16" rear question

[randy]

If I change the rear from 17" to 16" will I need to change the caliper support bracket?

[XSokieSPECIAL]

I'm no expert randy, but there is no difference in the rotors, other than slotted or not, as far as I can tell so I wouldn't think rim diameter would make any difference there.

Like I said, I'm no expert. JAT

[Incubus]

When I put a 16" Special wheel on my Standard (both 79s), I needed a spacer to make the Special wheel fit. The spacer also made the Special caliper bracket not line up correctly, so I had to use the Standard bracket. I don't know if the Special bracket can be made to fit, but as I am not a very advanced fabricator I went with the route of least resistance.

Hope this helps.

Happy New year.

Patrick

[DGXSER]

I have not made the change either as all I have owned are specials. I would tend to agree with Greg (as painful as that was to see in print) that the rotors are interchangable and therefore should not make a difference.

The swingarm is the exact same part no from 1978 through 1981SH so the same on std and special models. So unless the wheel itself has a different thinckness at the hubs from the special to the std should be no change. I would think if there is a change in the thickness and you needed a spacer of some kind, I would put it between the caliper bracket and the swingarm.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

I would tend to agree with Greg (as painful as that was to see in print)

Feel the love.

[Incubus]

Here's a picture of the spacer I am talking about and also shows how I have the caliper bracket mounted. This is before I cleaned it up. The Special bracket did not line up, although I wanted to use it since it was in much better condition and the grommets were still flexible.



Maybe you can figure a way to make the bracket line up better.

Patrick

[DenyP]

Randy,

I considered going to a 16 as I have had enough dealing with tubes, and tubeless rims are hard to come by. 16 in tires are more common on the road should you have to replace a tire on a trip. The major draw back to me was in dealing with the center and side-stands. The exhaust on my '78 is in the way for getting a good toe hold on the center stand making it a bitch. It is every thing I can do to get the beast on the center stand with a flat. With a flat tire, the side stand is useless. I figured a 16 would only make this worse. I finally found tubeless rims at a price I could live with - the wifes Christmas present to me thou she was a little surprised when they came a couple days before Xmas LOL.

Deny

[Ken Talbot]

When I changed to a 16" rear for SWMBO's 'H, I ground a bit from the inside of the right side axle support, and used a spacer on the left side of the caliper bracket to get the caliper to center over the rotor. I posted a couple of photos in this thread.