Yet another idiot with Rear Wheel Swap issues!

[bgrubb7]

Hey Incubus, Is your pic of a Standard with a 16" special wheel?

I tried to set mine up like you have it. I simply do not have enough room for that spacer in between the Brake and Torque brackets. I am using the Standard brake CALIPER bracket. As a matter of fact, I can not see a difference, between my Std and my Special CALIPER bracket, They are identical, even have the same number cast in them. THe TORQUE brackets (far right) ARE different, and I am using the Special torque bracket. Std TORQUE bracket simply doesn't work unless you have the spacer in between the 2 brackets, which I don't have room for that spacer.

In the end, if all of the Swingarms, axles and Rotors are the same, then it shouldn't matter if we're talking about Standard bikes or Special bikes. There should be ONE correct setup for a 16" wheel, and ONE for a 17" wheel. Right?

[bgrubb7]

Yes, your first pic is right. As to the other pic, it appears there's a non-stock inner spacer and it looks like they may have 'tweaked' the swingarm to get it to all fit judging by how the axle sleeve is misaligned. With the right parts, it slides right together without forcing.

'78E original owner

How would you explain Incubus's Pic? Looks like a Std 17" setup, but with the wider Special Wheel spacer. Doesn't seem like there would be room..?? That is unless the CALIPER brackets WERE different.

[crazy steve]

There are variations in the swingarm width due to manufacturer tolerances, so I'd have to say he has a 'wide' swingarm and may be forcing it open a bit to get it all in there. I tried that on mine, and no way jose; I was over a 1/4" short on room.

As to the little 'tab', I was told that's to hang the caliper on when you have the wheel off...

'78E original owner

[Incubus]

My pic is a '79 Standard with the 16" wheel from a '79 Special. The spacer is custom. It has to be. The stock spacers from either wheel do not fit. I probably should have mentioned that. Trim down your spacer a bit or find one from another bike that fits. Mine is from another bike, but I cannot remember what bike that was. It has been some time since I did the mod. Do a search. I am not the first or only one to do this. I found out how to do it by searching the archives here.

And I stand corrected. When I said caliper bracket I was meaning to say torque bracket. It has to be from a Standard.

Patrick

[bgrubb7]

There are variations in the swingarm width due to manufacturer tolerances, so I'd have to say he has a 'wide' swingarm and may be forcing it open a bit to get it all in there. I tried that on mine, and no way jose; I was over a 1/4" short on room.

As to the little 'tab', I was told that's to hang the caliper on when you have the wheel off...

'78E original owner

Well, then I'm in your boat, as I was also at least 1/4" off. I was wondering what they tab was for

My pic is a '79 Standard with the 16" wheel from a '79 Special. The spacer is custom. It has to be. The stock spacers from either wheel do not fit. I probably should have mentioned that. Trim down your spacer a bit or find one from another bike that fits. Mine is from another bike, but I cannot remember what bike that was. It has been some time since I did the mod. Do a search. I am not the first or only one to do this. I found out how to do it by searching the archives here.

And I stand corrected. When I said caliper bracket I was meaning to say torque bracket. It has to be from a Standard.

Patrick

Thanks for clarifying that. Actually mine fits quite nice with the Special Torque Bracket, but leaving the spacer between the 2 mounts out. Man. I did search, many times actually. Even talked to guys who had done the exact same swap and they told me what I needed. But when it came time to do it, it just didn't go together the same way I read that it was supposed to.

I just wanted to figure out why mine was different. Wanna make sure I've got things right so I don't, ya know, die in a fiery ball of death.

I'd still like to see pics of someone's stocker Special and Stocker Standard just for verification and documentation of what the config for each wheel size looks like from the factory

[Incubus]

This is the back axle of my other bike, which is a stock '79 Standard with a 17-inch wheel:



Note the way the caliper bracket meets the wheel.

HTH

patrick

[bgrubb7]

Thanks man! I couldn't remember exactly what my stock setup looked like, as a good 6 months passed between the time I took everything apart till I got it back together. That kind of solidifies how Steve explained it. The stocker Special, should then look just like the first pic I posted...

I'd be more than happy to write up a summary with all these pics if the Mods want to put it in the Modification Tech board. Swapping down to a 16 seems to be a very popular mod these days due to lack of good variety in 17 tire sizes.

[crazy steve]

I'll also point out that the stock calipers on the XS are floating (sliding back-and-forth on the bracket) so perfect 'centering' alignment of the caliper bracket isn't absolutely needed, which what all this is about. So some cheating on the spacers can be done, although the 'correct' parts (the 'special' spacer and torque arm) make it a bolt-on deal.

This problem reared it's ugly head for me while swapping a fixed 4-piston caliper onto mine, which does need near-perfect centering on the rotor. I'd already machined the new brake to fit with the 17" wheel, and it wasn't even close with the 16"...

'78E original owner

[bgrubb7]

Ya, thanks Steve for pointing that out. That does explain some of your issues..

Can anyone verify whether or not the Plastic dust shields are the same or different between the 2 models? I was thinking they were different, but now I'm second guessing that.

[crazy steve]

Nope, the plastics are the same on both...

'78E original owner

[bgrubb7]

Thanks. Clear as mud now.