I am replacing the springs as after 8 odd years they are fecked.
Forks now off the bike ready to start working in next weekend.
Any tips on getting them striped, cleaned & put back together?

It is nice and easy.

I have a bit of old lino - use that to lay out all my towels and stuff and just follow the service manual process for it.

Keep it clean, take your time and the job is jobbed.

You'll be replacing seals as well? If not - then to swap the springs, just use a coathanger to get them out and slowly withdraw them so they don't drag too much oil out.

full strip n clean, new oil, seals, springs. i'll see how the bushes are before i replace them.
while its all apart i'll clean up the tubes & legs from rust n crap.

i know the last time mate & i did it, the tube didnt separate too easy. this time i'll be doing it on my own.

If the bottom bolts spin, use an air ratchet to get them out. If you don't have an air ratchet, try pulling the forks apart (not compressing them) and then unscrewing them, but it's usually easier to just take the forks to a shop! (This is for cartridge forks--not sure if damping rod forks have the same issue with the bottom bolt?)

Ciao,

The point of doing work in your own bike is to save money than going to a shop. Esp if you know which end of a spanner to use..... Which I do. Now I 100% agree to take it to a shop if you have no clue. Safer for all that way.

1st fork was piece of piss to do & is all back together.
2nd fork was a bastard to separate! The second you pulled the fork tube apart it stuck, I have a wooden floor in my shed & had to bang the bottom of the leg down to release the tube.... Repeat. 30 mins later they were apart & the bushes fecked! New set of bushes in the post. Everything's sat cleaned waiting.

Now here are MY tips:
Before removing the forks from the bike, crack the top of the fork nut, don't loosen fully.
Once forks are out; 1st thing to do is clamp the lower leg in a bench vice & loosen the Allen bolt.

I meant take the forks to a shop to get the bolts removed, not take the forks to a shop to have them rebuilt!

Ciao,

JZH
London, UK/So.Cal., USA
www.vsource.org

Bolts wernt an issue, just loosen/crack loose as many as you can while the forks & front wheel are still on the bike.