Topic: Shackle bolts

[Uncle Ernie]

Does anyone remember how to adjust them?  My knurled washers are all uneven.

[crazypj]

??
What are shackle bolts?
PJ

[Uncle Ernie]

A girder is different from a springer.  It's sort of a hinged parallelogram that hinges on 4 long bolts that go through from side to side.  One end of each bolt is tapered so it sort of pulls the bolts in tighter, but just tightening the bolt head only tightens one side... There are knurled washers in the joints that prevent wear to an extent, but also aid in judging the tightness. They should all rotate by hand, but not freely.  This is in lieu of a shock absorber (there's one spring in the head).  Soooo, you want the proper amount of "sticksion" (sp?) so the front end won't be too bouncy, yet not too stiff.  I asked gerhed and he seemed a litle bewildered.  I just need to stare at it for a while and try to figure it out. It's a little like an Indian version of a Rubics Cube. 
I thought maybe, in despertion, gerhed or Bill might remember.

I don't know how to adjust my Hagon shocks, either. 

[crazypj]

Hi Ernie,
I didn't know you were asking about girder forks.
I have very limited experience with springers and only slightly more with girder forks but not of the type you describe ( 1928 BSA)
I thought the friction dampers were not supposed to rotate by hand? the BSA ones have large spring  'star' washers for friction adjusters.
I'd probably take out all the side play, try twisting forks to see gaps move (hold wheel with your knees and twist bars, same as checking wheel bearings)
PJ

[Uncle Ernie]

Thanks PJ... I don't always know how to describe things because I'm not technically oriented.  English bikes have some incredible suspension things going on sometimes.  These aren't really friction dampers per se... maybe an indicator of too tight or too loose.  I don't know- nothing falls off or binds up on the road, so I'm OK so far.  I'll get it eventually.

[bill440cars]

           Hey Uncle,
                       Sorry but I've never had the chance to actually work on one of those. By the time I was old enough to work on anything, the Indians had become Royal Enfields with the Indian name on them and they all had telescopic forks. If I could hook you up with my Dad, he could tell you, if he could remember and that's kinda ify now days.
                                                 Later on, Bill