Front brake anchor?

[iansoady]

Just idly looking at my front brake backplate / anchor (1958 Hawkstone, BHC tin hubs) I'm a bit puzzled by the anchor arm. I would have thought there would have been a 3/8" round hole to fit the fork pivot through bolt. However what I have is this amateurish open-ended slot which looks most unsafe. I think I should weld a flat plate on with such a hole in the appropriate position. Am I right in thinking this?

[johnrunnacles]

That's just how they were, Ian, presumably to make extracting the front wheel easier. Various modifications, official and otherwise, followed to reposition the anchorage, in the first instance to prevent the front forks from seeming to "rear up" under application of the front brake.

[iansoady]

Many thaks John. Should there be some sort of "top hat" spacer to locate in that slot to allow some movement but stop the arm from popping out?

[johnrunnacles]

If you haven't got one, might be a good idea to fit one, Ian. Thinking back, a washer inboard of the head of the through bolt worked for me.

[iansoady]

There is a small spacer on the bolt which would possibly lift the arm clear of the alloy metalastik retainer. I need to check if its diameter is the same as the slot width.

[IanCordes]

The slots wear, Ian. You will no doubt have to do what I did with a couple, and get them built up with weld, then filed back to shape. The slot width is 5/8" from memory. The spacers wear too, so will probably need replacing. I shouldn't attempt to re-engineer it though, as it works.

[iansoady]

Thanks Ian, it'll be a while before I get to that point but useful to see a "proper" one.