swing arm rear fender

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chop1543
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swing arm rear fender

#1

Post by chop1543 »

Building a '58 with an original drop-seat frame. I have a rear fender for '65 to '72. I know about the indent in the front of the fender for the different style oil tank, and the flip has holes for the directional brackets. Other than those 2 differences, will the later rear fender otherwise fit in the early frame?
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Re: swing arm rear fender

#2

Post by RooDog »

The FL fender struts are one part number 1958-76, so the fenders will mount. Now, FX struts and fenders are narrower and must be used together.....
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Re: swing arm rear fender

#3

Post by nifty »

There is some variation in the factory dents for shock bolts, trial fit before paint
Nifty
chop1543
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Re: swing arm rear fender

#4

Post by chop1543 »

nifty wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 11:24 pm There is some variation in the factory dents for shock bolts, trial fit before paint
Nifty
OK, will do. While we're on the subject of the shocks, I see a hardware difference for compressing the rubbers at the top and bottom of the shocks. The description for early shocks says there are washers of different ID's but the same OD's. The picture in the parts book shows different size OD's. And the inside washer (the one with the large ID), is described as being only 1/32" thick. Can this be correct?
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Re: swing arm rear fender

#5

Post by nifty »

Yes the early cupped washers were thin and didn't control rubber of shock bushes well, also only 3/8" threads on outside of early studs
If you aren't going for 100 AMCA points you can use later shovel studs, nuts & washers
Nifty
chop1543
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Re: swing arm rear fender

#6

Post by chop1543 »

nifty wrote: Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:48 am Yes the early cupped washers were thin and didn't control rubber of shock bushes well, also only 3/8" threads on outside of early studs
If you aren't going for 100 AMCA points you can use later shovel studs, nuts & washers
Nifty
I guess I need to go to school a little more on these features. I didn't know the early washers were cupped. The book displays and sorta describes them as flat washers, and if they are flat, then I can see shy they wouldn't capture the rubber bushings. The studs on the bike I'm working on have the smaller thread on the outside. This isn't a 100-pointer, so maybe I'll just make washers to suit. After all, they are hidden by the domed covers. I was looking for something that would at least provide a minimum of support for the rubber bushings.
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Re: swing arm rear fender

#7

Post by RUBONE »

Early washers were cupped to capture the loose cone shaped rubber bushings that just slipped on the studs and into the shock eye. And they were not thin, they were fairly stout. The bushings were compressed when assembled. Later shocks have bushings vulcanized in place (like an automotive motor mount) and no compression occurs during assemble, hence small flat washers. Cupped washers used to be standard automotive fare and every pair of shocks came with new ones. They used to be common as dirt in auto shops.
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