Fork tube removal

How hard (how much force) is it to remove fork stanchion tubes from the top and bottom yokes? Is it really necessary to remove the tubes and lower yoke as a unit as the Haynes manual says and then slide them from the lower yoke?
Thanks

Depends on how long they have been sitting there - and how rusted they have become to the yoke, if it wasn't greased on assembly.
Or if you want them completely dismantled for further attention and rebuild - its easier to get them fully apart at this stage.

Sometimes you can just undo the top nut, and the pinch clamp socket screw, and twist them out and down.
Other times, they may need heat or a rubber mallett to get them moving.

You tried them yet ?

Not yet, just psyching myself up to do the job. I like to know what I'm in for before the worst happens, then I can be relieved at how easy it really was.

Are the tops of the tubes tapered like BSA and Triumphs? I remebr taking the tubes out of my BSA A10 and it was not fun.

Yes, they're tapered, and the inside of the tree is also, to meet it. It all depends on what is in there. You may be able to loosen the top nuts and whack it with a rubber/hide mallet and that's it. If it's rusted in there, you may be in for some work. Mine were in there maybe 20 years or more and no problem, but they weren't rusty. Make sure everything is loose, especially the tree clamp bolts.

Good luck,
Dave
69S

Yeah, like Dave says

Loosen the pinch bolt, undo the top nut, remove the damper rod from the top nut, take the instrument housing off, screw the top nut back into the tube a good dozen turns, and whack it with a rubber mallet. Once its broken free from the top yoke, unscrew the nut and you should be able to twist the tube out of the headlight ear and lower yoke. There should be a pair of o-rings between the ear and the tube to keep it from rattling, and this may complicate the removal a little.

If you're doing more than just a fork rebuild, it's easier to take the yokes apart so you can remove the headlight and ears. If you are just doing a rebuild, then try just doing one fork at a time using the procedure above. If it works like it should, you can avoid messing with the headlight.

If like my Combats, I use 3/4" drive socket ground thnner for clearance on the top cap "bolts" Air impact would work a treat on really tough ones but I've only had to use some heat and good grips for leverage on long breakbar in worse so far. After caps off I heat the lower yoke clamp bolt area to take out. Then heat the top yoke around their tapper areas, screw caps back in a good number of turns then a HARD wood or composite block placed over and smacked Sharply with about the biggest hammer you can swing safely. Undo the stem nuts and should lightly bop out stem with low yoke karplop, [out the bottom in 750's] It stem more suburn suspect bearing going bad and helped along by the stem bashing on the balls/races side ways brinnelling surfaces. I clamp a leg to see if i can undo the damper bolt in bottom w/o damper just spinning. Is so try a cap bolt back in to compress spring friction on damper cap. I've had to use long pilier to get one out though.

If damper tube had holes below the tapper now it time to weld epoxy or jam Al pegs in them for bottoming hydro stop function, after move those hole up 3/4-1/2" above damper end lip. Most friction is inside stanchions so check there.

Try top nut & pinch bolts out first .
The Sliders can work like a slide hammer and pull legs down .

If archeological in the Joints , wack the top clamp of , remove lower & legs ( or Stauchions ) as assembly ,
then stare it out and lecture on ancestry . After applying C.R.C. liberally a few days before attacking .

Can pay to kick loose all bits before undoing any , if its cooperateing .

or All the nuts loose and a strop down a bumpy cobblestone / washboard road . ( wear a good helmet , & gloves )

Should all be straightforward actually . But Large Nylon Mallets , wooden drifts , and a Gas Torch are profesional .
The air turning blue & throwing things are most disconcerting to more timid bystanders .

You just never know...

When I pulled my front forks for the first time after buying my commando I removed the top bolt, then loosened the pinch bolt. I then realized that I would need to reinstall the top bolt as described in a previous post and smack it with a rubber mallet. I picked up the top bolt from the bench and started to screw it back in. As I put the top bolt in position against the tube but before actually screwing it in, the fork assembly fell out of the clamps onto the floor! Here's hoping a similar easy result for you.

So how easy was it you might ask? Removed the top bolts, unscrewed the one damper rod that was actually was screwed in, took the guage brackets off and loosened the lower clamp pinch bolts. Put the top bolt back in the left tube and wacked it with a rubber mallet. The right tube then fell right out :lol: Had to put a piece of wood on the left one and hit it with a good sized hammer, but it slid right out once free from the top taper. Next comes the rebuild. Should be fun. Looks like the D.P.O. filled the forks with goo from the LaBrea tar pits. It just kind of ooozed out the drain holes whenever the sliders were moved. :shock:

Sounds like you have lots of watery goo inside from lack of service. When you reinstall the tubes grease those o-rings good so they stay in place and put a dab of grease on the area where the tubes mate up with the triple clamps. For future ease of removal ,,,,,,,,,,

Tim_S

The goo is innate with barn stored Nortons. What do ya mean next time, don't one time through do it for a generation or so? Glad you didn't force anything by grabbing a bigger hammer.

Pictures dammit, what ever happened to that new digital camera you got?

concours said:

Pictures dammit, what ever happened to that new digital camera you got?

Click to expand...

Got to get set up with a new photo service first. Webshots now wants $$ for me to upload my pics so they can sell em! :evil: Let me know next time you're working in the area and you can get a firsthand look

I have been using Photobucket for quite some time, works well.

bwolfie said:

I have been using Photobucket for quite some time, works well.

Click to expand...

+1

Photobucket is free.