rubber bushings, handlebars

[busboys]

I need to replace the bushings in the top clamp. How do you replace, the ones I have seem slightly too big. What's the deal??? How do you get these in? Are the aftermarket ones wrong???

[Cotten]

Busboys!

It would be terribly unfair to condemn all aftermarket parts as faulty,....
But the odds are historically stacked against the accuracy of what you have in hand.

The metallic portion would hopefully be a light press fit.
Most often in the past (hopefully behind us), aftermarket providers would opt for 'loose as a goose" to avoid confusing those who are new to vintage hardware.

Today, we have the 'Net to better inform us all, and many providers of parts are improving standards to keep up.

Can you measure the internal diameters and outside diameters accurately?


...Cotten

[Busboys]

Thanks for the quick reply. It appears that the triple clamp starts out at 1.245, the metal part of the bushing is right at 1.25. Of course the triple clamp tapers to about 1.22. If I measure the old metal piece ( after much butchering to get it out, it measures 1.23. The old one had about .60 of an inch sticking out the bottom. Is that right?? In other words it was not driven in completely. ( but was very tight in the clamp ). I am away from my normal shop, so I don't have access to all my shop tools. I just don't see how this set-up can work. I am curious what a NOS bushing measures. My top clamp is original HD.
Busboys

[Cotten]

BBs!

I, too, am far from my shop for references, but a press fit commonly is only a couple of thou or so.

The taper in the clamp seems astronomical:
Are you measuring with a micrometer, or a caliper? (Sorry,... Don't take it personal,... Please understand that I HAD to ask...)

The Factory wasn't immune to passing on their "seconds", either!

If you have a lathe handy, cutting or polishing down the OD of the inserts to a practical press fit may be the quickest solution.

...Cotten

[busboys]

anyone have a measurement for a nos bushing??? Also how far should these be set into the tree??

[Kuda]

Don't have measurements handy, but I recently replaced the bushings in my NOS risers with the V-Twin bushings. They were a pretty tight fit, but with a little grease on the steel they did press in. As for the depth, you have two options: the book calls for one set of the "washers" that fit on top of the bushings (cone shaped to match the top of the bushing). An alternative is to use a second set of the washers *under* the bushings. It'll give you a bit more vibration dampening, but at the cost of a little more movement of the bars. Not recommended if you're running forward controls and 16" apes, but for stock bars it'll be fine. An added plus is that you won't get a "riser ring" beaten into the top triple tree...

-Kuda
'49 panchop

[busboys]

Thanks Kuda...and Cotton

Looks like I need to take the trees home with me next trip and press these babies in. The idea must be that they crush a bit. ( I'm two states away from my home, this is a restoration I took with me on a two year job, so my tools and shop are far away, Just makes it a bit tougher) Thanks for the help!!

[UPDATE]

Hmmmmm, I see JP sells a set of oversize bushings. I wonder if that is what I have???