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Front Forks Problem

Submitted by les_waller on Fri, 15/04/2022
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Commando

I am in the process of replacing the front fork seals on my 1971 bike, however I have come up against a problem.

I have removed the top nuts and slackened off the clamps on the bottom yokes, but the main tubes wont move, they seem to be stuck in the top yokes. Any suggestions please as to how I can get them off?

Submitted by john_holmes on Fri, 15/04/2022

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Replace the top nuts but only turn in 3 or 4 turns, then hit the nuts with a rubber or copper mallet. I have some old rusty nuts I keep for same purpose so I can use a proper hammer. Other way is to use the fork lower as a slide hammer, push the lower up and then pull down sharply, repeat until the tube drops. You are trying to break the taper fit in the top yoke. so some force is needed.

Thanks John, I tried using the the bottom sliders as a slide hammer but didn’t use a lot of force as I wasn’t sure if I would do any damage to the internals.

i wasn’t aware that the top nuts screw into the main tube as at first sight the threads appear to be in the top yoke. I will try your trick with the nuts.

 I wasn’t expecting the setup that I found,. as mistakenly I thought they were the same forks as the AJS bikes, but obviously not

Submitted by john_holmes on Fri, 15/04/2022

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As long as the damper rod is not screwed into the bottom of the fork top nut then the slide hammer force is transmitted through the top and bottom bushes hitting each other. The taper at the top of the tube is common to BSA and Triumph so I have a full set of old nuts as I fit stainless or alloy ones as a matter of course.

Submitted by les_waller on Sat, 16/04/2022

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Thanks John, two or three good blows with a plastic hammer did the job.

On a different topic, what is the finish supposed to be on the yokes? mine appear to have been hand painted with aluminium finish paint

Submitted by john_holmes on Sat, 16/04/2022

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It was a aluminium type paint that when cleaned went grey. I get mine powder coated silver which also goes grey with a bit of T cut.

 


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