Vintage tracker Frankenbike tribute build

[Nabeaquam]

Progress is at a snails pace.

 

[Ren Rawbor]

Progress nonetheless, and already looking way better than it has any right to if one was to simply read the text describing what you've done and how you've done it.

Inspirational, you've got me thinking once again of building my own cruiser/chopper type bastardised bike using unwanted old frames and bits I've got laying round.

 

[Nabeaquam]

A little more progress today. 38 mm tires, a tight fit in the chain stays. They fit but might rub in corners. I’ll probably dimple them for extra clearance.

 

[Nabeaquam]

The original chain stay spread was 44 mm giving 3 mm clearance on each side of the tire. Too tight. I first tried my standard mild steel chain stay spreading modes, with a torch, to no avail. Chrome molybdenum is too hard, especially if it’s already dimpled.
I used a piece of 2x2 inch square tubing and hammered it in between the chain stays. That spread it to 49 mm.
I need a sledge hammer to widen it more. Next time we’re at our house on the lake, checking it out, I’ll bring back a sledge and a huge splitting maul. If that doesn’t work I’ll have to cut tqo notches for the tire and weld in an indent. It’s pretty good, it a little more would be better. I bet the big hammer will give me a few more mm.

 

[27motorhead]

Nice hammering!

 

[Nabeaquam]

I’m trying to put in the BB. It’s now apparent that the original left side threads were cross threaded and massively mangled. Working on these old tossed out junk frames is always full of surprises. Free isn’t always good. Usually you can rethread by chasing the threads. You have to chase the good side first to guide the goobered side threader in correctly. You can then usually carefully thread the BB cup into the fixed side, but it often wants to cross thread again. It’s touch and go. It can even need another chasing if it’s dismantled. Shite. It’s windy today so I’m workin in the open, using the ground as a workbench. The wind in the open keeps the black flies down.

 

[Nabeaquam]

Wah hoo, I got er. It kept cross threading, 1/4 way in it became apparent, try again. Lucky today. Touch and go though. The cup would turn easily, then bind a little, then easy. It bound less when it was right. It was difficult to tell when it was in right. Anyone rebuilding this BB is in for a treat. Ha, ha.