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Technical & Reference Section => Tech and Restoration => Topic started by: SteveG on March 10, 2007, 10:12 PM
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I have been after some Landing Gear forks for my bike but they go for such huge amounts now there is no way I could justify getting some. I was going to buy some Standing Gear forks but they don't look right then these turned up.
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/c42/Good4x4/Before.jpg)
They are pretty horrible, very rusty, damaged thread and stretched drop-outs so I thought I might as well have a go at modding them. I did wonder if there were any holes on the fork legs under the footstands but it turns out there isn't so its just a matter of cutting and filing.
I haven't had them painted yet but they look like this now, they do need a heavy grit blasting to clean whats left of the rust off though.
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/c42/Good4x4/After.jpg)
I was lucky as after carefully cutting the extra bits off and filing them for ages there are only a couple of marks on the tube where the weld was.
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/c42/Good4x4/P3100058.jpg)
Hopefully the paint will cover up the worst of the marks and with some new stickers should look ok. Thought this might be of interest to anyone who had a similar idea.
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just like i said no air holes no fook all , im glad someone had the balls to do this .you are a trailblazer mate fair play there will be a rush on alans now and everyone will be doing it
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You've answered the question a few people have asked and wondered but never had the bottle to do! :daumenhoch:
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I should have kept quiet and bought a few sets ;)
The only thing is if you get some that haven't been welded the same you will have to weld or braze the marks in the tube, especially if you wanted them chromed again. It's possible that the fork tubes might splay out when the footstands are taken off. I don't think I would have been that brave if I had bought some new ones.
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Good work
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Standing Gear never looked right to me :-\
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I don't want to offend anyone by saying they don't look right, just wanted Landing Gear on my bike as its quite early. I has a pair of ARX's on it as they were a lot cheaper, and I thought lighter. Now I have the new ones I'm not so sure, perhaps its all the rust I have rubbed off them !
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I don't want to offend anyone by saying they don't look right, just wanted Landing Gear on my bike as its quite early. I has a pair of ARX's on it as they were a lot cheaper, and I thought lighter. Now I have the new ones I'm not so sure, perhaps its all the rust I have rubbed off them !
Don't worry about offending anyone on here.
Nobody else does ;)
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Great job Steve, this is something i and many others have been wondering about for a long time. We've been tossing it about in theory for years, fantastic to see it did work and look foward to the finished article :daumenhoch:
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(http://www.xtremesled.com/newtemplate/catalog/images/balls%20of%20steel%20hood%20sized%20copy.jpg)
Nice one Steve, a pair of crappy forks saved, restored into a quality item and put to better use :daumenhoch:
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Standing Gear have feelings too :'(
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/y79/dingobmxer/se80.jpg)
:) DINGO :)
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Standing Gear have feelings too :'(
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/y79/dingobmxer/se80.jpg)
:) DINGO :)
I meant crappy condition wise :daumenhoch: Personally I like them, never got to ride on them bitd but always thought they looked cool :daumenhoch:
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They look right on your Quad, would probably be wrong not to as it has footstands on the back already.
I wondered if it was the right thing to do when I had finished one side, bit late then though.
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It was always easy to see if there were weld holes though, alyou had to do was pop the plastic caps off.....
Result though, dont let the yanks see them though, you will have to stamp them as standing gear and ge a licence.
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It was always easy to see if there were weld holes though, alyou had to do was pop the plastic caps off.....
yeah, but this is the first time we seen it done :daumenhoch:
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Just in case anyone is watching it's all done on Photoshop ;)
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lol you're wizard, any chance you can make me good looking?
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To start I have to say what a great looking job that is.
I'm really tempted to do the same thing but want a few pointers first. What did you do the cutting with, a machine or a plain old hacksaw and some good old elbow grease? How did you get the metal so smooth afterwards? I can't see any imperfections on the surface of the fork at all.
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Thanks for all the comments.
The first thing to think about is actually holding the forks while you cut them tighten anything up on them and you risk making the tubes oval (although I expect you realise this)
I cut the bits off very carefully with a hacksaw, but you need to be really careful not to nick the fork tubes while you are doing it. I don't think the tube is very thick so if you tried to file the marks out it wouldn't leave much fork left ! Cut small bits off at a time so you can keep an eye on whats happening more easily.
If you are careful with the saw you only have a small area where the weld was to tidy up. I filed it with progressively smooth files and finished off with emery paper.
If you want the forks re-chromed you need to do a much better job but paint might cover up some of the smaller marks, we will see when mine get painted.
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There is'nt an air hole there because theres an open end,where the cap goes,for the gases to come when welding :daumenhoch:
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nice job
i had always thought of that if i ever had some landing gears with them useless platforms
rags to riches mate
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would have thought a dremel would have been the way to do em ;)
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nice work mate i been waitin to see that happen , i may even try me own :daumenhoch:
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:daumenhoch: well done mate ' you are a pioneer :daumenhoch:
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lol.....yeah, you could just have taken the placky caps off, heh heh.....
i knew these were cosher to do, as i read that the standing platforms are just the bits that they cut off the bottom of the forks, welded to the top!
same as curtis freestylers....take an item, and weld loads of stuff to it...
well done for actually being arsed to do it though.
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an age old question answered ! Well done Steve G :daumenhoch: