Originally Posted by
ftwelder
Here ya go. You mount the caliper on a bracket that goes directly to the axle and can rotate on the axle on a bearing (bushing). Near where the caliper mounts to the bracket, there is another small bushing. This is called a lower stay rod bushing. The upper stay rod bushing bolts to the fork crown.
When the bike is moving and you apply the brake, the caliper pulls down on the stay rod causing the brake force to move upward directly toward the upper stay rod bolt where it belongs, in a nice thick chunk of metal.
r
That kind of rig is common on choppers though they normally tether to the fork at brake height. I have never built one for a bike, but have suggested it often enough, so far no takers, no how. These days the strut could be amsteel at about zero weight and fab cost. It is also a good method to retro a disc.