Bending original fork tubes

[skidlidsid]

Is bending the the fork tubes like the feature in issue 47 on leading link forks a good or bad idea.

I want to make some leading links up but i cant find any tube that is the right size for my yokes(43mm fork tubes), i dont want to change the yokes because they are a nice set.

[shaggy696969]

Surely the Tubes wont be long enough ?

[v8_trike]

You'd probably be better off getting some thick walled tube and turning it down to suit your required diameter,

How much material have you got on your yokes? could you not machine the holes to take a larger diameter tube?

[skidlidsid]

You'd probably be better off getting some thick walled tube and turning it down to suit your required diameter,

How much material have you got on your yokes? could you not machine the holes to take a larger diameter tube?

The only thick walled tube i've found is 48.4mm with 5mm wall, which will be too thin after its turned down, i could bore the yokes a bit but not 5mm.

[shaggy696969]

Go to the Grasstrack events, many of these grass trackers use Leading link set ups and quite long fronts some of em are too. I saw a chunky leading link front end for sale at Red marley last weekend £50.

[Blackjack]

Stock tubes are too thin in the wall for that.

Grass track forks tend to be stupidly short, and have excitingly thin wall tube. Not to mention the whole rake/trail thing...

What diameter are the holes in your yokes?

And what are they off of?

[skidlidsid]

Stock tubes are too thin in the wall for that.

Grass track forks tend to be stupidly short, and have excitingly thin wall tube. Not to mention the whole rake/trail thing...

What diameter are the holes in your yokes?

And what are they off of?

43mm dia holes in yokes, they were made one off when i had 1200 bandit front end in.

[Blackjack]

1 3/4" tube.

44.45 mm. diameter.

Turn it down to 43mm for the depth of the yokes.

Use 3/16" wall.

Now.....

How were you planning on bending this?

[trikerdrew]

Fork tubes are not bendable items cuz are to thin,gives me the creeps thinking of fatigue at speeds.

Folks have sleeved them before bending but it is just lazy I reckon.

Now if Blackjack did an article on making SLAB YOKES with simple hand tools wouldn't that be helpful.You could flog your yokes to another bandit chappie and get what size you want then.

Nag Blackjack for the above SLAB YOKES article(not that I want to make slabs for my projects :D )

Cheers

drew

[skidlidsid]

1 3/4" tube.

44.45 mm. diameter.

Turn it down to 43mm for the depth of the yokes.

Use 3/16" wall.

Now.....

How were you planning on bending this?

I'll try and find some of that tube, going to bend them with a hydraulic pipe bender.

[Blackjack]

Umm....

Thats a PIPE bender, also known as a tube kinker.

Because it's just a bit structural, you want as big a radius as you can get on the bend too, tube kinkers tend to have quite small formers especially in the larger sizes, I'd want to use a tube bender.

Getting both bends the same is an issue too.

I'd suggest you draw up what you want, and talk to Robbie Rhind Tutt at Wasp Motorcycles. He should have the tube, he can bend it, and he can turn the end down to the size you need for the yokes.

http://wasp-motorcycles.tripod.com/index.html

He also has pressed "ears" for the swing arm pivots, and the associated housings, bearings, sleeves, and so on.

If you browse around the site, you might guess that he has a bit of experience with leading links.... :D

Just as an aside, Robbie also does leading link kits to fit stock yokes.

Ex-employee me. :D

I don't like it as an idea, but it seems to work, I suppose you could use 1 5/8" tube and split collar reducers in the yokes. Unit sidecars use this method.

I've got some 1 5/8" seamless with a 3/16" wall and I have a man sized tube bender and a former for it.......

Talk to Robbie first though.