Front end swap question?

[rwilkins]

Just a quick question on front end swaps. I have a untitled 77 frame that I plan on doing a front end swap on. If im not worried about keeping the VIN # on the neck does it make sence to cut the neck out and use the neck and the front forks from another bike, to eliminate fitment issues? Any ideas would help. Thanks

 

[gggGary]

No


more letters

 

[rwilkins]

Whats the reasoning behind the No?

 

[gggGary]

Search front end swap on here, there are a LOT of forks that will swap into the existing neck with NO WELDING. Unless you are trying to swap a titled neck onto your bike, there is no good reason to cut, ALIGN and weld in a different (used???) neck. Which is a difficult task for even an experienced fabricator to pull off and have it come out looking like anything but a hack job. There would be serious hair pulling issues trying to align the structure of one frame with the structure from some donor neck and then get all the inner joints welded so it had some integrity. There you go, that's my reasoning.

 

[rwilkins]

Thank you.

 

[moparmatt91]

Dang some people just always have an attitude

 

[gggGary]

Well maybe, but replacing steering necks is serious stuff, not for the faint of heart. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with tossing a bucket of cold reality???? Would you rather someone said oh sure do that, piece of cake? The guy asking that kind of question does NOT have a frame jig...... There are so many front ends that would fit the stock neck that I have a hard time figuring out when a frame re-neck would make sense unless he is looking to test his skills. (and has a titled neck) Even then a number stamp set would be a more reasonable solution.

 

[moparmatt91]

Ok you didn't have to write a novel to respond to my comment. You just tend to come across as an asshole sometimes

 

[moparmatt91]

You just assume he doesn't have a frame jig and assume he's " faint of heart" I don't have time to sit here and argue. I'm a working man but no need to bust the guys chops. That's nothing but an ego booster for yourself

 

[gggGary]

So what's your advise to him? The idea is to help the OP If I discouraged him from what I think may be a hard path to travel or at least made him think that's the idea. Better now than after "off with it's head" then uh oh now what? I like to think I'm usually all nice but hey I have bad days too.
And hey he asked if it's a good idea? I simply said no, then he asked why and I told him straight why I thought it was a bad idea. Sure he might have have all the tools and skills but by then he knows the path and is unlikely to ask THAT question. My take; if I came off rude well maybe I was. Your forgiveness for my original arrogance?
To be more informative the usual path in fork swaps is to alter or change the stem which is usually easier, if still a task for someone with some serious fab skills.
Notice the thread is two weeks old and he got no different advice. Would you cut and weld in a new neck to use "some other" fork?
I never said a single word that denigrated his abilities. Just laid it out that a neck change is a big deal. I come back to this often while thinking of bike projects, the neck is the most critical area of the frame.
Now I gotta get back downstairs and complete the rebuild on a couple of petcocks so the newly painted tank can go back on the bike for the Slimy crud run Sunday.