Hopelessly addicted.

[Frank Fencepost]

I just started really looking at rat rods yesterday, and today I went out and bought my first beater to play around with. I got a pretty good deal on this one, I think, although I'm not even sure what it is. Any assistance or advice is very welcome.

I've never even completely disassembled a bicycle before. But that ain't nothin', I've done this before with other interests where I came into it knowing absolutely nothing and within a couple years had people asking my advice, so I know I can pick it up- and besides, it seems like rat rod bikes are about making the bike simpler, more efficient, and more reliable rather than doing anything really complicated.

So I really hope I can get some help just getting started on this. First of all, what kind of bike do I have here, and second, once I've got the wheels/seat/rack/fenders/chain guard off it, how do I remove the crank and forks?

Thanks in advance!

Here's a couple bonus pictures of my three year old daughter helping me "fix it"...

 

[Frank Fencepost]

Okay so my research indicates this is an AMF Western Flyer, from all the pictures I've found. Does anyone know what year this might have come from?

 

[Fireproof]

Hey Frank, hello and welcome to RatRodBikes! I would guess that yer AMF is from the mid-sixties.
First step for removing the forks is to remove the goose neck (a.k.a., stem) and handlebars. Loosen the bolt that points down into the fork just a couple turns. If you have a rubber-faced dead blow hammer give it some taps until it gives. Or use a block of wood and a regular hammer to tap on the head of the bolt. It goes into a wedge-shaped piece inside the fork and they are frequently rusty, so if a little tapping doesn’t do it, remove the bolt if you can and blast WD-40 into the hole ant try the above again after a couple days of soaking. It should be pretty simple after that. The washer under the large nut has a tab that fits into a slot in the fork, so try not to turn it. Remove the large nut, lift the washer off, and unscrew the bearing race.
On the cranks, there is the same type of washer with the tab. Try to avoid turning it when you remove the nut. Also . . . look closely at your cranks . . . that big nut probably has LEFT-hand threads!

BTW, you get EXTRA points for letting your girl help with the bike! Buy her some pink work gloves, and when she says she can help you, let her! Some day, she will be ready to cut and grind on a bike frame like this . . . viewtopic.php?f=21&t=33022&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=15

 

[Galtbacken]

Welcome!

 

[Frank Fencepost]

Thanks for the advice. I wonder how big of a wrench I need for that, none of the ones I have seem big enough.

 

[Rat Rod]

Welcome!

 

[greg66]

WELCOME.