Bending Cycle Guard Brackets

[injidup]

I did a search...

I need to bend my cycle guard brackets towards the wheel so that the mudguards sit centred over the tyre.

I tried using a rubber mallet, a vice and all my weight, but the pipes are too thick to make any impact on them!

Anyone bent theirs and can tell me how to do it?

Cheers,

Kev.

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

I would like to know too!

Bending tube should be done with pipe bender, or the results can be nasty. The alternative is to cut and weld an offset link, gusseted to the original pipe....always a last resort but should be a tidier job!

Andy

[the bear]

I have the same problem following a switch in wheel sizes (195/15's down to 185/13's) with a different offset (35 to 19) I now have cylce wings that sit about 3/4 of an inch away from ideal and also sit about 1 1/2 inches too high.

I have thought about changing the wings to those supplied by DAX as they have a smoother profile but need the brackets modified first.

Bending tube should be done with pipe bender, or the results can be nasty. The alternative is to cut and weld an offset link, gusseted to the original pipe....always a last resort but should be a tidier job!

Any chance of a sketch of what you mean

[walkerm]

I put a large ring spanner (ring end) over the arms until it rested just below the top of the tube (where the flat bracket is welded to it). And used brute force to bend each arm while the bracket was attached to the upright.

It left some creases on the inside of the tube (not noticeable), but did the trick. This is on a '91 build BTW. I thought Westfield had fixed these little 'try your patience' jobs

Cheers,

Matt

[neilwillis]

You'll need to heat them.

[PhilD]

I spaced the bottom fixing point of the bracket off the upright using washers. I had to use several but it allowed me to centralise the cycle wings, bending the tube part of the bracket sounds far more of a pain to me. Will this have desired effect for your problem?

Phil

[injidup]

Phil,

Nope - they need to go the other way - there's too much space between the bracket and the wheel!

I have 14x6 Superlights with a 12P (ET12?) offset.

Cheers, though!

Kev.

[Mat Jackson]

Simply bent mine by hand.  Some of the powder coating flaked off, so added a bit of hemerite.

Would try the ring spanner method mentioned above.  They are not structural parts of the car, so I didn`t think they waranted cutting and welding.

BTW, Westfields advice when I talked to them was to bend them aswell.

[PhilD]

Phil,

Nope - they need to go the other way - there's too much space between the bracket and the wheel!

I have 14x6 Superlights with a 12P (ET12?) offset.

Cheers, though!

Kev.

By only spacing the lower of the 3 bracket fasteners the bracket is tilted in towards the wheel reducing the gap.

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

Not keen on the bending route...as the bracket could contact the braided brake hose, the pipe could ripple if a pipe bender wasn't used and the relative height of LHS to RHS cycle guard could look poor.

Using washers to pack out the lower fixing would do it, but i know of problems with bolts working loose in this situation. This is due to the washers being relatively soft, bolt stretch being reduced due to increased length with same holding torque....so if you do this option use Loctite 243 or 248

I too have a 12 offset on 15" running 195/50 section. if i have some time tonight i will post a sketch of a cut and weld option..

Andy

[Mat Jackson]

Not keen on the bending route...as the bracket could contact the braided brake hose, the pipe could ripple if a pipe bender wasn't used and the relative height of LHS to RHS cycle guard could look poor.

Using washers to pack out the lower fixing would do it, but i know of problems with bolts working loose in this situation. This is due to the washers being relatively soft, bolt stretch being reduced due to increased length with same holding torque....so if you do this option use Loctite 243 or 248

I too have a 12 offset on 15" running 195/50 section. if i have some time tonight i will post a sketch of a cut and weld option..

Andy

On a tecnical note, useing washers will actually decrease the chance of a bolt losing tension due to stretching.  Regardless of how much thread is located you will still need the smae torque to induce the same strain in the bolt.

The longer the free length of a bolt (ie not threaded or located in a thread), the less prne it is to losing tension.

[KerryS]

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Phil,

Nope - they need to go the other way - there's too much space between the bracket and the wheel!

I have 14x6 Superlights with a 12P (ET12?) offset.

Cheers, though!

Kev.

So what you need are those hard to come by negative washers......  

Kerry S

[markcoopers]

Note of caution.

Mine are bent on my car to fit the wheels, great if you never want to change the tyres sise or wheel offset. Bending is pretty much a one way process.

[StuartMackay]

Careful if you have ali uprights and using a lever to bend them...the forces can pull the fixing bolt threads out of the upright!!

Better to bend them in a solid bench vice.

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

Mat,

I agree with you on bolt tension..i stand corrected.

We have had problems with bolts working loose though, which was down to the soft washer previously specified. The holding torque was much higher though 392Nm !!

Spoke to westfield who say the bracket can be bent. running clearance between tyre and bracket is 2 to 5mm....very close then! I hope no stones get between bracket and tyre.!

I am thinking of using the cycle wings offered by ESP - 260 wide. This would leave the bracket standard, and give me 20 + clearance between tyre and bracket...Anyone else used the cycle wings offered by ESP?

Andy