Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Custom Corner T-Bird Sports front wheel - whodunnit?

The theory goes (as was mentioned recently in this thread) that you can use the front wheel from a Thunderbird Sports to get twin disks on a spoked front wheel for our bikes (along with various speedmaster bits to complete it). I believe someone here's actually done it, but I can't remember who - anyway as we speak I'm just about to bid on a TBird front wheel (without disks) so of course I want to pick everyone's brains for info...

First up, anyone know if it's actually been done? Pictures would be nice...

Am I going to have to have customs spacers etc made up to fit the wheel, or does it slot straight into the forks?

The TBird wheel's 17" whereas the TBA/SM ones are 18". Do I have to relace a bigger rim onto it, or can I simply use a 120/90-17 tyre that has about the same overall diameter? Will this have a radical effect on handling?

Obviously I'll need a RH caliper & lower fork leg from a speedmaster (I've got a lead on the caliper at the right price) - will I also need a speedy brake master cylinder, or will the TBA one drive double calipers?

There's another point - how hard is it changing the lower fork tube? Will I need specialty tools? Never played with forks before.

Finally is there any reason I can't/shouldn't run two hydralic lines directly from the master going to each caliper? I really don't like the speedmaster design with a line going over the top of the front fender. I'm thinking braided steel lines'd be good.

Hmm well I can't think of any other questions... hopefully somone'll have some answers for me.

Matt

As an addendum, some clever ^#$*@&#$ got in with 9 seconds to spare and outbid me. *sigh* Back to searching for another one.

Matt,
You gotta use them snipe services if you want to win more bids. PITA, but that's the way it's going.

I have a regular T-Bird from rim on mine, No special spacers needed. Even used the tire. Of course it was an 18 already, but I imagine the overall diameter is close-a-freakin-nuff.

You're on your own for the fork leg, but I've heard they are easy to pull.

I'll also wait for someone else to chime in on the brake lines, but my hydraulics gut feeling is that pressure is pressure, and as long as you have the proper banjo bolts, etc you should be fine. Not sure about the master cylinder tho.

OT here, Matt, but just wanted to say thanks for the email reply re: your stock TBA exhaust mod...got a guy here willing to have a go at it this winter...I'm real curious to hear the difference from the TOR's...thanks again.

Reading my post in the other thread, I wasn't clear enough on the brake line setup for the Speedmaster. The line for the right caliper is piggybacked onto the left caliper's banjo bolt fitting. The master cyclinder is the same. In the pic below of the left caliper on my Speedmaster, the top line through the adel clamp comes from the master cyclinder. The one below it goes over the fender to the right caliper.

Ahh, didn't know the direction you were going with this...eliminating the crossover brake line.

I can't imagine why the master cyclinders would be different between the America and Speedmaster, but I'm sure somebody will be along to give you the part number(s).

You're probably right... I used to work on Mini's (really old 1960's & 70's british cars) which had to have a different master when you replaced the drum brakes on the front with the disks from the later models - but that was mainly to do with larger resevoirs to take extra fluid for the calipers.

Matt

Dented rim.... Still have it actually, dent was too small to get out with tweaking of spokes.

Probably had a higher max bid and the bidding system played the game for him.

Some Harley models have a double brake line block that mounts under the lower clamp with a seperate line down each fork leg to dual calipers. Couldn't be hard to adapt. The brake lines themselves might even work.

I too have been thinking about this for some time. But why use the stock calipers - they really are rubbish . Harrison make billet opposed-piston calipers for the T-bird sport so they should fit straight on...Does anyone know if the T-bird and SM fork sliders are the same? Also, you could use a 2-fitting banjo into 2 lines at the master cylinder but a neater way would be to use a single line from the master cylinder and run it to a splitter block mounted under the bottom yoke (those 2 nice holes for the lightbar should do nicely...) all the bits you need available from any brake line supplier...As the billet calipers are meant to work with the T-bird, I believe you should be alright as I think the America, SM and T-bird share the same diameter master cylinder - but one from a Rocket three has more displacement and will work really well.

Regards

Jan