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Footrest straightening

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Having just got my Dommie 99’s left-hand footrest powder coated, I’ve discovered that it’s bent. (Oh, b*gger!) Can these footrests be straightened? The bar that the footrest rubber fits on is angled  down slightly, but the bar itself is straight so it seems that the main ‘arm’ of the footrest, not the bar, is bent. I was wondering if I could heat up the main arm of the footrest and then use the footrest bar as a lever to bend the footrest back into shape to make the bar sit parallel to the ground once more. Does that sound possible or is the footrest likely to break if I try to straighten it?

Any advice and hints gratefully accepted.

Thanks

Regards

Tony

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As Robert says..a forge. It must be red hot. Or it will crack. Like mine...I managed to straighten one using a MAP torch but it didn't really give enough heat. I wouldn't think it would be safe to do it on the bike.

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.. done by an old school blacksmith in Digbeth, Brum. Not sure if he's still in business as he had his premises broken into and was feeeling pretty despondent last time I spoke to him.

No website but details are:

William Hawkes Blacksmith Ltd

183-184 High St, Deritend, Birmingham, B12 0LH

Tel 0121 772 2694

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Thanks to all who replied. I was going to try doing it with my MAP torch but after reading David’s text, I think I’ll forget that and ask the local blacksmith to have a go. The last thing I want to do is snap or crack the footrest.

Regards

Tony

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I think the MAP approach might work if you can arrange an effective firebrick hearth. When I did it, I successfully straightened the malleable cast iron centre stand on my 16H, but cracks appeared in a footrest arm. I brazed them up. 

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Gosh ,that brings back memories, the last time I did forging was at school  60 years ago.  Not allowed now, what are we doing to our young men?.

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...if you could get the footrest rubber off and a yard long scaffold  tube. With the relevant heat and  a good heave on the tube they would go back to rideable position.  I've had many a trials  BSA/Triumph on its side or clouting rocks.  The pegs needed a bit of levelling up later for the next weekends entertainment.

As soon as you disconnect them from the machine you have to hold them to get the heat and effort into them to correct the problems. If its in a vice the heat soaks into that before the peg gets warm enough to manipulate.

Unlike modern pegs they were rigidly mounted and able to take some abuse.  I'd try it if you feel the mounting can take it.

 

Cheers

Jon

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...quite agree, Bob.  It was an exercise in growing up - 12 year old boys walking from hearth to anvil holding red hot pieces of mild steel in a pair of tongs.  No room for messing about. And it introduced boys (and the occasional girl) to the concept that the world of made objects was not actually an alien place, but somewhere you could go to even as a schoolchild.

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The r/h side footrest on my 650SS was bent when I got it (low-speed off I reckon) and I left it for ages before deciding to have a go at straightening it. You really do need to get the arm red-hot. I thought mine was hot enough, but when I tried to bend it out, the threaded part of the peg snapped off. Luckily I was able to get the stub out with an Eezi-out and then I drilled the peg and tapped it 10mm so that it would bolt back in place. £100 with VAT and P&P was too steep for originality.

Straightened footrest

Good luck!

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Hi Kevin. That’s a really nice job. My footrest is bent down and back so it needs aligning in two planes. I’m going to take it to a local blacksmith so that it can be heated to the correct temperature. I really dontwant to risk doing it myself. I think that I might need to make a jig out of wood so that the blacksmith can check that it’s got to the right shape in relation to the serrated fixing boss.

Regards

Tony

 


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