53 K Spokes Recommendations

Production K Models

Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby Mayday53 » Sat Aug 27, 2016 9:46 pm

thefrenchowl wrote:Since spokes are webbed in a symmetrical manner, it's more than odd that only one of them of the same length would be showing more at the nipple. Suggests the whole rim is not aligned proper to the hub...


FC...It is the same all the way around the rim, every 4th spoke is too long. Every spoke is the one laced on the larger (sprocket side) of the hub which are laced "over the top" (fed from middle/nub on the inside). Thus my confusion.

I go back to my original question, the 53 Harley parts manual shows the spokes as 7.5" and 8.5" and seeing how this problem spoke is approximately 1/2" too long...it makes me believe the Buchanan specs showing an 8" spoke must be wrong.

I am open to other suggestions, but I do not have any at this point... :twisted: :?:
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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby Mayday53 » Sat Aug 27, 2016 9:48 pm

gearhead1944 wrote:mayday,
Your inner spokes are running in the same direction.the book shows them running in opposite directions.
....mike....



Mike, I do not see what you are saying...the inner lacing spokes go opposite the outer lacing on both sides. ON the "non-sprocket/smaller hub" side it can only go one way due to the "double slotted" spoke holes. Am I missing something in your analysis?
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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby hennesse » Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:44 am

Mayday,

I'm confused. What size wheels did you end up using? The Spare Parts Catalog shows (7.5 and 8.5) for 19" rims, (short and long) for 18" rims.
(The 18" wheels do not appear in the 1953 SPC, but the Season Order Blank dated 11-20-52 shows them).

If your spokes were too long, every other spoke would stick out, not every 4th spoke. Do you have the rim aligned with the hub?
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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby gearhead1944 » Sun Aug 28, 2016 9:00 am

mayday,
your "under" spokes on both flanges are pointed in a clockwise direction. the foto in the book shows
the small flange spokes pointing counter clockwise.This might not be your problem,but its not correct.
I also think you need two different length spokes.
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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby hennesse » Sun Aug 28, 2016 1:08 pm

Gearhead is right! Take a look at the California-2009 in the Gallery:Barnster section (below), or other photos of 1952-1954 like Stan Diener's 1953 or Chuck Sherman's 1954.

On the rear wheel, looking from the non-brake (small flange) side: the inner spokes on the non-brake side go clockwise, while the inner spokes on the brake side go counter-clockwise.

Apparently, this changed in 1955 when they switched to the BigTwin-style rear hub. So the 1959-1969 Service Manual can not be followed for 52-54 rear.

The front hub does the same thing through 1963 - inner spokes on the non-brake side go clockwise, while the inner spokes on the brake side go counter-clockwise. It looks like your front wheel is done correctly.
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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby Mayday53 » Sun Aug 28, 2016 10:52 pm

hennesse wrote:Mayday,

I'm confused. What size wheels did you end up using? The Spare Parts Catalog shows (7.5 and 8.5) for 19" rims, (short and long) for 18" rims.
(The 18" wheels do not appear in the 1953 SPC, but the Season Order Blank dated 11-20-52 shows them).

If your spokes were too long, every other spoke would stick out, not every 4th spoke. Do you have the rim aligned with the hub?


Hennesse, now my head is spinning (so to speak). Here is a bullet style explanation on the genesis of my quandry:
- I am using 19" rims; that is what was on the bike originally (according to the guy who owned it since 1955)
- I agree, my HD Parts catalog for the 1953 K-Model SPC, says 7.5" and 8.5 " spokes are needed
- Buchanan sent me 8" and 8.5" spokes; I told them I needed 7.5" not 8" but they said I was wrong and "we know what we are doing"
- The 8.5" spokes fit fine on the non-brake side, smaller hub.
- The "inside laced" 8" spokes laced fine
- The "outlide laced" 8" spokes all stick through the nipple excessively as shown in the pictures.
- Thus, every 4th nipple, associated with the bullet above, are too long

SO my question is this...should I send back the 8" spokes and demand 7.5" spokes...assuming they will play.

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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby Mayday53 » Sun Aug 28, 2016 10:57 pm

hennesse wrote:Gearhead is right! Take a look at the California-2009 in the Gallery:Barnster section (below), or other photos of 1952-1954 like Stan Diener's 1953 or Chuck Sherman's 1954.

On the rear wheel, looking from the non-brake (small flange) side: the inner spokes on the non-brake side go clockwise, while the inner spokes on the brake side go counter-clockwise.

Apparently, this changed in 1955 when they switched to the BigTwin-style rear hub. So the 1959-1969 Service Manual can not be followed for 52-54 rear.

The front hub does the same thing through 1963 - inner spokes on the non-brake side go clockwise, while the inner spokes on the brake side go counter-clockwise. It looks like your front wheel is done correctly.



Gearhead,

I see it now...the smaller hub spokes need to be flipped...I was looking from the opposite side when lacing, damn! I do have two questions:
1) Does it really matter since the are both holding the same compression or is the difference purely cosmetic? (I am going to swap them, I am just curious)
2) I agree with you on the service manual; for the rear hub. Is there one available for the earlier K-models? I have not found one yet.

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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby Mayday53 » Fri Sep 02, 2016 3:49 pm

Ok folks...thanks for your time and advice. Just a bit of an update:

Buchanan is sending me 20 new 7.5" spokes to replace the 8" spokes previously sent. I will let everyone know how that works out; bsed on my current results they should work fine.

Have a safe Labor Day weekend on your scoots!
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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby EKHKHK56 » Fri Sep 02, 2016 4:46 pm

Sounds like they haven't dealt with to many -54 and older early K hubs. There are a million -55 ones around! :)
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Re: 53 K Spokes Recommendations

Postby Mayday53 » Fri Sep 02, 2016 4:50 pm

EKHKHK56 wrote:Sounds like they haven't dealt with to many -54 and older early K hubs. There are a million -55 ones around! :)


Yeah, I was actually contemplating using the later hub style at one point, but then came to my senses and decided to use the correct one.
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