Front fork question

What is the best way to disassemble the damper tube, damper rod, spring, and jam nut assembly? I have new damper tubes, and progressive springs but I need the rod and a few pieces.

Well if the fork tubes themselves are in good condition you can leave them in place. The bike will need to be lifted high enough to slide the dampener assemblies out from underneath the fork tubes. Before removing the wheel dump out the fork oil and get the seal retainers loosened off. With them removed from their threads and the fork caps removed from the rods take out the springs, you can now use the slider as a slide hammer to remove the seals. Each slider with its dampener assembly can be slid right off the tube now. In a counter bore above the axle is a socket head cap screw that’s holding the dampener tube in place in the slider removing the screw fees the whole unit. Undoing the cap on the body frees the rod and valve assembly. Be sure to use a new gasket when replacing the dampener assembly back into the slider. And some good AMCO 15 Dampener caps before fitting these gaskets. You can read on about leak proof seals and top bushing grooves moving the holes in the tubes on and on.

Yellow_Cad said:

What is the best way to disassemble the damper tube, damper rod, spring, and jam nut assembly? I have new damper tubes, and progressive springs but I need the rod and a few pieces.

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Why are you replacing the damper tubes, are you putting alloy ones on the bike? I didn't think the damper tubes ever wore. Mine are original to the bike and probably have 110,000 miles on them. The damper tube caps SHOULD be replaced. The fit between them and the damper rods is what controls the rebound damping. New damper tube caps will reduce the tendency of the forks to "top out."

Assuming you have the forks off the bike. You'll need to remove the collar that holds the forks seals in. The recommended tool is a strap wrench. I use a large pipe wrench, it doesn't damage up the collar much at all, and the outside of the collar is covered by the fork gaiters anyway. Once the collar is off you can use the fork tube as a slide hammer to remove the top bush. I'd then compress the springs with my hand enough to get a set of needle nose vice grips to clamp to the damper rod just below where the threads end. Then you can loosen the jam nut. I believe a 1/2 or 9/16 AF socket will remove the bolt that holds the damper tube to the slider. You can then pretty easily remove the damper tube caps with an open end wrench (I think 9/16 AF). Replace all the seals while you're in there. I use the moly-impregnated version of the Leak Proof brand of fork seals.

-Eric

It has taken me a while to get to this task (the forks) as I planned to upgrade the front brake too and when a new front brake was shipped to me it was stolen off my front porch, finally got another an off I go on the fork job. Back when I started to accumulate fork parts, I decided to embelish things a bit and after much reading on this board opted for alloy damper bodies and progressive springs all from Clubman Racing. At that time, I decided not to do Leakproof seals based on what I read but since I have decided (more reading) that I might have gone with Leakproofs but since I have the others, I guess I'll go with them. I have the forks all apart just not the damper tube, rod, and spring assembly so thanks for the guidance on that. I am also replacing the hard chromed fork tubes so the damper rod, spacer, jam nut and slider are about all I am reusing.

The feedback prior assumes things come apart in ideal world. What you may run into are two issues not covered. One the bottom bolt that holds damper tube will loosen only enough to allow damper tube to spin and not just the bolt outward. May have to devise way to hole damper tube/cap to get bottom bolt all the way out.
Another is the damper cap may be blacksmith welded to the tube threads. May have to devise way to grip both the tube and the cap hard enough to free them and not crush the tube.

Best bang for the bux, by far, is Greg Faulth's norbsa48503, kit. Keeps the factory springs but adds progressive spring spacers and gives top and bottom silent indefinite stops. Unless you weigh under 160 lb suited up, better search up the
majority feedback on disappointments/let downs of off the shelf progressive springs available. Oh yeah Gregs' kits shaves some mass off the Roadholders to boot. Try some power steering fluid in there at some point, I'm sold on it now.

Are you saying power steering fluid instead of fork oil?

Yes plain old automotive power steering fluid is my favorite now in both factory Roadholders and modified one. Its a trial and error process d/t differing rider mass and temperature and surface run over. I've tried a fair amount of fluids, hi end 5 to 30 grade, mult-grade motor oil 10-30, Autotrans fluid and mixing grades.
All seems either too little damping or too much. I ran out of fluids playing with levels and saw I had over supply of steering fluids, seemed a bit thicker than AFT yet not as thick as the fork fluids and very pleased how it felt and cheap and easy to find. I get a grin inside that my forks run on Power Steering Fluid : )
Just don't ever over fill for lock up, which can take a bit of riding to occur as fork action pumps down the air pocket, suddenly bike want to pogo opposite to every pilot input or road ripple, even at 15 mph. Danger zone is about 185 ml.
Factory amount is too low for much of an air progressive spring so aim towards
175 ml. Hard to really get it accurate as so much tends to drool outside on filling.
PSF has all the qualities needed in forks anti foam, lubing, seal protection etc.

Hm may try it for primary chain, as too much on hans after getting rid of old car with a leak. i'd send ya a quart but more expensive to mail than at parts store.

Again I mention Greg's Kit as one of the most leasing things to do to Cdo's.

Oh yeah, its worth while to knock out the stanchions and roll them together to check for straightness, don't take much to frustrate assembly w/o striction.
A machine shop can tweak back to acceptable way cheaper than new ones if not too bent. Not bad idea to grind an oil spiral groove in top bushes, just short of the very top edge. I put anti seize on the damper cap threads as never want to face the strain to remove them like my first time into 2 of '72 forks.

norbsa48503 said:

The bike will need to be lifted high enough to slide the dampener assemblies out from underneath the fork tubes. Before removing the wheel dump out the fork oil and get the seal retainers loosened off. With them removed from their threads and the fork caps removed from the rods take out the springs, you can now use the slider as a slide hammer to remove the seals. Each slider with its dampener assembly can be slid right off the tube now. In a counter bore above the axle is a socket head cap screw that’s holding the dampener tube in place in the slider removing the screw fees the whole unit. Undoing the cap on the body frees the rod and valve assembly. Be sure to use a new gasket when replacing the dampener assembly back into the slider.

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If it is only the damper assembly which requires attention-then it isn't always necessary to remove the slider or disturb the seal?

It isn't necessary to completely drop the wheel out of position, only the axle needs to be removed to allow access to the damper tube retaining bolts.
Once the oil has been drained from the fork legs, the fork cap bolts can be temporarily screwed back down again-as the spring pressure will help to prevent the damper assemblies turning as the retaining (hexagon originally, not socket cap) bolts are loosened. It should then be possible to remove the spring and damper assembly from the upper end of the fork as a complete unit.

hobot said:

May have to devise way to grip both the tube and the cap hard enough to free them and not crush the tube.

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Once the spring has been removed from the damper assembly, the damper unit can be inverted and the damper cap flats held in a vice/vise and a rod passed through the oil holes in the end of the damper tube can be used to unscrew the tube from the cap.