modifying comstars?

R

RyGuy17

Active Member
ok, I got a set of comstars and after removing (breaking) the spoke cover, I saw that the spoke is riveted to the outer wheel. I want to take them apart to get the spokes painted and the outer wheel and hub cleaned up.

So has anybody tried drilling out all of the rivets and re-assembling the wheels with grade 8 bolts? because there is really no good way to paint the backside of the spokes and clean up the hub without tearing them completely down
 
I cant say for sure, but gut feeling is that taking them apart is a VERY bad idea... It seems like you could never really get them balanced correctly again, but I could be wrong.
 
+1 on that,

If you don't rivet or fasten them back correctly you'd risk them coming apart. Not the thing I'd want at high speed. It's more time consuming to paint them together but at least you know that they'll stay that way.

Jay
 
There was a guy on here that did it, but I'd have to say I'd never risk it. Do a search. The thread has to be around here somewhere.
 
I can only imagine what would happen if a nut came loose and jammed in the brake at speed, THAN the wheel started coming apart... Ugly...
 
I recall reading a post somewhere, on a chopper board; I think, where a guy took his Comstars apart and reversed the wheel parts. Turning the insides out. +1 on doing your homework.
 
I am with the gang on this one about NOT taking them apart! If you decide to try it though, I would use rivets to reassymble, bolts are much heavier. I am sure they would cause balance issues not to mention the failure possibility! If you do drill them out, just go back over every hole and get a good clean hole drilled in the center of the old hole that is the smalles diameter you can use to clean up the old reamed holes (drill press is the only real way). Then find heavy two piece fastening rivets (fastenal carries several different ones) and rivet them back together using a pnuematic rivet gun.
 
Hot Rod Troy said:
I recall reading a post somewhere, on a chopper board; I think, where a guy took his Comstars apart and reversed the wheel parts. Turning the insides out. +1 on doing your homework.
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Comstars came in 'two flavours' rounded edge out or rounded edge in (reverse spoke)
They also come with stainless steel or alloy spokes.
They used special 'triangular' head bolts to hold them together.
Wouldn't be a problem replacing them with grade 8~9
I got a 19" reverse spoke off a CBX or Goldwing?
It's wider than 'standard' one, 2.15" WM3 instead of 1.85" WM2

PJ
 
Just remembered something.
If you have the stainless steel spokes/rivets it would probably be a god idea to switch to bolts.
If it has the alloyspokes/ rivets, not a good idea.
The heating/cooling of rim loosened up the spoke /rim joint, pretty sure there was a recall about 1979~80?

PJ
 
i did it with a set.....number all the spokes in relation to where they came from on the hub and the rim, when its time to reassemble them bolt them together and keep reaming the holes out till the bolt goes in tightly, after they are bolted back together safety wire them....i wouldnt trust loctite alone on this one thats just me.

i wish i had some pictures of mine when i finished them. i do have another set maybe ill do it to them and post pics.
 
forcefanajd said:
i did it with a set.....number all the spokes in relation to where they came from on the hub and the rim, when its time to reassemble them bolt them together and keep reaming the holes out till the bolt goes in tightly, after they are bolted back together safety wire them....i wouldnt trust loctite alone on this one thats just me.

i wish i had some pictures of mine when i finished them. i do have another set maybe ill do it to them and post pics.
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the safety wire is a good idea, just looked into some grade 8 drilled wilwood bolts on jegs, actually pretty cheap for the added safety...now I'll just have to suck it up and ask my not so favorite chassis guy to wire them, haha
 
Split pins (cotter pins) would be a better option than safety wire as they will ALL be the same length / weight (remember your wheel needs to be balanced ;))

But really, loctite will be ample
 
hillsy said:
Split pins (cotter pins) would be a better option than safety wire as they will ALL be the same length / weight (remember your wheel needs to be balanced ;))

But really, loctite will be ample
Click to expand...

so you cut a piece of wire the same length for each bolt you wire....
 
Ummmm, Some good bolts torqued to hell and back with some loc tite would work too. I wouldent reccomend trusting the lock wire, too fragile for a wheel. Same with the cotter pins and castilated nuts, Its too easy to tamper with them. If you go with any of those, I might also reccoment some of those markers you see on commurcial truck wheels. The bright usually green things that go under the lug nuts all pointing the same way. That way you can see if they are loose at all.

If there is an airport near by, go look for some techs and see is they would rivet them togther. They should have some good strong solid monel rivets.

200px-Rivet01.jpg


Better yet I myself would trust Hi Loc fastners.

http://www.hi-shear.com/fastener_hl.htm

Probibaly expencive.

For all its worth, you could use elmers glue and sparkles ;). Ultimatley its your ass and not mine. (same thing they tell me with my bike build)

Good Luck!
 
Bolts with loctite is the standard for mounting disc rotors - I don't see why bolting up comstars would need anything "fancier" ::)

Best to get a appropriately shouldered bolt so the spokes and rim area are not rubbing on the bolt thread ;)
 
hillsy said:
Bolts with loctite is the standard for mounting disc rotors - I don't see why bolting up comstars would need anything "fancier" ::)

Best to get a appropriately shouldered bolt so the spokes and rim area are not rubbing on the bolt thread ;)
Click to expand...

longer 'lever' at rim than at brake rotor plus tyre heats rim so you have couple of things going on.
Honda, even with their resources, had problems with dissimilar metals. You need something that wont react with the spokes/rim.
Maybe it's wishful thinking, but, there is a possibility it could be around for a long time (longer than you)

PJ
 
If a rivet works, there's no reason why a bolt won't work. The reason they used rivets as stock would have been so people DON'T tamper with them, not because rivets were stronger / better.

Also the heat generated by a disc is far greater than that of a tyre - and the disc bolts have to endure more shear stresses than a rim bolt ever would.

Not arguing, just saying...... ;D
 
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