Springer Fork Modification

[Archie Sturmer]

Since you like the look of the springer fork, perhaps you might be able to fit a narrower sleeve (small pipe) inside of the spring, maybe even chrome plated or brass (1/4” IPS lamp parts)?

 

[JLF]

Good idea to have a look at lamp parts! Thanks!

 

[Rivnut]

Run a piece of all-thread through the spring rather than trying to find a fully threaded bolt.

 

[JLF]

Genius Idea! ^^^^

 

[ArtOfDisGuy]

Go with old school leaf lol

 

[JLF]

I like that ^^^

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

I was thinking of unspringing my springer as well. I was going to leave the spring ..just lock it out somehow.

 

[Robertk]

Removing the spring makes the springer fork kind of look like the early Gary Littlejohn fork - anyone have a pic of that GLJ fork?

 

[RM Special]

Weight Weenie! Love it! Could this possibly be a new thread for those of us working on old bikes to make them as light as possible? Weight reduction is one of my goals for my Typhoon flat bar build that I recently posted in the custom build section of the CABE.

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

Springer fork mod I thought I’d share with the CABE. One of those brainstorm ideas that can only come from 7 weeks of C-19 isolation

As a life long BMX’er, I just haven’t been satisfied with the ‘performance’ attributes of my springer fork. I built a Huffy Roadside frame to look like something it wasn’t, a classic cruiser; and to ride hard.

I started to wonder if any of the old springer fork designs were anything other than just comfortable?

Last week I swapped on a set of 26 x 3 tires and decided that was cushion enough. I dug through my stash of bike parts and found a length of carbon fiber steer tube I had cut off my new road bike fork a few years ago. With a bit of trimming it looked like it could be a direct fit replacement for the spring in my springer fork.

The test ride told the story. I could bomb hills and corners with a super solid feel. Will the carbon fiber handle the load long term? I know the weave is often strong in a certain direction. We will see.

Oh, and the carbon fiber ‘pipe’ is 154g lighter than the spring.

I know, I could have bought a 26” BMX cruiser fork, but wanted the classic look.

Enjoy the ride!
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Like this idea ,I did some what the same thing when I built this bike for my grandson as it came together I realized it was to low to the ground so I merely added a piece of pipe as a sleeve to go over the bolt on the springer to keep it from moving. Here's the bike I built out of two doner girls bikes for my grandson, he is now 22 years old.