Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A tough day in the shop


Today was going to be an easy day. I have been rebuilding a Ross Adventurer and it was going ok. All I needed to do today was install the brake and derailleur cables with new covers. Pump up the tires and put on the wheel reflectors. Then check everything for torque and tape the bars. Oh yeah, and clean-up and mount the kick-stand.Well I noticed that one of the brake shoes was not flush with the rim when the brake was applied on the front wheel. So I scavenged around the shop and found another brake that I could steal the one arm off. It was a perfect match. Only difference I could find is one arm of the brake is from Japan and the other is from Germany. So I polished the replacement piece and reassembled the caliper and now I was good to go. If you are wondering why I did not just use the other brake instead of just taking the one arm off it. I would have done just that but it was missing the adjuster and the little cable clamp bolt. And the holes were to small to use the ones off the other brake. So now with all the brake shoes properly installed it is time to pump up the tires. I did not pump them up all the way to 90 psi, so I pumped them up to 70psi. Well as I was test riding it out in the drive I heard something rubbing on the front. It turned out to be a bulge on the front tire. It was coming off the rim. So I let out the air before it blew off completely and took it back into the shop. Well I decide I must not have had the tire seated properly on the rim. So I carefully re-seat it and add just a little air and re-check it. It looks good so I pump it up to 70psi. I check the rear rim for bulges or separation and it looks good so I pump it up to 70psi.
As I am starting to mount the reflectors, the back tire blows. The tire blew right off the rim in one area. So now I take the rear wheel off the bike remove the tire install another tube replace the tire and pump it up to 60psi. Mean time I check the rims they are marked 27X1&1/4 as are the tires and tubes. And they are not Schwinn wheels that require a Schwinn tire. And everything is marked 27x1&1/4 (nothing says 27 x 1.25). So I figure it has to be the crapy tires.
They are not the brand or type I usually use. I only used them because they looked like new and
I did not want to waste them. Well needless to say I never could get them to seat properly. So now I`m gonna order (2) 27 x 1&1/4in Gum Walls and (2) 27 X 1 in. inner tubes. I like to use a narrow tube when I can, to avoid the tire getting blown off the rim.
So tomorrow I will work on a BMX bike I picked up this morn. (while I wait for tires) It is a Trek with a chro-mo frame and a single speed (free-wheel) rear hub. Pretty cool bike looks like it will clean-up nice. I have a beautiful set of BMX tires I have been saving for just such a bike. And I think I can scrounge up a nice saddle for it. Only has one brake cable (got that covered).
So I think all I`ll need to purchase is new brake shoes and maybe a new set of skins to dress it up. Should make for a trouble free day, just like today was gonna be..LOL
Cheers, Hugh

Remember Rescue, Restore & Recycle (even when it hurts)

2 comments:

  1. Hi, it's a very great blog.
    I could tell how much efforts you've taken on it.
    Keep doing!

    ReplyDelete

 
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