Author Topic: Front Fork Spring Retaining Nuts (Read 4501 times)

Mike Sal · « **on:** February 03, 2013, 07:51:52 PM »

I'd like to get an idea of when Simplex started using a retaining nut on the top of the "Spring Fork" (part No. 318). All of the parts manuals we have on the website so far only show p/n 318 which does not have threads for a nut.

If any of you who bought some Wollard literature which shows another part number for the spring fork, please let me know.

Other wise, if those of you who have bikes "with nuts" would let me know (along with your serial number if I dont already have it), I'll see if we can tabulate it into a time line.
thanks,
Mike Sal

oil-lamp · « **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2013, 08:03:51 PM »

Well you've got two so far mine and pds. Also is there a way to view the resgerty without downloading it.

admin · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2013, 08:21:51 PM »

Quote from: oil-lamp on February 03, 2013, 08:03:51 PM

Well you've got two so far mine and pds. Also is there a way to view the resgerty without downloading it.

No, there is not, and that is on purpose. The only people who can see it are members.

oil-lamp · « **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2013, 08:28:43 PM »

Oh ok I see just wanted to look at it from my phone but I guess I'd wait till I get to a real computer. Thanks anyway.

pd · « **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2013, 09:01:29 PM »

Mike ,

To help make it a little easier for you , I have a '57 ? with a frame # 15225 and it has the spring fork top nuts .

Pete .

oil-lamp · « **Reply #5 on:** February 03, 2013, 09:30:56 PM »

Well y'all told me mine was a 56' with a top mounted break switch and #14953. Hummmmm very I
strange

admin · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2013, 04:18:21 AM »

Mike, I have a fork with the nuts, but I acquired it with a group of parts, so I don't know what it came from. I thought Simplex only put them on bikes that came with front brakes, but as all else simplex, if someone grabbed one out of the parts bin, it just went on whatever was being built at the moment.

admin · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2013, 04:22:55 AM »

Quote from: pd on February 03, 2013, 09:01:29 PM

Mike ,

To help make it a little easier for you , I have a '57 ? with a frame # 15225 and it has the spring fork top nuts .

Pete .

Pete, does this bike have a front brake? As we collect more model year info, I believe #15225 is a 1956. Any engine in this one?

Hopefully Mike gets that registry update soon, so we can see where all these new numbers fit in. Hint, Hint

Mike Sal · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2013, 04:29:13 AM »

I'm curious as to why there are no other part numbers listed for the 2 other types of spring forks (there are potentially 3......one with rounded top & no threads for a nut......one with about 1 inch of stick out with threads for a nut......and one with slightly longer rods with threads for a nut that allows room for the short "rebound" springs to offset the energy of a front brake).

I plan to update the registry during my lunch hour today.....would have done it last night, but the football game had me distracted.......

Mike Sal

Ricks · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2013, 05:05:40 AM »

Mike, have you seen the one with rebound springs on a regular servi-cycle or just the sportsman? I have a listing for the sportsman front end with the rebound springs.

pd · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2013, 06:30:38 AM »

Quote from: admin on February 04, 2013, 04:22:55 AM

Quote from: pd on February 03, 2013, 09:01:29 PM
Mike ,

To help make it a little easier for you , I have a '57 ? with a frame # 15225 and it has the spring fork top nuts .

Pete .

Pete, does this bike have a front brake? As we collect more model year info, I believe #15225 is a 1956. Any engine in this one?

Hopefully Mike gets that registry update soon, so we can see where all these new numbers fit in. Hint, Hint

Rick ,

My bike has no front brake and yes it has an engine . The motor # is M23658B .

admin · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2013, 07:15:04 AM »

Thanks. That motor falls right in line with the chassis number as a 1956. I'd bet original engine to that bike!

pd · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2013, 08:20:05 AM »

"I'd bet original engine to that bike!"

Sure seems like it . The wear marks on the base plate showed only one set . I'd think that if another motor were ever mounted that the marks would be more varied than the definition I found when I removed the motor .

Dang . Now I have to reprogram my thoughtless response to another year .

Hey , wait a minute ... Mike says they thought his was a mid to late '57 and our #s are very close . That would make his a '56 also .

Mike , you still think yours is a '57 ?

Mike Sal · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2013, 10:44:22 AM »

Pete,
I think our bikes are late '56's, but can't prove that they are not early '57's (is your brake switch bracket on top or on bottom of the rear lower bar?). I did title my bike as a '57. All of the old timers on Simplex Hill at Portland thought it was a '57 or '58.

According to Bob Kerr, the newest '56 he had knowledge of was #15260 (only 11 frames after mine, or 35 frames later than yours). As we know that Simplex just grabbed what ever frame was closest to them at the moment, both of our bikes could very well have been marketed as '57's. Bob's notes indicate that the brake lite switch was moved from top to bottom at the '57 model year.

The oldest '56 recorded by Bob Kerr is #11418. That's a spread of 3,842 frames. If we had a better knowledge of year to year sales, we could better learn how close this is to covering the individual years.

BTW, I've now uploaded the newest registry......there are still lots of holes which need to be plugged.
Mike Sal

pd · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2013, 11:23:38 AM »

"According to Bob Kerr, the newest '56 he had knowledge of was #15260 (only 11 frames after mine, or 35 frames later than yours)."

Do you mean '57 ?

My frame has the brake switch mount on the bottom frame tube .

According to those notes , I would think we're a lot closer to '57 than '56 .

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