1981 XC 430 Beginning rebuild

I hear you Scrambler. I am from Beaumont, TX. we invented rust. This is my second restoration since I have been here in California. The other was a 1960 Austin Healey Bugeye. I love taking California vehicles apart. It doesn't involve a torch.
Spoke nipples are S.S. That was one of my first questions about them. No point in wasting money on spokes if the nipples are going to be zinc or chrome plated.

That was my thought on the rims. To each his own, but I have never rode on a cracked rim,except back to the truck. I have welded rims before, but I am doing so much to this bike I hated to start out with a welded rim. Plus, it will look killer with new gold anodized rims. I reuse everything I can on a restore,I even like the patina of the old bolts if they are in good shape. But I love new rims on a bike. Plus swapping out to the 18" rear gives me so many more tire choices. We ride on rocks so much that I go through rear tires pretty quick anyway.

The husky rims came with those cracks "from the factory" so I wouldn't be too stressed

Welding a rim, or any other piece of aluminum that is heat treated, makes it weaker than a cracked one if you dont have it re-heat treated.

yes it would be weaker from the heat of welding but how can you determine the weakness of a crack? just asking . I guess you could try finding a shop that could heat treat it after they weld it. Wonder what temp. aluminum aneals ?

Good question, I guess you really cant determine the weakness of a crack. I feel the same about cracked rims if they are anything other than the Nordisk that came on Husky's, When I got my first Husky again in '08 after not owning one since '85 I was alarmed about the cracks in the rim. As I said, I asked my friend Craig Hayes, he has been a Husky dealer for 30+ years, and a Husky racer since '78 I think. He's won several A class GNCC and AMA championships on them over the years. He is the one who told me not to worry about the cracks, he said they cracked early in their life and if they dont crack all the way across when they initially crack, if wont get worse. I trust Craig because not only does he restore bikes with the same skill as any of the more well known guys, and he also currently races them at an Expert level in AHRMA, plus he is 350+ lbs so he hammers the bike. He replaces the rear rims only because he wants an 18" but he uses '83-up rims, not new ones. Just to give an idea how big a dude Craig is, this is an '82 430.



I'm not saying people should agree with me and keep using cracked rims, I dont blame anyone if they want replace them. I would replace them before I welded them, I'm just giving some background on why I believe it is safe to use cracked Husky rims.

Hijack!
I need to get with Craig and get some suspension info

Just an update because I always hate to see a rebuild thread started and never finished. I always assume it means another bike was left in pieces and thrown away. Not the case, the bike gave me some tears and general pains in my ass, but overall came out great. It now belongs to another board member and I hope it gives him a lot of years of fun.

And not too many pains in his ass.

Few more

And I have seen some even worse on some of Ruwfos rims!

$un Rim$ (LOL)