G,day.My 3 short forks are stamped 665014 and my 2 longer forks are stamped 665016.All off war bikes,or at least the first layer of paint was green.Sam.

email (option): smarwick@iprimus.com.au

Good work Ron!

The "Standards" rim offset data for rear wheel is a little unclear

For rear left/brake/sprocket side, the straight edge should be placed on the end face of the 15-7046 Hub bearing sleeve/hollow axle (5/8" to edge of rim).

For rear right side, the straight edge should be placed on the end face of the 26-6861 Hub bearing locknut (1 1/4" to edge of rim).

The front wheel data is straight forward and your offset dimension of 1/2" tallies nicely with the 1940-1948 66-5526 Front Hub Spindle (axle) which has an overall length of 7.570” /192.2mm, for offset wheel and fork)

Whereas the 1937-1939 15-7018 Front Hub Spindle (axle) has an overall length of 7.086” /180mm, for non-offset wheel and non-offset fork.

The extra length of 40-48 spindle is all on the left side for:
29-5737 Speedometer Drive Gearbox,(body of drive around axle hole is 0.105” thick)
2 x 36-3528 Front Hub Spindle Locknut Washer (fitted on top of speedo drive, 0.640” x 1.250” x 0.125” thick, same washer as idler spindle in timing chest)
66-5524, Front Hub Washer (Speedometer Drive) (goes inside speedo drive, 0.640” x 0.950” x 0.078” thick)
24-6994, Front Hub Spindle Locknut, (left side, goes on top of 36-3528, 5/8” x 20 TPI x 0.920” hex x 0.188 thick, not used 37-39)

All these 40-48 bits add up to 0.621", however, contrary to at least some BSA parts books, RUSSELL MOTORS state that only one 36-3528 Front Hub Spindle Locknut Washer is used, which brings the stack of bits down to 4 thou shy of 1/2", near as damn it!

Perhaps BSA intended 36-3528 Front Hub Spindle Locknut Washer to be used "as required", so as not to overstress the "war tolerance" fork when axle nuts tightened?

The answers lie in the uncounted rivets!

Good luck with eliminating your wobble, I've never experienced a BSA wobble.

You might have to do some hand scraping so your head bearings remain round.

email (option): n.gentner@bigpond.com

We weren't talking about fork length but from the bottom yoke spindle to the front wheel spindle. We took this measurement in case the fork linkages were bent or twisted or the bottom yoke was bent. This distance will change depending on weather the forks are compressed or not, but just wanted them the same. So fully extended it would be a chopper M20

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Sam,
Do your 66-5014 forks have standard mudguard stems or are their stems shorter than the 66-5016 mudguard stems?

email (option): n.gentner@bigpond.com

Mudguard stems all seem to be 1"5/8.long.I could be wrong about the green paint on the 665016 forks,none of my bikes are restored and everything is a bit rusty.

email (option): smarwick@iprimus.com.au

Well done on your eyesight Neale! I have just checked with a torch and magnifying glass and can confirm 66-5014.
I also have these forks below with #66-5014 and are 16 5/8" between spindle centres. Not sure what is going on with the mudguard support? But I'm not bothered as they are for my BSA/Indian special and I'll be putting a nicer top hat spacer in place of the hex. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Ron, Looks like someone might have used the fitting from between the lifting handle and mudguard bracket instead of the mudguard spacer. The mudguard mount also appears to have been shortened...it looks to be too small a diameter at the lower end.....Ian

email (option): Ian@wright52.plus.com

I've actually got that part of the forging that the mudguard bolts to, it got sawn off a set of wm20 girders in the late 70's & the forks were being chromed for a custom machine.
Anyway being the hoarder i am i kept the part & came across it in a box with its distinctive flared shape & 5/16" bscy threaded hole.
If you wanted to weld an original part back on it would be free to anyone.

Ahh...the things we used to do...The only parts that weren't chromed on my Gold Star was the alloy racing tank and the frame...I'd probably get dragged down the road behind a standard DBD34 Clubmans if I turned up at a (boring) Gold Star owners club meeting with that bike today...Sadly, 'Iconic' status does have a tendency to produce very dull, identical motorcycles...Ian

email (option): Ian@wright52.plus.com

Thanks for the offer Bill. But I will be going out of my way to disguise them as M20 forks. Like sawing off the brake rod lug and headlamp brackets for starters.
And yes Ian. I think you a right about that fitting. No idea why the lug was sawn shorter?

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

66-5014 fork blade, 1940-41 WD WM20 (1940 C-7287, 1941 RAF) = stamped number identical to part number 66-5014 (420mm by my tape measure from centre of lower link to centre of axle)
IMPORTANT NOTE: According to the parts books, Rons forks and a set I have, 66-5014 forks have their mudguard stem shortened by ½”, i.e. length of mudguard stem is approx 1 ¼” (32mm).
According to the parts books, 66-5014 fork is used with ½” long 66-6557 front mudguard distance piece (machined from hex) as per Ron's pic.

That hex extension stud is the proper BSA part.
The shortening of mudguard stem was done by BSA.
The reason is unconfirmed.

My speculation is BSA went to the 66-5016 long fork for the big contracts but used up what ever was lying around for the small contracts.
The pre war Goldies used this same short mudguard stem to allow clearance for 21" front tyres on competition models, and the same mudguard distance piece 66-6557 when standard wheel and mudguard used on M24 touring models.
By making the special 66-5014 fork with short mudguard stem the WM20 assembly line didn't have to be re-trained to fit mudguard distance piece 66-6557 only on some contracts. And BSA cleared all stocks of M24 fork castings.

BSA were once very adept at economical mass production.

email (option): n.gentner@bigpond.com

Hi Ron,

I don't have the net at home any more. I'll have to put my drawing onto a thum drive and get byou tomorrow.

email (option): britool51@hotmail.coom

I now have my bike back together. Happily my back wheel is dead in line with the front. Just wondering if it's ever going to stop raining long enough for the roads to dry out? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com