2-piece VFR wheel studs - any interest?

[NT696]

A fellow member (kpr1) and I have been PMing each other about the ability to mount either a Hawk rim or a VFR rim without any fuss. It would involve replacing the brake disc bolts with custom longer ones, and using a hollow custom VFR stud to samwich the spindle. The VFR rim would still need the center pocket machined deeper, but that is all. It would look something like this:

Anybody interested?

[Doc]

Explain more...Please.

[NT696]

Currently, I run a 5.5" VFR rim on an un-modified Hawk spindle. I replaced the drive pins with:

The VFR rim needs machining to deepen the center pocket, and to clear the four nuts of the brake disk mounting:

The spindle now looks like:

Lets call this the Mark 1 version. Cons: the spindle has to come out to replace the studs with the stock drive pins should you want to go back to a Hawk rim. Pros: You can still mount the Hawk rim, because the spindle has not been modified.
Mark 2 version:
Kpr1 and I seem to have it figured out to be able to have both VFR studs and Hawk drive pins on the spindle at the same time. The brake disc mounting bolt pattern is also 4x100mm, just like the drive pins, just like the VFR bolt pattern. We are going ahead with it just for the sheer coolness factor of being able to change quickly, just wondering if anyone else thought this bananas or genius.
One issue we already know is the wheel nut torque cant be more than the retaining bolt. Not for Gorillas who dont use a torque wrench.
Brent

[PaullyBoy]

Im interested how much do you want for a set of the bolts? Now if I could just get a VFR rim. Ebay here I come.

[NT696]

Re: how much?

We are going to make a prototype set, to see if there are any bugs we have not figured on, so costs are yet to be set. This is simple lathe turning, so should not be too expensive.

[Deadlego]

What ever happened with this?

[Crash]

I did something very similiar so that I could run a VFR rim or the stock Hawk rim on one of my hubs. I did it back in 1997. Basically I shortened the center of the Hawk hub so that the VFR wheel would fit on. Then I made some new hawk drive pins that would allow the rear brake rotor to be bolted on using the drive pins as the nuts for the rotor mounting bolts. That left the other 4 holes in the hub free to be used to bolt on the VFR rim.

Later I machined the VFR rim so that it could be mounted in the same way as the stock hawk rim so then I could simply swap the wheels back and forth. The hawk hub now has 4 empty holes in it.

[NT696]

The two-piece studs bolted together with a 8mm thread. I became worried the the torque applied to the 12mm VFR wheel nuts would overcome the smaller thread holding the two halves together.
I now just machine the VFR rim, and add an adapter to allow the VFR rim to bolt on like the Hawk rim. I just did one for ParcNHawk, and I hear he likes it.

[Hawkman22]

Back in '92 or so for the race Hawk we machined aluminum plugs to press fit in the VFR stud pockets, then re-drilled to the stock Hawk drive pin pattern/diameter. The center hole on the wheel was also machined to use the stock Hawk spacer and nut. Slicks on the VFR rim, rains on the stock wheel, easy peasy. No spindles were harmed for this conversion.

[ParcNHawk]

I just did one for ParcNHawk, and I hear he likes it.

LIKES IT, HE LOVES IT !!!!!!!


And I just got complemented on how awesome it looks just this morning in the parking lot !!

[NT696]

Back in '92 or so for the race Hawk we machined aluminum plugs to press fit in the VFR stud pockets, then re-drilled to the stock Hawk drive pin pattern/diameter. The center hole on the wheel was also machined to use the stock Hawk spacer and nut. Slicks on the VFR rim, rains on the stock wheel, easy peasy. No spindles were harmed for this conversion.

I was not aware that this was ever done before, 'back in the day' good to know it was already 'proven' before.

I do the same thing, except that to bore out the VFR rim enough to accept the big (steel) Hawk spacer, would have meant some larger bores that would have looked visually unappealing. Machining holes that size, may have broken through some of the cast sections of the rim. Thats why I did not go that route.

Do you happen to have any pictures of a VFR rim modified as you describe? I for one would be really keen to see it, to see what it looks like.

[Hawk770]

Yes some pics please. i will be doing the conversion for the VFR 5-spoke 17x5.

[Hawkman22]

Sorry, no photos, that bike has long been retired and vanished into the ether. I don't have any good shots of the wheel in my old prints.