front brake brackets/fork tubes

[Buckb]

Help, I am 99% finished with my wife's 79 Standard. It had pitted upper fork tubes so I bought another set off ebay. Ive polished them and assembled the bike. Went to install the front brakes and the caliper brackets dont match up, look to be about 1 inch shirt of reachin the bolt holes.

I dont know what year model the new forks came off of, said when I bought em they were 79s but obviously they are not. I now have no front brakes so I either need new brackets but dont know what to look for (year models) or IF anyione has a good set of Special forks to sell I have extra hardware I could attached to those.

Thanks everyone!! Buck

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there BuckB,

I'm a bit confused!? First you say you have a 79Standard, got a new/used set of complete forks/uppers and lowers, and now brake calipers won't fit. Then you mention the new forks were from a 79S? Perhaps the seller left off the "F" and should have said 79SF which would make them a SPECIAL. But then you ask about getting Special forks? If you have a Standard, then you would want Standard Forks!? If the axle mounts for the new forks are in front of the lowers instead of at the ends of the forks, then, YES, they are Special forks, and they won't work, the brake calipers are different between Standards and Specials, both in position and also brake pads/angles, etc, you can't swap them.

What you can do is separate the upper tubes from the Special forks and put them into the lowers of your STANDARD forks, they will be a bit longer, use the springs that came with the Special forks. You may need to slide them further up in the triple clamps if you want to keep the height similar to the Standard, otherwise you'll have an extended front end, will be difficult to use the side stand and center stand!! HTH!?
T.C.