Blues

I'm modifying my old 96ish Trek 830 XC into a gravel like Geezer Bike. It now has 700 wheels with a 8x cassette and drop bars. I want to remove the brake studs [posts] from the forks and seat stays, but there are no wrench flats on the posts. How do I do it? I hate to scar the posts up with Vice Grips in case I want to use them again. I hope I'm using the correct terminology here. See the attached pnoto.

I don't mind having the brazed on bases.

aggiegrads

My guess is that if there are no wrench flats, the entire post is one piece that is brazed on.

The tool to remove them is a torch, but then you need to repaint.

dedhed

If they are threaded you can do 2 jam nuts and wrenches on the bolt.

guy153

I would use an angle grinder. Cut as much off with a cutting disk as you feel safe doing without the disk touching anything you want to keep. Then switch to a flap disk and get as close as you safely can to the surface of the fork which should be almost the whole way. A little bit of 80 grit emery tape by hand at the end. Repaint and you won't know the posts were there.

guy153

They look like they're actually welded on. So a torch would be no use as the whole fork would melt at the same temperature as the welds.

aggiegrads

Yes. Looking closer, you are absolutely right. You can't melt a weld.

grizzly59

I would just leave them alone. Cut a short piece of tubing to protect the stud. In 2 weeks you'll forget all about them.

Blues

Thanks for the responses.

I'll put tubing over the shafts and not worry about them.

Thanks,

Fred

HillRider

Do you really want them gone permanently and what type of brake are you going to replace them with? Be certain The world is full of bikes that have been permanently altered and then, after it's too late, owner then decides they should have left the (fill in the blank) in place as they really want to go back to the old configuration.

base2 

Not that I'm one for Porteur racks, but the idea of having extra/redundant/unnecessary components does rub me the wrong way. Combine that with the need to always carry more water & or more food or a more complete fix-it kit for long days 30 miles from civilization or cell coverage...Leads me to this: Sunlite brake boss mounted front rack.

I have one. It's small, lightweight, & would fit a small trunk bag or a pair or water bottles secured with a bungie cord. It may not be much, but at least the studs would have a purpose.

Blues

Thank you!

This is a great idea makes me start thinking of other uses.

JW in AK

Can you post a picture of the posts head-on, from the front of the bike? Your original shot looks like the head might take an allen wrench. My mountain bike takes a 5mm to remove the posts, which look just like yours, with no wrench flats.

Are you talking about the non-painted part? If that was welded/brazed in place and not removable, there'd be no way to mount the brakes.

Geepig

I too am not clear on what you want removed.

The painted parts are unlikely to come off - where else on the bike does that happen? The unpainted section simply needs removing with a hexagon/torx key and then something fitted into the threaded holes to stop them filling with dirt, like short mushroom headed bolts or plastic inserts.

guy153

The unpainted bits don't come off either. They're only not painted because you're supposed to put grease on them followed by a brake arm. Everything except the bolt that's already screwed in there is a single casting welded onto the fork and needs to be sawn and then sanded off.

Geepig

Oh I see, I never really progressed to those brakes. I just went down and looked at an old frame I had buried away and indeed those studs are fixed.

If they cannot be removed, then maybe the answer is to make them a feature, such as by painting them a cream colour?

guy153

Good idea. I was thinking mount something on them and thought of a custom rack. Apparently reading the rest of the thread these are already a thing and you can actually get them. You could also mount lights on them.

Crankycrank

I was just going to say that you could cut off the studs and thread the mounts to take threaded bosses later on if needed. A little work and needs to be done accurately so everything is straight but it's another option.

Blues

I now think the painted part, I'll call the stud, is one piece and is welded to the fork. The weld puddles can be seen in the attached front view. The 5mm hex head screw that holds on the brake arm is threaded into the stud. The screw was not removed in the previous photo.

If I need some extra work sometime I may cut the studs off and thread them for removable brake studs, but that's way down a list I'll probably never finish. I'm not sure it's really on the list. I do not want to destroy the mounting for the 26" wheels. I may want to go back to them some day.

I like the idea of attaching the fore mentioned rack or fastening lights or reflectors on the studs.

The studs would be a great place for a pair of front reflectors.

Thanks for all the brain storming. It always helps with new ideas.

Fred