Front Axle Alignment

Hi all,

I've got a '74 Commando that I bought a few months ago. I've never had the front wheel off until now, to install a set of Don's Landsdowne dampers. Everything seemed to go back together appropriately...up to the point that I tried to slide the front axle through the sliders. The hole on the LH one is 1/4" +/- lower than the right one. Needless to say the axle binds when you try to slide it through. Removing the fender made no difference. I didn't have an inordinate amount of trouble removing the axle...slid a screwdriver through the hole on the end, and gave it a twist as I pulled the axle out. I've had several brands of bikes over the years, and when things were right, you could always install the axle by hand. In this case I would have to compress one fork to get the holes to line up.

So...should they line up on a Commando, or is it not unusual to have to compress one side to install the axle?

Thanks, Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Doesn't sound correct from here.
Did you get both fibre washers out with the original dampers?
I have just fitted a pair of Lansdowne dampers and one of the original washers stayed in the slider and was a pig to remove, and looking down the slider it was hard to tell whether there was a washer there or not.

iain.

They should be the same, as maximum extension of the Commando Roadholder fork legs are governed by the length of the damper assemblies (standard or Lansdowne) however, the forks being of equal length also depends on the damper tubes seating correctly in the recess at the bottom of each slider as ntst8 mentioned also the number of turns the damper rod is screwed into the cap bolt.

and if you adjust the length the damper rod is screwed into the top fork nut then on the Lansdowne dampers , you are messing with the dampening or compression adjustment and you will end up with either no adjustment or damaging the needle valve. . The Lansdowne dampers are supplied ready to fit
and ARE the same length when supplied.

madass140 said:

and if you adjust the length the damper rod is screwed into the top fork nut then on the Lansdowne dampers , you are messing with the dampening or compression adjustment and you will end up with either no adjustment or damaging the needle valve.

Click to expand...

Yes, I was thinking of the standard damper assemblies.

Yes Kevin pic he sent me shows a difference in length of about 3mm, he is not happy with that so I've asked him to return them for full refund.
The 3-4mm difference in spring compression is not an issue.
Don

I had the same problem - it turned out that the fork sliders had been replaced at some point, and the bottom recess was not fully machined on one of them :-(
I ended up reusing the original, which was actually in good condition.
Worth while checking before sending the whole kit back though.

Kevin advised me an hour ago he was returning the dampers, I refunded him immediately.

Funds received. Thanks, Don.

I can't tell what happened here to make the length difference.
One spring is slightly longer than the other?
And that much difference wd be considered acceptable in most cases, just compress the longer one to line them up for axle fitting?