Homemade shifter linkage
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 610
Likes: 62
From: White Bear Lake, MN
Homemade shifter linkage
Thought I'd share a picture of my latest bit of garage effort as inspiration to anyone who might want to make one for their own bike.
A 14" piece of 5/16" aluminum rod is the main piece (cut to length), with 5/16 x 24 female threaded heim joint ends, and lock nuts which are also 5/16 x24 thread, are all the parts needed to make the link rod. Also needed are two 1" long 5/16 x 24 chrome button head bolts, and an acorn nut and washer, which may already be on your bike on the front of the stock rod.
These parts can all be obtained online, or locally if you have the sources.
The eye-to-eye length I was going for was 14 3/4" center to center, so I cut about 3/4 " off the rod to start. This bike had a solid stock rod with the attachment ends that do not unscrew from the rod, and the diameter was too thick to simply cut off the ends and thread it. It is a 2006 Street Bob.
After initial cutting, I threaded both ends by holding the rod in the vise with aluminum softjaws, so that the vise didn't mar the rod badly while holding against the twisting force of the die handle. I cut 5/16 x 24 threads on each end, making sure not to cut too far so that the threads would not show once finished.
Assembled the pieces, checked the length, added a couple more threads, tightened it up, then went to it with the polishing wheel and rouge before mounting it up with blue locktite.
I think it turned out very well, and it works with a much more solid action than the stock piece with the double-flexy construction. I've probably got about $15 dollars in parts into it, and about an hour of relaxing work.
Pic link (for some reason the forum picture upload function is not working for me today)...
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Shan...xvwbk.jpg.html
All the best,
Shane
A 14" piece of 5/16" aluminum rod is the main piece (cut to length), with 5/16 x 24 female threaded heim joint ends, and lock nuts which are also 5/16 x24 thread, are all the parts needed to make the link rod. Also needed are two 1" long 5/16 x 24 chrome button head bolts, and an acorn nut and washer, which may already be on your bike on the front of the stock rod.
These parts can all be obtained online, or locally if you have the sources.
The eye-to-eye length I was going for was 14 3/4" center to center, so I cut about 3/4 " off the rod to start. This bike had a solid stock rod with the attachment ends that do not unscrew from the rod, and the diameter was too thick to simply cut off the ends and thread it. It is a 2006 Street Bob.
After initial cutting, I threaded both ends by holding the rod in the vise with aluminum softjaws, so that the vise didn't mar the rod badly while holding against the twisting force of the die handle. I cut 5/16 x 24 threads on each end, making sure not to cut too far so that the threads would not show once finished.
Assembled the pieces, checked the length, added a couple more threads, tightened it up, then went to it with the polishing wheel and rouge before mounting it up with blue locktite.
I think it turned out very well, and it works with a much more solid action than the stock piece with the double-flexy construction. I've probably got about $15 dollars in parts into it, and about an hour of relaxing work.
Pic link (for some reason the forum picture upload function is not working for me today)...
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Shan...xvwbk.jpg.html
All the best,
Shane
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 1,325
From: DeLand, Florida
Looks good. I don't have the talent so I bought this. About $25
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Gear-...1XOsfg&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Gear-...1XOsfg&vxp=mtr
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,826
Likes: 87
From: Cookson, Ok
Making your own......Priceless!!! The one on my FXR is polished brass hex, drilled and tapped with 5/16-24 set screws loctited in to mount the rod ends.
Last edited by Lakerat; Sep 14, 2016 at 08:44 AM.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 610
Likes: 62
From: White Bear Lake, MN
Looks good. I don't have the talent so I bought this. About $25
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Gear-...1XOsfg&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Gear-...1XOsfg&vxp=mtr
I thought about getting one like this as well, but I like to make things, especially when I get to use tools (this time, it was the die) that came from my wife's grandpa, who died before I met my wife.
Shane
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 610
Likes: 62
From: White Bear Lake, MN
Pic?
Shane
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 756
Likes: 144
From: Burleson, TX
Looks good. I don't have the talent so I bought this. About $25
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Gear-...1XOsfg&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Gear-...1XOsfg&vxp=mtr
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 17,684
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From: Niagara, Ontario, Canada
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Road Warrior
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From: DeLand, Florida
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