ConTENtious

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.
Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! Okay, so I'm a dumba... um, an idiot, and have to admit that in my spacy-ness, I didn't even realize that was you. I have your phone number, why didn't you just text me? Then I would have known it was you. haha. What a moron I am. I have you in my phone as "Mike Crash," so your last name, plus messaging me on FB, it just didn't click for me. How embarrassing. I'm aware that I could have kept this to myself, and no one would be the wiser, but it's just too funny not to share.

As to the build itself, brother, you are so good at details, you always impress me with fit and finish. That stuff is where I'm at my worst. I try to wow with the overall, to hide the fact that I'm not detail oriented. Great job so far.
 
Remember the tube that exploded? I haven’t touched the bike in a couple days. I just found this.

E2F74F8D-438B-4EFF-9C8C-97E868593016.jpeg


Now I have to find a rear slick.
 
Good thing you weren't standing next to it with one foot propped on it.

43cx5hP.gif
Heavens to murgatroid! Double whammy on that one! That's why most tire shops won't deal with split rims. When I was a military mechanic if we didn't have a tire cage handy we would put the ring on the underside and sit on top of the tire in case this happened. I knew of a guy that didn't do that and the ring popped off of the rim and crushed his larynx. Ugh.
 
I bought a pair of pedals. The blocks are in decent shape, but there is rust pitting in the metal.
335FE562-7EF8-42C8-B591-1B13ECC9D5CF.jpeg


So I’m going to try something I have never done before, and I’m going to break them apart.
109FC4E6-78E3-4521-A049-A3CEB06A9066.jpeg


Now I’m going to grind, sand and smooth all of it that I can then get it plated. I’m sure there will still be some pitting, but they will look a whole lot better. I’m going to bleach the blocks in hydrogen peroxide to knock the yellow out as well.
 
You may recall that I put together the start of a double rear brake assembly by tapping a 1” spacer, then welding it in place.
1695595583758.jpeg


In order to use it as a brake post I have to cut in some mounting slots for the spring. Here’s an original.
F81E8D3D-8CA0-4C3F-BD95-849A32BBC114.jpeg


I measured them out and carefully used my angle grinder.
58A5D65B-62DE-4125-8C04-24BAA110D0AF.jpeg


And… success!!
4A0DCC03-1246-495E-9220-A3D95E8E31B3.jpeg


So I mounted it up. Seems like the rear one is a little low.
64D71DBD-3BDD-4218-95C7-B1D32AA45EDC.jpeg


I’m using Excel Grand Prix’s with the 1080 arms, so maybe if I swapped out the rear for a Raceur with the 890 arms?
E1DB46A9-87F1-4F82-BE65-A23AF57C2805.jpeg


Nope! That looks worse, and doesn’t have enough arm clearance to go around the fender. So, back to the Grand Prix. I looked at some ‘68 Screamer pics, and that’s just how it fit. So I’m good with it.
 
I’ve been excited to get this done, so I just set up the dual chainring sprocket, mounted the front derailleur and measured out and set up the chain. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a sweet look!
0E482021-36BB-4708-8E2E-86BAD1F63B9D.jpeg


Next I’m going to incorporate the shifter and see if I can get it all to work.
 
Ha ha, that is the trouble with having a brake caliper that has a centreline that no longer passes through the centre of the wheel - the rim just drops away and the brake pads will be at an angle ;)

The bike is looking good there, plenty of glistening shiny stuff, which will all be beautiful when it gets out in the sun!
 
I bought a pair of pedals. The blocks are in decent shape, but there is rust pitting in the metal.
View attachment 248879

So I’m going to try something I have never done before, and I’m going to break them apart.
View attachment 248881

Now I’m going to grind, sand and smooth all of it that I can then get it plated. I’m sure there will still be some pitting, but they will look a whole lot better. I’m going to bleach the blocks in hydrogen peroxide to knock the yellow out as well.
Denture cleaning tablets work pretty well too.
 
I bought a correct Eliminator fender, but it was missing the mounting tab.
46976D66-9E0B-4705-819F-B1B2A6E7004C.jpeg


So I found this weird part at work as a starting point.
ECECDA91-2BDA-4B6E-88DF-E1D9D63AD228.jpeg


Some cutting, grinding and shaping…
C2E881B3-8E48-4489-BFF9-A268020CF97E.jpeg


I made it fit in its little nook in the brake brace.
F086F9EA-1837-45AC-AA18-49509605690B.jpeg


And finished it out and installed it on the fender. Here it is next to an original.
9087F401-7EFC-4652-AE2D-29E919880856.jpeg


So I swapped it out. Here it is mounted. And you may notice I cut, smoothed and polished the end of the brake center bolt. Just the tip.
663FD545-4914-45B4-9F1B-A9F6E80C1344.jpeg
 

Latest posts

Back
Top