New heel guards
Apr 19, 2003 | 09:26 PM
#1
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New heel guards
Just a rainy day project...
picture link
One of my old heelguards was all bent and broken, so I decided I needed some new ones before Snake Hunt. I thought (briefly) about getting Diamond G's but the price ruled them out in a hurry. The price of these so far adds up to about $30 for materials, a couple hours to cut and brake them, and a couple hours of R&D. I wish I had a picture of all the cardboard heel guards I made. I still need to make some little brackets for the upper frame mount, but I'm getting close to finished. I can't wait to get these installed!!
In case the link doesn't work: http://www.redrival.com/blh3339/heelguards.html
picture link
One of my old heelguards was all bent and broken, so I decided I needed some new ones before Snake Hunt. I thought (briefly) about getting Diamond G's but the price ruled them out in a hurry. The price of these so far adds up to about $30 for materials, a couple hours to cut and brake them, and a couple hours of R&D. I wish I had a picture of all the cardboard heel guards I made. I still need to make some little brackets for the upper frame mount, but I'm getting close to finished. I can't wait to get these installed!!
In case the link doesn't work: http://www.redrival.com/blh3339/heelguards.html
Apr 20, 2003 | 02:35 PM
#3
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New heel guards
They are .125. I don't know if they'll save any weight over stock, but they definately make more room for tire clearance.
Anybody know how thick Diamond G's are? I probably should have asked that a week ago....
Anybody know how thick Diamond G's are? I probably should have asked that a week ago....
Apr 21, 2003 | 01:30 AM
#7
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New heel guards
OK, I got one of them "installed." I don't have the right hardware, but it's on there and I snapped a few pictures.
same old link
Sorry about the huge pictures. I'm working with a borrowed camera and no photo software.
Aerotechs look allright, but they just don't do it for me. Diamond G's look like they hang down too much right behind the pegs, and it seems like a while ago there was somebody that dented theirs up riding over rocks.
The other thing about Diamond G's and Aerotechs I didn't like was the holes in the back of them. I'm not a big fan of mud riding on my DS, but when I do get into some I like the heelguards to prevent some of it from getting on the back of my leg. If I didn't care about that, I'd get a pair of fender supports for $25 and go without heelguards.
same old link
Sorry about the huge pictures. I'm working with a borrowed camera and no photo software.
Aerotechs look allright, but they just don't do it for me. Diamond G's look like they hang down too much right behind the pegs, and it seems like a while ago there was somebody that dented theirs up riding over rocks.
The other thing about Diamond G's and Aerotechs I didn't like was the holes in the back of them. I'm not a big fan of mud riding on my DS, but when I do get into some I like the heelguards to prevent some of it from getting on the back of my leg. If I didn't care about that, I'd get a pair of fender supports for $25 and go without heelguards.
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Apr 21, 2003 | 02:14 AM
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New heel guards
that don't look bad, is that all done using bending, no welds? if yes how did you bend them? what did you use to cut the 1/8" aluminum? When you get them installed correctly could u put some weight on them to see if they flex. how much clearance is there to the tire, would there be enough for my 22" tires? do they hang any lower than the stockers? how did you cut those slots in the bottom? i think it would look really sweet, if it said DS650 on the flat part coming down from the fender, but thats IMO
Apr 21, 2003 | 02:36 AM
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New heel guards
OK, I have 1 major recomandation
On the back side of the foot pegs I see that you notched the metal to make room for the bolt. I think thats a bad Idea. drill a hole for the bolt so the gaurds can use the bolt for downwar or upward strength. Otherwise you only have the upper top bolt and the bottom of the peg. I can see it possibly twising in the corner under stress.
Other then that I say good job!!!
On the back side of the foot pegs I see that you notched the metal to make room for the bolt. I think thats a bad Idea. drill a hole for the bolt so the gaurds can use the bolt for downwar or upward strength. Otherwise you only have the upper top bolt and the bottom of the peg. I can see it possibly twising in the corner under stress.
Other then that I say good job!!!
Apr 21, 2003 | 02:52 AM
#10
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New heel guards
Thanks for the feedback.
No welds, no flame cutting. The pieces never got warmer than room temperature. There is an old brake at school that I used to bend them. I don't even know what to call the tool that I used to do the detail cutting. We just call it "the muncher." It operates like a big sewing machine except instead of pushing thread it nibbles off little pieces of metal as it feeds the piece through. I also used a hack saw for the very little cuts around that bolt on the back of the footpeg.
Both heel guards and the little pieces for the upper frame mount came from one 20x24 inch piece of aluminum. I had the guy at Custom Cut shear the piece in half on an angle that made most of the outline of the pieces. If I get time in the next day or two I'll draw out the layout of all the pieces.
How much weight? They flex some. I'd give them the same sturdiness rating as the stock heelguards.
With my DS just sitting there (nobody on the seat) the nearest the fender/heelguard is to the center of the rear axle is 14". I think 22" tires would fit fine.
They hang 1" below the bottom of the pegs. I didn't really notice how low the stock ones were.
I used the muncher to cut the slots. They were actually kind of an afterthought, but I like them now.
No welds, no flame cutting. The pieces never got warmer than room temperature. There is an old brake at school that I used to bend them. I don't even know what to call the tool that I used to do the detail cutting. We just call it "the muncher." It operates like a big sewing machine except instead of pushing thread it nibbles off little pieces of metal as it feeds the piece through. I also used a hack saw for the very little cuts around that bolt on the back of the footpeg.
Both heel guards and the little pieces for the upper frame mount came from one 20x24 inch piece of aluminum. I had the guy at Custom Cut shear the piece in half on an angle that made most of the outline of the pieces. If I get time in the next day or two I'll draw out the layout of all the pieces.
How much weight? They flex some. I'd give them the same sturdiness rating as the stock heelguards.
With my DS just sitting there (nobody on the seat) the nearest the fender/heelguard is to the center of the rear axle is 14". I think 22" tires would fit fine.
They hang 1" below the bottom of the pegs. I didn't really notice how low the stock ones were.
I used the muncher to cut the slots. They were actually kind of an afterthought, but I like them now.