Hi all,

I thought i would give my forks a overhaul as I've not change the oil or the seals since i had the bike and the left one was leaking. Took the front wheel off and remover the forks. As per the Haynes, tried to remove the damper bolt, on both forks, before dismantling the forks, but there not budging even with the fork fully compressed. I don't want to mess too much as it looks like it might round off and that's the last thing i want!!

Does any one have any ideas how to get it free with out screwing it up?

Cheers

Russ

Rustyp81 wrote:Hi all,

I thought i would give my forks a overhaul as I've not change the oil or the seals since i had the bike and the left one was leaking. Took the front wheel off and remover the forks. As per the Haynes, tried to remove the damper bolt, on both forks, before dismantling the forks, but there not budging even with the fork fully compressed. I don't want to mess too much as it looks like it might round off and that's the last thing i want!!

Does any one have any ideas how to get it free with out screwing it up?

Cheers

Russ

You can either fck about jamming a broom handle down the fork legs... or you can use a rattle gun and a long allen bit socket to shock it off literally faster than you can say "that was quick". Your choice, but whatever you do, forget trying to open it with the ball end of the only allen key you have which is long enough. You will break things.

I've hot a full set of long reach T bar Allen keys, but sadly don't have an impact wrench. Could you give a bit more detail on the broom method please. The forks are the L type if that makes any difference.

Thanks for the help

Russ

Broom method works for me too.. Just shove it in in place of the stantion and then put hard pressure on it to stop the internals spinning while you undo the allen bolt. It needs to be a wooden broom handle of course, otherwise it won't grip enough.

A note of caution, the allen bolts sometimes have a very shallow head so one slip and they're knackered..

think I misread your mail... So the forks are still in one piece and the problem isn't the bolt spinning but that it won't turn at all?

In that case either a really good fitting allen key (with an extension tube if its that tight), a rattle gun, or maybe an impact driver - the manual kind that twist as you whack them, that way it the allen key won't jump out and round the bolt.

you need to compress the fork if assembled so the spring puts pressure onto the damper rod bolt,

i used a rag over the top of the fork, compressed against the back wall of the garage, and put a screw driver through a caliper mount and hammered it into the work top, and then with the fork compressed i undid the allen bolt with a bit of a frankinstein jobby and a 24" breaker bar, no problem encountered!

bolts threadlocked in or should be , as has been said bolt heads are shallow if you dont already have one best buy or borrow a 6mm long allen key socket rather than pissin around with allen keys with a spanner or pipe on them for leverage if you round one your fekd as i know to my cost previously have done several forks since without grief using a good fitting long socket by shocking them first before trying to undo them.

davethetrucker wrote:bolts threadlocked in or should be , them.

yes and use heat to deativate the threadlock , small flame torches are good for this

Hi I had the same issue when I rebuilt my forks and after trying most things I found and alternative method.

Take out the oil drain bolt and find a slightly longer bolt of the same size and screw that in just enough to grab the damper - now you're free to remove the damper bolt.

Make sure you have enough torque on the damper bolt (allen bolt) I don't think long allen keys are enough. From memory I think I used a breaker bar with some long allen head bits that I'd bought specifically.

When you rebuild the fork ensure you put thread-lock on the bolts.

I used this to stop the inner damper rod from turning , its also useful when reassembling the forks.



Its just a 24 mm bolt (measured across the flats) welded onto a bar long enough to fit. stick on end into the vice and the bolt end into the fork and it locks the damper in place.