Topic: Can Someone Measure This For Me?!

[lostinthe202]

Hi all,

I'm cobbling together a 72 (cb 500).  The original FRONT axle setup was lost and I've been trying to fit a replacement.  I bought an axle, nut, and spacer off of Ebay but it seems like the space is too long.

Maybe I've got something wrong with the assembly, but I don't think so. Does anyone have a spacer from a CB500 four that they could measure with a mic or calipers for me?

Thanks!!

[LesterPiglet]

Damn, I thought this was the porn section.   

[dave500]

rear axle?you might have a 550 one?the end slots on the 500 with the open type slot is thicker than the later 550 closed type so the spacers were different,ill go measure for you.

45mm.

[lostinthe202]

rear axle?you might have a 550 one?the end slots on the 500 with the open type slot is thicker than the later 550 closed type so the spacers were different,ill go measure for you.

45mm.

Damn Dave, you're Awesome, and I'm and Idiot for not specifying that it's the FRONT axle I'm working on.  I've edited my original post to reflect this fact.  Happen to have a front setup around?

But that 45mm measurement may be useful too as I'm using a '78 550 rear wheel which is a different hub setup than original as well.  Back there I made a brass spacer to a length that seemed appropriate for the sprocket side.  From what I understand, the '77-78 550's had a unique rear wheel setup, is that what you are referring to?  I'll measure the sprocket side spacer that I have for the rear, but I know that it was way to big and wouldn't work with the brake side spacer that came with the wheel and seems to put the wheel in the center

Thanks!!

Willy-

[754]

If the front axle gets turned around it looks like it will never fit.

[lostinthe202]

If the front axle gets turned around it looks like it will never fit.

It's not turned around, I have the schematic from the FSM to work from.  The wheel is centered with the setup I've got, it's just that I cant put the nut on because the spacer pushes it about 8-10mm too far to seat in the fork.  In fact, I can only get the nut to thread about a half turn before the spacer prevents any further movement.

[dave500]

you got the nut the right way around?the hex head goes inboard,it has a shoulder inside,,i might have an axle and spacer,,ill go measure for you,,again!no worries,just send more beer!

sorry mate i dont have one,cancel that beer.

[lostinthe202]

you got the nut the right way around?the hex head goes inboard,it has a shoulder inside,,i might have an axle and spacer,,ill go measure for you,,again!no worries,just send more beer!

sorry mate i dont have one,cancel that beer.

Damatron!  Yes, the hex is inboard.  I can fit everything without the spacer, I just don't have a good means of measuring what the spacer should be.  I can set the axle up so that both the nut and appropriate portion of the axle are in their proper places in the forks, but I don't have anyway of getting inside that space usually occupied by the seal and threaded retaining ring on the wheel hub to measure what the spacer should be.

I can figure it out by machining spacers by guess work and using feeler gauges to get the final number, but my time on machines is severely limited at the moment so if I can get a solid number from somebody, that would really help.

Willy-

[dave500]

send me two cartons of beer and ill pull my wheel off to measure for you,im sure someone here has one on the shelf somewhere?

[ji107]

Spacer length 17mm

[xsmooth69x]

if your using a cb550 rear wheel vs the cb500 isnt the cb550 a 17/37 teeth vs 17/34 teeth on the cb500? how does it ride beause the primary ratio changed in the transition from 500 to 550

Cb500 (17/34) primary 2.00   
Cb550 (17/37) primary 3.063
 
The rear sprocket had to change to get the final drive ratio down to reasonable.

fyi if you wanted to go back to the stock gearing the whole freakin hub is different and i got one in great condition when i bought my cb550 the PO put a 500 rear -_-

[lostinthe202]

Spacer length 17mm

Awesome, thanks!

xsmooth69x,

Actually the motor I'm using is a 550, not sure of the year and not sure of the gearing, haven't gotten to that point yet.  I'll be getting a sprocket and chain set and I figured to get something from a 550, probably a '78 for the rear since that's the year of the wheel.  I'll see how I like it, but really this bike is going to be a commuter/grocery hauler so I'm not too concerned about subtleties in the top or bottom end

[lostinthe202]

Now that I have that number, I went through my boxes of random crap and found a 17mm spacer so I'm set, thanks again!!