truss rod question

[expjawa]

Are fork truss rods for, let's say for example, a balloon tire Schwinn fairly universal? I mean, do they very in length depending on head tube or steer tube length, or are would they all be more less the same? I understand that different brands have different style upper brackets and there would be differences there, etc. I'm just curious if I'd have to look for something very specific to work on a given bike or if most any set could be made to fit readily.

 

[Bendix]

Are fork truss rods for, let's say for example, a balloon tire Schwinn fairly universal? I mean, do they very in length depending on head tube or steer tube length, or are would they all be more less the same? I understand that different brands have different style upper brackets and there would be differences there, etc. I'm just curious if I'd have to look for something very specific to work on a given bike or if most any set could be made to fit readily.

no, yes, no, no, probably...... :mrgreen:

as long as they're not too short varying headset spacers or squashing and drilling has usually worked for me. worst case you can easily bend and fit some tubing from the hardware store- big electrical connectors can also work well at the fork ends. i find the post war schwinn headset mount brackets the easiest to use when 'faking it'.....

 

[B607]

Lots of different lengths depending not only on brand but on model too. Schwinn middleweight truss rods are 1/2" longer than Schwinn balloon truss rods, for example. Gary

 

[Anonymous]

My Wild Indian bike has the truss bars up OVER the handlebars now...

(it wasnt easy)

They say I have the patience of a Saint

 

[expjawa]

OK, thanks for the information. Maybe it would be easier just to make my own rods...

 

[YOUBUGME2]

What is the purpose of truss rods, I know they look cool but what purpose did they really serve?

 

[expjawa]

Strictly speaking, on a bicycle, especially one for cruising, their purpose is aesthetics. They're a carry-over from early race bikes or motorcycles. Let's say that you rode this:

The function of the trusses in this application is to stiffen the fork, so that it didn't bend at high speeds if you hit a rough or uneven road surface (which was probably more common than not at the time). Granted, Curtiss rode the pictured machine on a beach, but still, he wasn't dumb enough to take unnecessary chances with that...

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Truss rods are not purely for aesthetics. If you think about it, truss rods were/are a form of suspension.

If you look at the fork profile of balloon/middleweight bikes of the era, they used a 'blade' style of leg (unlike the tubular forks used from the 1980's to present). These forks didn't have much rigidity to them in the event of hitting a curb, a tree, etc...

So, on the higher end bikes truss rods were used to stiffen the front end. Thus providing 'suspension' against hits to the front of the bike or repeated drops off a curb, a tree, etc...)

That's what I've been told......

Cheers,
Dr. T

 

[expjawa]

Truss rods are not purely for aesthetics. If you think about it, truss rods were/are a form of suspension.

If you look at the fork profile of balloon/middleweight bikes of the era, they used a 'blade' style of leg (unlike the tubular forks used from the 1980's to present). These forks didn't have much rigidity to them in the event of hitting a curb, a tree, etc...

So, on the higher end bikes truss rods were used to stiffen the front end. Thus providing 'suspension' against hits to the front of the bike or repeated drops off a curb, a tree, etc...)

That's what I've been told......

Cheers,
Dr. T

That's not a suspension, it's a brace. It's sort of the polar opposite. A suspension allows the wheel to deflect and return to its original position, thus absorbing the blow. A brace is intended to prevent it from deflecting when it encounters a bump, allowing the impact of the blow to be transferred through. But that's what I was saying before.

Like I said, on a heavy, high speed machine, the truss provides that bracing of the fork. But on a bicycle, it really is a cosmetic thing. Yes, in theory, a heavy bicycle could also benefit from the truss bracing. But the way these things were made and attached isn't typically load bearing, so in practice it cannot.

 

[YOUBUGME2]

T hats what I figured was it all boiled down to they just look sweet Guess I'll be making my own instead of paying 45$ and up for the sets I've seen :shock:

 

[yoothgeye]

T hats what I figured was it all boiled down to they just look sweet Guess I'll be making my own instead of paying 45$ and up for the sets I've seen :shock:

I started making a set for my tandem the other night, though there may be challenges, it's sure cheaper than buying some just to have just as much trouble modifying.

 

[TornadoDave2]

About the engineering reasons for truss rods: On a Schwinn, the truss rods serve no purpose other than as a decoration. The forged blade forks are more than suffiently strong without the need for such a brace. You can tell this is the case since they lack a compression member at the fork crown. On the Curtis motorcycle pictured, the compression member is easily visible, going from the center of the truss rod to the fork crown. Without such a piece, the "Truss rod" does not actually make a truss, and thus doesn't do much in the way of bracing the forks. Also... Schwinn used the same forks on all sorts of bikes..... some WITH and some WITHOUT struts, and never had a problem with forks breaking.

However.... on some other branks of bikes there IS a compression strut cast into the crown. The truss rods on these forks might provide some support, but I rather doubt that they actually do anything. These forks are VERY COOL, though.... and are also rather expensive nowadays.

About making your own truss rods: I've found the best material for making your own truss rods is metal brake lines, available at most any car-parts place. I use the large diameter lines for semi-rigs. It bends well, and looks good.

 

[motopsyco]

Just watch flea bay and be ready to pounce. I got the ones on my build off bike for about $12 plus shipping. Had to weld a little piece onto the bottom tab to make 'em work but the final results came out well.
Peace Y'all

 

[YOUBUGME2]

I've seen them there but none less than 35 bucks recently... I'm thinking about getting some copper tubing. Making them out of that would be rad, not to mention they would turn green after a bit.

 

[yoothgeye]

I've seen them there but none less than 35 bucks recently... I'm thinking about getting some copper tubing. Making them out of that would be rad, not to mention they would turn green after a bit.

Rub flux on them and watch them green in just days.

 

[snarehead123]

ive made them out of brake line tubing from napa,you can shine it to a lustre with compound,then clear coat them and put electrical connectors on them and they look sweet! just my 2 cents.

 

[mtbfixed]

Check out my info on how I made mine on my fork truss rod thread.

 

[YOUBUGME2]

I've seen them there but none less than 35 bucks recently... I'm thinking about getting some copper tubing. Making them out of that would be rad, not to mention they would turn green after a bit.

Rub flux on them and watch them green in just days.

Thanks I've got that stuff just just laying around begging to be used.