Spacers for the Front Axle

D

Dale

Senior member
Location
Malta
Hi

I need to make a pair of spacers for the front axle (Spindle) of my SF2 conversion, and hope to do it using a length of suitable diameter pipe cut to length.

As I am not an engineer, I need the following information from the collective wisdom of the group, please:
-Is there anything wrong with that plan?
-Does the spacer need to be steel, or will aluminium be acceptable?

Thanks
Dale
 
Hi Dale

I am not an engineer either......

stock front steel spacers are readily available for the various Laverda front end configurations. Is there something different about the front end on your bike? I would just buy stock steel wheel spacers in whatever width and axle diameter you need.

I used aluminum for a wheel spacer some years ago and suffered some unnecessary problems after some compression of the aluminum, wound up going with steel. Others have reported no issues with using aluminum, and the Astralite wheels I have on one of my bikes came with all aluminum spacers, although I replaced them with steel for my own piece of mind.

will be interesting to see other opinions and answers.....

Paul LeClair
 
Paul, as Astralites were made in the UK they were made from aluminium...  :-*
 
Hi Dale - I usually use aluminium for all my wheel spacers - except the front wheel where the spindle  usually rests on a steel washer on the speedo drive - if not using the std speedo g/box - then that's where I use a steel washer/spacer as there's not much metal to seat upon -  Also any bearing reducing bushes I make from steel - Regards - Phil
 
G'day Dale

Steel pipe is fine if the ID is right and it has sufficient wall thickness. I think the front axle is 20mm diameter (going from memory, so may be wrong).

3/4" galvanised heavy (thick walled) water pipe has an ID of about 20.5mm and wall thickness of 3.2mm, so would do the job. You need to cut the ends so they're exactly 90? to the axis. If you're handy with a hacksaw and file, then you might have a chance of getting it close. By far the simplest qickest and most reliable method is to square the ends off with a lathe. But if you have access to a lathe, then why muck about with pipe? You could make your own spacers to the exact shaft diameter from billet.

If you have the dimensions you need, I could make you some.

Cheers,
Cam
 
Thanks Guys.

Paul:
The bike is using Zane forks and Breganze wheels. Therefore the stock spacers are not going to fit.
Spindle is 15mm diameter, and spacers need to be 22mm long.


Sounds like aluminium is possible, but with some risk.  Perhaps steel is the answer.

Phil:
Will not be using the speedo drive, so will be hard against the bearing on both sides.

I was wondering about using a washer at the end, but am concerned that it will interfere with the bearing.
It seems to me that the spacer should contact the inner bearing race, but not the outer.  Or is that not right?

Cam:
Have access to a small lathe, but not the tools to cut Stainless.
Wanted to use aluminium for weight and for ease of machining, and wanted to start with pipe as it seems like half the work will be done for me already.

Dale
 
;
It seems to me that the spacer should contact the inner bearing race, but not the outer.  Or is that not right?
Click to expand...

any spacer/washer must only make contact with the inner ring of the bearing - Regards - phil
 
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