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I was finally able to get back to this bicycle project after getting a couple of necessary parts. I had ordered a set of bearings for the steering tube of the front fork, but when they finally came, I discovered that I had ordered the wrong size for the frame. I decided to try using the bearing set that was on the original front fork, and those bearings fit, so I was able to continue with the project.
I also had to get some kind of handlebar holder for the fork. There's 2 types that are commonly used. The first type mounts inside the top of the fork tube and clamps in place, and the second type clamps around the outside of the tube. Since the steering tube on the new springer front fork is long, I decided to get the second type. You can see how this works by clamping around the steering tube. There are a number of different styles of this type, including different lengths, different angles, and even adjustable angle ones for holding the handlebars at different positions on the front fork.
This is the front fork that I bought to put onto the bike.
This is the bike with the original fork still on it.
I took the original fork off the bike, and removed the bearings from the steering tube. They fit properly on the springer fork tube, so I mounted the fork onto the frame with those bearings. This fork has what is called a threadless headset. That means that there's no adjustment nut on the top of the fork tube to adjust the slack in the bearings. The slack is adjusted with a clamping ring to hold the bearings in proper position. In this case, the clamping ring is also the upper spring mount for the fork.
This is the fork mounted on the bike.
The next thing to do was to test fit the wheel on the fork. I have a 26 inch wheel that has a Sturmy Archer drum brake hub that I wanted to use on the bike, so I mounted it in the fork. The fork has a bracket on it specifically for the drum brake arm, which is one of the reasons that I bought this fork. The wheel fit properly, including the brake arm. You can't see that, it's on the other side of the wheel.
Then it was time to install the handlebar mount and a handlebar. I also mounted the brake lever for the rear brake onto the handlebar.
This all looks pretty good, but I discovered a problem with the setup right away. The front wheel doesn't sit far enough out from the frame to clear the pedals in a turn. This fork is shorter, and the wheel is larger. That wouldn't be a problem if the bike had a motor instead of pedals.
I took the bike for a short ride to test it out. In normal turns, the wheel doesn't turn to the side far enough for the pedal to hit it, but in a tight turn, the pedal hits the tire.
I have several possible ways to solve this problem, but it may come down to a combination of things that will end up working. First, I want to see if I can extend the fork out farther with some spacers between the bottom of the fork tube and the bottom bearing of the frame.
Another possibility would be shorter pedal arms. The problem with that is that it also requires replacing the front gear as the pedal arm and gear are one piece on that side. I can get replacements, but I'd rather not if I don't have to.
Another way to deal with the problem would be a smaller diameter front wheel. The original front wheel is a 24 inch wheel, so that might give me a bit more clearance. Of course, if I use the original front wheel, then I'm back to no front brake. If I can find a 24 inch wheel with a disk brake mount, then I can use that on the front. The springer fork has a mount for a disk brake caliper.
I ordered a set of spacers for the front fork to try to extend the fork, but I have to wait until they show up in the mail. I'm going to go to the local bike shop to see if I can get a 24 inch front wheel with a disk brake mount, that may also help. I figure that replacing the pedal crank arms will be my last resort.
Well, that's all I have for this post.
If you would like to read my first post about this project, here is the link. That post is 20 days old as I write this.
@amberyooper/a-bicycle-project-the-schwinn-stingray-chopper-part-1
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