HEEELLLLPP!!!!!! UPDATE!!

[55ColumbiaBuilt]

Okay, this may get confusing, but I'll do my best...here goes. I received this wheel for Christmas.

And what I want to do is mount it on my Rollfast Springer here.

Now here's the problem. The axle on the new wheel is of a LARGER diameter than what the Rollfast fork will accomodate. The DUST COVERS/CONES on the older axles are LARGER than the bearing cavities on the new wheels, so they cannot be interchanged. Please don't suggest that I drill out the fork as there are bushings that go over the axles precisely....that just won't work.

My question/challenge goes like this:

Is there a smaller diameter axle that has a SMALLER diameter dust cover/cone that will nest in the NEW WHEEL?

Thanks for your help.

By the way, I mounted the rear wheel first and it was awesome! Too bad the front wheel/axle refused to co-operate!

 

[Tailwinds]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

That is a problem. Wish I could make a suggestion, I suspect most folks would suggest to drill out the fork :|

 

[Tychevelle]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

anyway that you can make or get someone to make you a new bushing? thinner wall? or drill out the bushing so it fits the new axle? whats the outer diameter of the bushing?
the older wheels usually have 5/16 up front newer ones are 3/8's.... ive never tried swapping the axle over, im not sure if the bearings are the same size or if everything in general is smaller... all you can really do is try swapping it, if it works great if not back to plan C...

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

Have you thought about a flat sided axle? I know I have used them on a few forks that were too tight with a full round axle and have had good luck with them.

 

[axsepul]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

Can you post or send me pics of how the suspension works on this fork to [email protected]

 

[55ColumbiaBuilt]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

The unpainted aluminum part of the fork holds the axle, that is threaded through a "T" shaped bushing. The narrow part of the "T" is a perfict fit into the fork hole. The broad part of the "T" keeps the fork from hitting the spokes.

There are steel bars on either side that attach the axle to the part of the fork that is painted dark gray (you can see the forward bolts). The steel bars pivot on the part they are attached to. There is a broad groove in the dark gray fork that the axle can move up and down in freely, so that the suspension is absorbed in the spring.

I bet that's nice and confusing!!

 

[axsepul]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

Even though I can't read egyptian I got most of it except the T bushing

 

[npence]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

Maybe you can turn the axle down and chase new threads to fit though the fork and leave the axle alone where it goes into the Hub. Just a thought dont really know if it will work or not never tried it.

 

[ozzmonaut]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

I have a lot of old bikes with the smaller axles, and usually I keep all inner hub parts, bearings, etc. In case a bearing goes bad. But I have run across tons that are the same size axle with a larger or smaller bearing keepers, cones, etc. If you can get the size and thread (maybe with a thread guage or use one at the hardware store) and the measurement of the widest area of the bearing keeper, then I could search through my parts and try to find a fit. So could others here.

 

[Spincycle]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

I think your best bet is to turn down the ends of the new axle to the correct diameter and re-thread the ends the same as the old axle. Or have a new axle made. Thats what I would do, but then again I do that kind of stuff all day as a machinist. Thats assuming that would work in this application. I've never seen one of these forks. Or Tychevelle's idea of new bushings. Keep us posted.

 

[udallcustombikes]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

I have taken an old 5/16" axled hub and rebuilt it with a 3/8" axle. It was a bit closer to the hub walls, but it didn't rub and worked fine.

 

[Fireproof]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

I have taken an old 5/16" axled hub and rebuilt it with a 3/8" axle. It was a bit closer to the hub walls, but it didn't rub and worked fine.

Sounds like the opposite needs to done . . . a smaller axle in the newer, larger hub. How ‘bout a pair of the new, larger cone nuts with a Helicoil or some other type of insert to reduce the size of the threads inside them. Then you could put the new cones on your old axle? You might find something here . . . http://www.mcmaster.com/#threaded-inserts/=c4z8w0

OR

Could you combine the old cones/axle with the new hub if you had the right sized ball bearings? Then you would need NO fancy (expensive) machine work! http://www.mcmaster.com/#ball-and-rolle ... gs/=c4zcp4

 

[ozzmonaut]

Re: HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!

This idea may sound a bit ghetto, but I have a bike riding like this and it works fine. Since you want to use the smaller axle, place it in the new wheel. Then, using the bearings from the new wheel, slide the larger cones/keepers over the smaller axle. Then remove the dust shields from the cone nuts from the smaller axle, and use only the cones to tighten the newer cones into place. The tapered edge of the cones will ride just inside the larger cones to keep the axle centered in the wheel. Just imagine my thumb in the pic is the bearing recess.

 

[55ColumbiaBuilt]

Re: HELPPP!!!!!! UPDATE!!

OKAY!! With the help of some co-workers, and a little time on our lunch brake...SUCCESS!! I was only a matter of using the OLD axle, bearing cone, and dust cover, and using a drill press and file to reduce the dust cover size to fit into the bearing casing of the new wheel.....EASY!!

That said, it did occur to me that how Rollfast put this thing together deserves some explanation. Since I have owned this bike, I have seen at least TWO of these forks sell on ebay, and if you don't have ALL the parts, you're in trouble. I took pictures during my re-assembly, maybe this information will be useful to someone. I used some terminology earlier to convey my message. I may have not used the proper names, but that's because I don't know what the true terms are. Okay, that said, let me try.

Earlier I refered to those parts of my fork that are "painted gray" or "unpainted aluminum". If this gets confusing, scroll up to the pictures I posted erlier.

Seen below are what I called "T BUSHINGS". I don't know what there real name is, but they are bushings that's for sure, and that one on the right sure looks like a fat little "T" to me.

Earlier in the post I referred to "steel bars"...here they are. Notice that the holes are different sizes.

ATTENTION!! If you own a Rollfast Springer Fork and you don't have "T BUSHINGS" and "STEEL BARS"...you're in trouble!

This next picture shows the Steel Bar & T Bushing in place on the axle. See, I told you diameter was crucial!

The Steel bars pivot on these "Bushing/Nuts attached to the fork painted gray (see image above).

Here you can see pretty much everything in the loose phase. Please keep in mind that the bike is UP-SIDE-DOWN in all of these pictures!

And here it is all tightened up! I must have jumped to the other side of the axle for the sake of lighting.

The end result.

 

[ozzmonaut]

Nice ride! And I really like that seat and bag.

 

[axsepul]

DO THE "T" BUSHING HAVE TREAD INSIDE?

 

[55ColumbiaBuilt]

DO THE "T" BUSHING HAVE TREAD INSIDE?

No, but they JUST fit over te threads of the axle and spin freely. The narrow part of the bushing is a perfect fit to the inside of the holes on the unpainted aluminum fork.

I also thought I'd post the below picture to give everyone an idea of the groove in the fork painted gray. The axle does not come in contact with this fork in any way, but does travel up and down in the groove in response to the suspension.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Re: HELPPP!!!!!! UPDATE!!

WOW looks great, what paint did you use for the fenders? I love that color combo!

 

[55ColumbiaBuilt]

The Fenders & Chain Guard are powder coated "Dark Metallic Copper", found here:

http://www.powderbuythepound.com/COPPER_DARK_SATIN_METALLIC_-SINGLE_STAGE.html

The frame, fork & luggage rack are a dark gray my powder coater had in his inventory.

I have posted many pictures of my bike here at RRB.com, but this particular picture really shows off the color...the sun behind me I guess. This is one of those paint jobs that can only be appreciated "in person"... I'm glad you like it...thanks!