Sorting out the rear wheel, 1970 Commando

I believe that washer butts up against the back of the brake plate. It creates the little bit of space needed to keep the brake plate off of the drum edge and shoes off of the inside of the drum. My setup is a little different as I have a one piece rear axle. The washer serves the same purpose though. You can barely see it on the end of the custom spacer in the pic below.

I would double check those cush drive rubbers. The last set I got were very tight. Make sure you are bottoming out the brake when you tighten.

That's one of the biggest problems when some pull things apart and not take notice where things go back, something like a washer in the wrong place sure can upset things, glad you got it sorted out with help from so many friends on here and the rear wheel looks like it is sitting right now, as long as the chain has a straight run to each sprocket all good to go. Now you are going to the next step of your jobs, the front end, just pull things apart in order, replace what's needed and put it back together in reverse, what can go wrong :roll: .
If you have any problems you know where to get help, good luck.

Ashley

Well Ashley, there was nothing to pull apart originally. I started this bike from a frame and motor and had to source everything. I'm like a blind man walking through a a corn maze. Buying a a whole bike would have been the easy way out...LMAO!!! Seriously, It's a labor of love and I'm cataloging every nut and bolt.

Jaxson said:

Well Ashley, there was nothing to pull apart originally. I started this bike from a frame and motor and had to source everything. I'm like a blind man walking through a a corn maze. Buying a a whole bike would have been the easy way out...LMAO!!! Seriously, It's a labor of love and I'm cataloging every nut and bolt.

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Its a good way to get to know your bike, after owning my bike for 40 years and converting it to the Featherbed frame, doing all the work myself starting 35 years ago I know every nut and bolt that is on my Norton, know what tools to use and very rarely look in the workshop manual now its all in my head and if anything did go wrong I go straight to the problem, but luckly that is rare for me, I have had a good life with my Norton and loving evey minute of it.

Ashley

I too am working on a 70 and will be doing the same as you, changing it over to a cush drive rear wheel. I will be following your progress.

When I got my 70 it had been taken apart for "restoration" then the owner died. That was 10 years ago and his son had the bike but no interest in it. The remains of the license plate told me it was last on the road in 72. But the frame and other parts were powder painted and a new exhaust purchased so as a starting point I was into it for $0 if you figure in the new parts. Still need to purchase a new steel tank and get it painted Fire Flake purple got a seat cover on order from RK Leighton. Like you this is a labor of love.

Keep us posted on your progress.

John in Texas

If it's in pieces, better buy a bottle of Bourbon, Scotch and Tequila....unless you've dismantled and re-assembled one before. The rear cush went together and the wheel now spins true. If I were you, I'd stick w/ the stud wheel. Everything I've read tells me the cush drive didnt make that much of a difference in the vibration. I only went with it b/c it's the most available to find. My end results turned out well. The rear wheel does sit about 1/2 inch to the left of the spine C.L. I'm told that can be remedied by re-lacing the wheel off to the right. I will do that one winter day when the riding opportunities are gone. Good luck w/ you 70. Having all the parts is a huge deal so enjoy!

Jaxson said:

Everything I've read tells me the cush drive didnt make that much of a difference in the vibration. I only went with it b/c it's the most available to find.

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Nortons logic for the cush drive in the rear wheel was because it was needed to give the gearbox an easier life.
The early Commandos without a cushdrive supposedly broke a lot of gearboxes.

And Nortons had had a cush drive in the clutch from the early 1930s, and had very few major gearbox problems as a result.
The new Commando type clutch didn't have provision for the cushdrive, so Commandos were cushless for a few years
- and found it did do something afterall.