Brampton hydraulic steering damper

Oldhaven

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I am getting an NHK Kawasaki type steering damper and intend to install it on my Brampton forked B. I have seen the brackets described by Reg Bolton in 10 YEARS ON, but due to the differences in the head lug and friction steering damper, the fitting of the damper rod end is not as straightforward as with Girdraulics. I would rather not drill the small and fragile looking bottom flange of FT 207 steering column, and the little tab on FT 232AS nut doesn't look up to taking the possible forces in a wobble plus its plate is dished. In fact I would rather not alter the friction damper at all, and attach somewhere else. Has anyone done this installation already? I suppose the undrilled grease fitting bosses could be used, or I could try to make a fitted bracket for one end of the spindle housing on the steering column using the flange that is there. Since I am using a coil over hydraulic damper, I even considered replacing FT221L rear friction disk with a special bracket, making sure it could not rotate with girder movement, but that seems rather desperate. Any suggestions or experiences?

Ron
 

vibrac

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damper 003.jpg

Yes I know its a RH girdralic on my Flash but I was going to have a large nut made that fulfilled the same function on the LH lower rear spindle of my alphabet twins Bramptons with enough clearance behind to accomodate the square adjuster terminating in a tapered section with a tapped hole for an eye bolt the rest to follow the above design. I have not done it yet,why?, yet to have a set of Bramptons in a situation where I felt I needed it
 

vibrac

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damper 002.jpg


Another view of Girdralic fitting. A cap head down the center holds the spring box
 

Oldhaven

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Thanks, Vibrac, that gives me lots of ideas. I have attached a picture of a female spherical rod end that might work if it was retapped to 1/2 CEI spindle thread. It would have enough clearance for the square adjuster or could be shortened and welded to the existing nut. I assume you mean this large nut combination would replace the spindle lock nut and not fit the few remaining threads proud of the existing lock nut.? Also the spindle and lock nut must rotate a few degrees with fork motion , and the spindle lock nut might not line up exactly when tightened, unless it was shimmed correctly, so I would think the spherical rod end plus the end of the damper rod spherical end would accommodate the motion and alignment. This could use a simple clevis pin instead of a bolt. I will look at the possibilities when I get the Bramptons back together. I also like the simple head bracket you did.
It seems most experienced old hands say the Bramptons are not as prone to wobbles, but my brother Steve smashed his ankle and ended up with a non functional ankle joint from a tank slapper on his C Shadow (Girdraulics admittedly). That was one of the reasons I stopped riding for a while, and I guess I feel better to be safe rather than sorry and have a slight bit less concern when I get back on my Vincent. New taper bearings in the head lug, coil over Thornton, hydraulic steering damper, 21 inch wheel, new brakes. (though I wish I could afford the new 8"" or 2LS brakes.)
 

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vibrac

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Yes I did intend to replace the nut
IMHO you do Not want 8" or 2LS on Bramptons I have seen them bend at the bottom tubes just before the casting under heavy solo braking (admittedly racing - well high speed trials) and that was just original racing plates with longer shoes and on tubes 40 years younger than they are now.
 

Oldhaven

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Good advice and fits my budget. I always was pretty comfortable with the brakes on my C Rapide when they were properly adjusted. The fork tubes on this machine are 65 years old, though they have not been used since around 1966. (Probably even worse for them). I have done the tap, shake and listen test and looked them over pretty well. By the way, I found a small drilled hole in each rear lower tube, about a 1/32 in diameter, each approximately facing the centerline. Was this done at the factory for some reason? I thought I would spray a little light oil in, shake it around, drain, and then seal them up.

Ron
 

Oldhaven

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It turns out that the spherical rod end I pictured above is available in stainless with 1/2-20 NF threads in both right and left hand. I am away from my reference books and the spindles for a few days but IIRC, the spindle in question is LH 1/2 CEI threaded on the adjuster end, and this is almost exactly the same as 1/2-20 NF. The rod end might thread right on the spindle end, and the print shows that it has room for the adjuster and could even be shortened a bit. Am I right in the 1/2 CEI, 1/2 NF assumption?
 

Oldhaven

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Never mind, the spindle is 1/2 -26 CEI. Would still work with a bit of extra effort.
 
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