Re: Dominator 99 Bottom Yoke

Previously wrote:

Hi there, Advice needed if anyone can help me???

I have been restoring my 1960 dominator de luxe and I have some problems with the bottom yoke. The bike came in a box of bitsand had the forks half built up but had wheels with sidecar tyres on and a spare bottom yoke so im not sure which one to put back on it as I know there are some differences in sidecar yokes which I dont want. Its going to be a standard bike.

In the photo attached are the 2 yokes. The red one is the one that came built on the forks. It has 7" centres and part number 19944 on it.

The blue one was not on the bike. It doesnt have any part numbers but has a different bearing system to the red one which has the taper bearings on it. Also the threads are destroyed so i would have to buy a new one. it is also 7" centres but generally slightly different underneath etc, more curve in the main beam, completely flat underneath.

I want to know if the red one is okay or whether im going to have to fork out for a new botttom yoke.

Any help would be greatly appreciated because im ready to paint the parts and dont want to be doing the wrong ones.

Many thanks

Matt

Hi Matt, The blue yolk looks like the solo yolk and the red one a sidecar yolk. The solo yolk has a steeper angle to the forks than a sidecar yolk so if you put a fork stanchion in each of the yolks and compare them together the sidecar one will put the bottom of the stanchion a little further forward than the stanchion in the solo yolk. This puts the front wheel a little further forward to reduce the castor effect on the steering when the bike is fitted with a sidecar. Re. the worn threads on the yolk, there are engineers who specialise in repairing frames and forks and they could probably reclaim the yolk at less cost than getting another one, have a look through the services section of the web-site.

Regards, Rob Gittins.

Rob Gittins.

Previously wrote:

Hi there, Advice needed if anyone can help me???

I have been restoring my 1960 dominator de luxe and I have some problems with the bottom yoke. The bike came in a box of bitsand had the forks half built up but had wheels with sidecar tyres on and a spare bottom yoke so im not sure which one to put back on it as I know there are some differences in sidecar yokes which I dont want. Its going to be a standard bike.

In the photo attached are the 2 yokes. The red one is the one that came built on the forks. It has 7" centres and part number 19944 on it.

The blue one was not on the bike. It doesnt have any part numbers but has a different bearing system to the red one which has the taper bearings on it. Also the threads are destroyed so i would have to buy a new one. it is also 7" centres but generally slightly different underneath etc, more curve in the main beam, completely flat underneath.

I want to know if the red one is okay or whether im going to have to fork out for a new botttom yoke.

Any help would be greatly appreciated because im ready to paint the parts and dont want to be doing the wrong ones.

Many thanks

Matt

Info from John Hudson many years ago:

SIDECAR YOKES: The top yoke is stamped s/car to the right of the top column nut. On the bottom yoke - (the crown and stem) - the column is not parallel with the fork stanchions but pulls them in at the top to push the front wheel forward and so reduce the trail. Additionally the crown is straight across instead of being a shallow inverted 'U', and instead of the underside being completely flat with a hole approximately 5/8" in diameter for the boss on the lock stop plate to centre in, it has a much larger diameter hollow boss over which a lock stop plate with a large diameter hole - from memory 1&1/4" - fits, with a friction disc above and below and then a threaded cap into which the steering damperrod screws clamp the the two friction discs together with the lock stop plate between them and this cap ismade to turn with the forks by a pear shaped extension and a set screw which secures it to the underside of the crown. Additionally, the lamp brackets/fork top covers are 1/4" ormaybe 5/16" shorter than the solo parts.

Wasn't John Hudson a great man to bother type that out (and much more besides) and post it to me in Ireland 20 years ago.

Hopethese details are of use to others.

From adifferent Matt

Hi Matt

I need a sidecar yoke and I have an excellent standard one that I am willing to part with (7" centres, good threads, along with the standard top yoke if required). If you are prepared to part with the red one please give me a call. 07887 632794 or email me on chris.bush3441@ntlworld.com

Chris

All good info here! As was previously stated, the sidecar bottom yoke has a column that is not parallel with the fork stanchions. That being said, your yokes might both be side car yokes, or neither , or one is & one isnt, all based on the column angle. If you go to the model section of this website & look under heavy twins, model 99 section, 1960 de luxe model, you will see they have a bottom yoke with a gradual arc like your blue yoke. I assume then that the blue yoke is correct for your year bike, now you will have to determine the rake of that column to see if it is standard or sidecar base on what Matt wrote.

For what its worth, your red yoke looks exactly like the one on my 1957 model 77, which has long roadholders.

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