some of which I will follow up with. But the low-mile, original paint frame MUST run a 1" steer tube fork: a 1-1/8 fork will NOT slide through the frame.......
Because we Ratters can be stubborn, I will still try to use the Shelby fork, as I can't envision the Monarch-style springer on the Hawthorn frame.. (which was considered for sure). If it tweaks the fork, so be it, and I will swap it out for the Monarch style springer.:headbang:.
The 20's Hawthorn Flyer frame has a very short "sleeved" head tube, and will ONLY accept a 25.4mm steer tube(1"). Though not a typical mod, I will experiment in true "Rat" form, and attempt to mate the Shelby Shock Ease springer with the Hawthorne straight-bar frame, while adding(welding) disc brake caliper post-type mounts to the left leg of the old springer. Sooooo....in order to follow up and complete my Ratty vision, I have been looking for a women's single pivot springer with a very long steer tube so I can cut it down to fit all the headset mods. These forks are "trussed", or fairly well reinforced and designed to take fore-and-aft forces, and hopefully enough strength so that a disc brake caliper can be mounted on the leg. Since the bike will not be pushed very hard in heavy braking situations,(mostly) I hope I can pull it off without putting myself in too much danger of the disc brake overwhelming(twisting) the old springer legs. I wouldn't normally put a disc brake on a 50's springer, but I am going for it regardless. Must be the rebel ratter in me..:rofl:
I have an NOS 1" Tange G-master headset with roller bearings (threaded) that I want to fit to the frame. Since the frame is so old, the id of the frames' head tube/headset interface is a weird size, somewhere between a 1' and 1-3/16". The Tange 1" headset is smaller than the head-tube of the frame, so I picked up some headset to frame adapters (1" to 1-1/4") which need to be turned down to exactly fit the 20's frame. Then I can fit the Tange headset into that and use the 1" threaded Shelby fork. I will probably contact CM to help with turning down the adapters to exactly fit the head tube size. Once the fork is fitted into the frame, and the top threaded cup is installed, I will fit the upper truss rod support bracket and headset securing nut. At this point, I can determine how much steer tube I need to clamp the threadless stem to then cut to fit. And then the upper truss rods can be measured, cut, re-threaded and installed.
I considered the quill-to-threadless adapter, but it seemed like overkill, and since the steer tube on the fork is good heavy-gauge steel, I decided to go with an aluminum sleeve that fits over the threads, then clamp the 1-1/8" threadless stem(with sleeve) onto it for a clean look. Clamping the stem with sleeve to a threaded steer tube is a risk for sure, as the threads weaken the fork steer tube where the stem clamps on to, but I am willing to try it. It does make me a bit nervous, as the quill adapter is clearly stronger, so I may go that direction...
This is something I have wanted to do now for some time, so I will give it a go and post the results here in a build thread.
As we know, with old frames and forks, it can be a real challenge getting BB, headset and drivetrain mods to fit. I am a total cool-parts junkie, and love hanging high-end parts on old frames.... It's a Rat thing, and I really like discussions like this, where all options can be let out and vetted!!
SKPC
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top