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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: canuck750 on March 15, 2019, 09:17:50 PM
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I have a couple sets of Ceriani shock absorbers that are period correct for many Italian motorcycles including my Laverda 750 SF1 and Benelli 650 Tornado to name a few. A couple pairs of these vintage shocks have suffered decades of corrosion to the hard chrome plates shafts. I tried several hard chrome plating shops in town but unfortunately these shops are not set up tp hard chrome the tiny shock absorber shafts, One shop quoted me $200 to set up their tooling and at least $100 to plate each shaft, Yikes!!
A shop foreman suggested I make new stainless steel shafts to match the originals, brilliant!
This is the shape of the original shock shaft after I cleaned the rust off
(https://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2485_zpsfamwboxw.jpg) (https://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2485_zpsfamwboxw.jpg.html)
I was lucky to find 7/16" hard stainless steel rod and cut new sections to length and milled the ends and threaded the tips to match the originals.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2490_zpso7y7xvzn.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2490_zpso7y7xvzn.jpg.html)
I have a professional welder friend willing to TIG weld the stainless shafts to the carbon steel top caps,
I cut the old shafts off the caps, ground off the remnants of the old shaft and then made a jig to hold the new shaft in place to the original cap
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2484_zpsxmywoqe2.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2484_zpsxmywoqe2.jpg.html)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2494_zpsxmlj0n82.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2494_zpsxmlj0n82.jpg.html)
Once welded up I powder coated the caps again and these shocks will last a life time
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2495_zpsonqwswio.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2495_zpsonqwswio.jpg.html)
The stainless rod cost me under $15.00 and I used scrap steel to make the jig
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2496_zpstov4c7du.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2496_zpstov4c7du.jpg.html)
It took a couple hours of machining, welding and painting but saved $100's!
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Very nice work Jim , I am seriously impressed :bow:
Dusty
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Magnifico!
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I knew a winter project would come along sooner or later. :grin: Nice work! :thumb:
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It took a couple hours of machining, welding and painting but saved $100's!
:smiley:
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Very, very cool. Thanks for posting.
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Nice work - great ideas there. Thanks! :thumb:
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Finished up the reassembly, Wolfgang Haerter at Columbia Car and Cycle in Naksusp B.C. had the new seal kits
The new stainless shafts are a tiny bit wider than the original so I had to ream out the centre of the cast slider a few thou, it's the part that moves with the shock action.
(https://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2502_zpsrguwtr6v.jpg) (https://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2502_zpsrguwtr6v.jpg.html)
I filled them with 70cc of 5 weight fluid
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2503_zpshg1l4bga.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2503_zpshg1l4bga.jpg.html)
And a repro decal to just smarten them up
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2504_zpsnbzgudtf.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2504_zpsnbzgudtf.jpg.html)
And the loaner pair (much longer) can go back on the Laverda
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg217/canuck750/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2505_zps9wdpdcx9.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/canuck750/media/1974%20Benelli%20650S%20Tornado/IMG_2505_zps9wdpdcx9.jpg.html)
Now the Benneli rear end sits like it should and the bike no longer wobbles on the centre stand. :thumb:
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Wow, nice job!
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nice job, next time you might try hard chromed shaft, over here it is easily available at 20 euro/meter,
it is more durable than the stainless
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nice job, next time you might try hard chromed shaft, over here it is easily available at 20 euro/meter,
it is more durable than the stainless
Maybe so, but I'll bet it would be a bear to turn down and thread.. :smiley:
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Beauty :thumb:
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Neat :thumb:
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nice job, next time you might try hard chromed shaft, over here it is easily available at 20 euro/meter,
it is more durable than the stainless
Good tip Huub, I may look for that for a pair of Ikons I have in need of new shafts. Do you know if it is available in metric diameters?
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Nice Work!!
For the Ikon's, maybe try Ikon for new shafts rather than making them.
Good luck!
Tom
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Good tip Huub, I may look for that for a pair of Ikons I have in need of new shafts. Do you know if it is available in metric diameters?
actually , over here ( netherlands) , that is the only sizes available
example;
https://www.indi.nl/nl-nl/p/aandrijftechniek/staal-en-kunststoffen/stafmateriaal-staal/as-materiaal-hardverchroomd/Hardchroom-as-12mm-3m-45836
metric sizes are probably harder to find over there, but it is available
machining it is no problem , if you have to cut threads you are in the base material, not in the chrome layer
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The only thing I *know* about in the states is Thompson Shafting, used with linear bearings. Good luck turning and threading that.. :grin:
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The only thing I *know* about in the states is Thompson Shafting, used with linear bearings. Good luck turning and threading that.. :grin:
Hello sailor! In need of a good (Thompson) Shafting are we? What a classic name.....