harley springer front brake options??? running no front brake opinions?????

[Guest]

what are the options for front disc brake on a repop harley springer. i need a left side but the performance machine to me looks like it is kinda overdone. too much. and i have not seen one in black. i have been told that the ones that work on dna and paugcho will not work on mine. i am torn and almost thought about machining my front hub down and just running a rear brake. not only does it clean up the bars but it does away with an ugly front brake. if i did run no front brake i would probably get the fab kevin rear dual caliper set up. even though i know it probably doesn't make up for not having a good front brake.



will the oem harley left side work? i had an fx springer and its brake mounted on the right and would not work. but this one on ebay is left mount

harley left mount

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181406653844?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

performance machine

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131167751081?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

any comments or suggestions is appreciated. the brake is the only thing i do not have worked out.

[RetroRob]

Harley stock drum for a springer, small, simple, bolt on and yes the work

[ctluba]

Bike looks great with those wheels / tires and that front end.

[Guest]

drum is not an option. won't work with my front wheel that i had laced up.

[Davestune]

check paughco, but I didn't like the looks of all that shit on my front end either so me chop has no front brake
but my pan im building I just got a drum setup for it, looks way better. If u want a front brake Id sell off that front wheel and get a starhub and then u can run drum

[Guest]

i don't know what all is involved in a drum front brake. could i just find a hub and lace my wheel to the hub or just as easy to start over on the front wheel. i paid to have them laced and powder coated so i hate to start over

[chupa]

I ran a stock harley drum for a while and it didn't stop for shit. I figured it was me not knowing enough to dial it in so I brought it to my local indy. His response was "on a good day a single leading shoe drum will hold you still on level ground... maybe"

I personally don't have enough experience to say that for sure but the dude looks like gandolf's little brother and has been building bikes since the 70s so I took his word for it.

[nuklhd]

of course a disc is better stopping power than a springer drum but a properly set up drum is good. with drum brakes you have to ride like you have drum brakes if you get my meaning.
i ran one season gravitywerx with a disc on the back with no front brake with a springer. i was fine.
p/m me your address, i have a gms springer brake and bracket in my uhoh pile. problee needs a rebuild(which is no big deal)i problee have the shackle floating around also. it's yours if you want to see if it will work.

[RetroRob]

If your not a purist consider a triumph drum laced to what ever rim u want

[mreed]

I've used Softail rear calipers a few times on springers. Just make sure to use a bushing at the axle to make sure the caliper doesn't lock up the springer during braking.







modified and not modified calipers

[SyndicateChoppers]

no front brakes always look the best
disc brakes on an early springer or early replica springer always look "out of place" to my eye but that's just my opinion

to answer your question if you want to run the OEM style drum brake yes you will need to lace your rim up to a "star" hub
by doing that you can also run all the OEM style axle and spacers up front.

I do a lot of bikes with OEM early springers and I either go OEM drum brake or no brake at all those are the two best looking options in my opinion

as far as riding with no front brake there is nothing wrong with it as long as you understand you have to ride with limitations meaning - leave extra room for slowing down and stopping.
All of my bikes except my knucklehead and have no front brakes and they all have drum rear brakes
get comfortable with the stopping range your bike has without a front brake and you will be fine

[TENNESSEEPSYCHO]

what did you mean bushing?....im getting ready to do the same thing....front and rearonmy build....ionly have home tools....i need to open up the 3/4 hole for a bushing?...is it necc.?...nice work bro!

[Jessechop]

what did you mean bushing?....im getting ready to do the same thing....front and rearonmy build....ionly have home tools....i need to open up the 3/4 hole for a bushing?...is it necc.?...nice work bro!

Might be better off starting a new thread where this one is well over a year old.

On a springer the axle moves up and down, thus the arc from the axle centerline to the brake pivot mount changes. If the caliper is solid on the axle it will not move, bad things WILL happen. If you are running a 3/4 axle what you would need to do is bore your caliper bracket to a larger od, and press in a bushing with a 3/4 i.d. The bushing needs to be the same width as the hole in your caliper bracket.

What I do is is take a piece of bronze, turn the id semi close, say .730. Then the od for my hole a few thousands bigger. I.E if I have a 1" hole I will go 1.002 on the bushing. Press it together and I use green loctite. Then I ream the bushing to .750 - .752 or thereabouts.

Let me know if this makes sense, I can draw up a pic if needed.

Where you dont have alot of tools on hand you could probably drill the bracket out and buy a pre made busing. They typically come oversized to account for the press fit. Maybe use a set screw to hold the bushing

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-sleeve-bearings/=10hrroe

Keep in mind the caliper cant bind, I.E. when you tighten the axle before you put the brake stay on the bracket needs to move. Make sure your axle is set up for that. Or, you can put a 3/4 id spacer over the axle a bit longer than the caliper bracket. Then the bushing goes over that

[47str8leg]

what did you mean bushing?....im getting ready to do the same thing....front and rearonmy build....ionly have home tools....i need to open up the 3/4 hole for a bushing?...is it necc.?...nice work bro!

There are those who say a front brake does 70% of your stopping power. I say if you only have a rear brake it does 100%. I have a knuckle w/front and rear drum brakes and a pan-shovel w/one rear disc and a spool star hub up front. Neither stop awesome but I ride accordingly. Discs ,to me, on a springer look out of place , same w/a super "E" carb on my knuckle, so I put a "B" on there. Some things don't gel like oil and water , some guys care and some don't. Choose what is more important to you.

[Ink83]

The performance machine caliper does come in all black. But no one seam to do a 6 piston for springer, I just made one work from hydraulic forks