# Home made fork straightener



## Jay81 (Mar 23, 2018)

After aquiring the Firestone Airflyte, I decided I need a fork straightener. Apparently the Little Brutes are hard to find and cost around $200. I didn't feel like waiting/searching or paying that much, so I decided to make my own.
Previously I have tried the @Robertriley  method of deck railing, ratchet straps and wood blocks and had good success. I saw @rhenning fork straightener in that thread and decided I wanted to build one similar.

Here's the bike as I got it. As you can see the fork is bent pretty bad.










I started with an old bumper jack from ebay. Cost me $27.44 including shipping.





You people that never have to deal with snow, have probably never seen one of these before. It's an old snowblower shoe that I've had laying around for years.





A little cutting........





And a little welding


 

 




I used a front axle from a scrap wheel


 

 




Here's a couple "after" pics. It worked great!


 



Over all it was a two beer job.




It can even stand up for storage!


 



View attachment 775404


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## rusty.kirkpatrick (Mar 23, 2018)

Very slick dude, good work.


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## rhenning (Mar 23, 2018)

Looks basically like the one I built 10+ years ago.  Roger


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## rollfaster (Mar 23, 2018)

Nice work guys, need to start finding some of these old bumper jacks. @Dan Shabel


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## Rollo (Mar 23, 2018)

... I was too lazy to make a base for mine ...


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## the2finger (Mar 23, 2018)

How much Miller Lite did it take to engineer that thing?


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## Jay81 (Mar 24, 2018)

the2finger said:


> How much Miller Lite did it take to engineer that thing?




Just the two from start to finish. Knew I was going to use the bumper jack and just had to find something to weld on the end of it. 
My first idea wasn't going to work so I looked around the garage and found something else that did.
The only real "engineering" was just figuring that part out so I would have something on the end to brace it against the crank hanger. Other than that it's basically the same concept as a little brute, just set up a little different.


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## mickeyc (Mar 24, 2018)

$27.44 on eBay?  What, no junk yards around there?


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## Jay81 (Mar 24, 2018)

mickeyc said:


> $27.44 on eBay?  What, no junk yards around there?




There are, but the likelihood of finding a car/truck that's old enough to have this style jack in a junkyard is slim to none. The main place to go for old stuff was Warhoops on 18 1/2 Mile in Sterling Heights. My high school auto shop teacher knew the owners well, and us kids would go there for parts all the time. They had signs up that the public was not allowed in the yard, but when we would mention we were in auto shop they let us go look around and find what we needed. The place was one big muddy mess but we had fun finding our parts and checking out all the cool old stuff they had. But it was sold several years ago. The new owners crushed all the old stuff and paved the whole yard and brought in modern junk.
There's two other junkyards closer to me, and I'm pretty sure the one over here at 12 and Groesbeck did the same thing. There's Parts Galore on 8 mile in Detroit, and last I was there they did have a small "vintage" section. They charge a buck to get in, which isn't terrible I guess but didn't really feel like spending the time to go look and maybe find what I was looking for. 
I do frequently go to garage sales, estate sales and sometimes the Armada flea market and considered waiting and looking at those places but decided I wanted it right away. Probably could have gotten it cheaper elsewhere I'm sure, but I figured for under 30 bucks including shipping I could live with it. 
You should see what people want for some of these on ebay, I figured they are obsolete and nobody would them, and they would be cheap.  I was surprised to see several in the $150 range and I think there was one that was like $800. Those expensive jacks listed the specific make and model that they came from and I realized people must be looking for them for their collector cars, and some folks may be willing to pay big bucks to have the correct jack.


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## Rollo (Mar 24, 2018)

... Knowing junk yards around my house ... even if they did have one ... they'd charge you more than $27 bux ...


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## mickeyc (Mar 24, 2018)

Frequented Warhoops often "back in the day"...even bought a Crosley engine from them.  That was the place that had all the GM future cars.  Parked up front and rotting away.  Talked to the guys there, they weren't even allowed to sell a bolt off those GM cars.  Many years later I learned that at least one of them had been rescued and restored.
     Guess you are right, probably be more trouble to try to scout out an old jack.  I put an entry on here on my method of fork straightening using ratchet straps.  Works good and I can use them for other things.
     Junk yards sure ain't what they used to be but neither am I.  Too darn old I guess.  Rebuilt a lot of old cars with junk yard parts.

Mike


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## bikemonkey (Mar 25, 2018)

$20 bottle jack at harbor freight...I have straightened three Schwinn forks so far with no issues. The hydraulic version is not as nerve racking as a ratcheting car jack.


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## chucksoldbikes (Jul 30, 2018)

I have one made  from a  bumper jack also
 I make them  and sell them


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## 39zep (Jul 30, 2018)

Down and dirty with a bottle jack.


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## bricycle (Jul 30, 2018)

Jay81 said:


> After aquiring the Firestone Airflyte, I decided I need a fork straightener. Apparently the Little Brutes are hard to find and cost around $200. I didn't feel like waiting/searching or paying that much, so I decided to make my own.
> Previously I have tried the @Robertriley  method of deck railing, ratchet straps and wood blocks and had good success. I saw @rhenning fork straightener in that thread and decided I wanted to build one similar.
> 
> Here's the bike as I got it. As you can see the fork is bent pretty bad.
> ...




..and it's still a bumper jack!


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## vincev (Jul 30, 2018)

This one was made many years ago  

Bumper jacks are not easy to find anymore.........


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## parkrndl (Jul 31, 2018)

bikemonkey said:


> $20 bottle jack at harbor freight...I have straightened three Schwinn forks so far with no issues. The hydraulic version is not as nerve racking as a ratcheting car jack.
> 
> View attachment 776360



Couldn't this technically be done with a scissor jack too?  Just thinking about what I have laying around in the garage... I know I have the scissor jack, and I'm pretty sure I have enough scrap 2x4, and there's a Stingray Junior in the basement with a tweaked fork.


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## bikerbluz (Jul 31, 2018)

I have made one with cut 2x4s and a scissor jack, works nicely. Can go in very small increments. Have done 4 forks to date.


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## Neanderthal77 (Jul 31, 2018)

Finally found a use for a jack I've had for over twenty years and made this one last fall.


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## 64jmb (Sep 7, 2019)

bikemonkey said:


> $20 bottle jack at harbor freight...I have straightened three Schwinn forks so far with no issues. The hydraulic version is not as nerve racking as a ratcheting car jack.
> 
> View attachment 776360



Could you straighten out a 20' Stingray fork for me?


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## dave429 (Sep 7, 2019)

Some great ideas out there!


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## juvela (Sep 8, 2019)

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Thanks very much for this report.  

The tools shown in the thread can also be employed as frame stretchers by placing a heavy bar inside the head tube.

Back in the 1970's there were commercially produced stretchers based on automobile jacks.  Do not know if they are offered any more.  Have one which has only seen rare use as I have the Park fork alignment jig and adjustable bending bar.

Fine thread!

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## bikemonkey (Sep 8, 2019)

64jmb said:


> Could you straighten out a 20' Stingray fork for me?



pm sent


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