Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Hi, the front brake plate dust cover 4088-30 on my '36 Red Hunter is looking the worse for wear. I see the club lists stainless replacements, but how is the cover secured onto the brake plate? On Triumphs I've had in the past the thin steel cover was spot-welded on but I can't see any signs of this here. Any ideas? Thanks.

Think they are spot welded on originally. Why not try something like a strong two mix epoxy metal and clamp it tightly till it sets? Nev

HI i would use J B Weld i use it all the time it bonds very well and withstands a lot of heat get the standard one not the fast drying one

OK thanks. I shall have to check they're actually in stock before removing the old one.

Kevin, I suggest taking a photo of the plate and cover before drilling out the spot welds and scribing around the inside of the flange. Once the two are separated it’s easy to start wondering about the original orientation. Maybe that’s just me.
Unless you have access to a sheet metal shop with a spot welder, the cleanest way to mount the new cover to the plate is by plug welding. Drill a 1/8 hole in the same place as the original spot welds and TIG weld with 1/16 stainless wire (because the flange is stainless) to the plate. Then polish down almost flush. If the weld is polished out completely, no one will know where to drill out the plug welds, should the cover need to be removed due to plate damage, because of a traffic accident.
If this is too much information feel free to ignore it

Good idea Wade. It'd be a p*sser if the plate was welded on only to find that it rubbed on the hub!

I have answered this question before so somewhere on the Forum is a discussion on how to do this operation. Basically, I fix the stainless ring onto the backplate by means of 4BA allen bolts, drilling and tapping the brake plate to suit. I loctite the bolts in place nad cetre punch the inner ends for good measure. I hide the bolts behind fork legs, brake arms, mudguard stays, etc.

The bolts are virtually invisible PROVIDED THAT YOU PAINT THE PART OF THE RIM WHICH GOES FLAT ONTO THE BRAKEPLATE BLACK, AS THE ORIGINALS WERE. FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE FIT THE NEW RIM AND LEAVE THE FLAT BIT UNPAINTED WHICH LOOKS AWFUL, IS NON - ORIGINAL AND IS GUARANTEED A CONCOURS COMPLETE FAILURE IF I AM JUDGING. Rant over. Similar rant on the previous discussion.

dont get ME started about concours judging…..


Oh btw, the Slovensko guys do a good repro dust cover.
https://www.arielklub.sk/inzerat-19331- ... Ariel.html

Not speaking the lingo, is that Slovensko cover stainless or mild steel?