Nope...The wife loves bikes too!......
But, let's get back to problem solving.....Suspension:
Due to physical size limitations within the fork body, heavier springs could not be easily fitted to the shock bodies (damping units), but installing large, thick, stainless steel washers allowed me to get a dual benefit....
#1 the assemblies are slightly physically longer, meaning there was LESS motion to the links before they came against the bottom rubber stops ( Less downward motion translates to less "lift" when the brakes are applied)
#2 The washers simultaneously "pre-load" the springs giving an overall stiffer suspension.....
This pic shows the modified top shock with one washer vs the stock assembly...Ultimately two washers spaced everything better for a rider around 150 lbs....
Replacing the pivot bolts, collars and bushings (I had bronze bushes turned) to eliminate any "slop" from wear, signifigantly improved the action of the links and yielded a smoother ride.....
NOW to the "hard" part..... Mounting an 18" wheel with a large hub and a 15mm axle size in between forks and links designed for a small, narrow hub with a 12mm axle size..... and the new DLS linkage that inevitably would find NO room for clearance as the links rocked upwards from any roadway irregularity.....
The solution, of course, was to cut away any interfering areas of the stamped/pressed metal forks, then rebuild them with adequate clearance to restore their structural integrity......Easier said than done, but I was successful although it also involved several other minor alterations to the existing parts to maintain that clearance........Some pics of the steps follow......
Original fork bottom area.....
Cut away and clearanced.....
Cardboard template for structural repair.....
Primered fabbed piece ready to weld on.....
Finished modified fork bottom.....
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