Front fork- removal and restore.....

What is the appropriate sequence for removing and restoring the front forks of a Commando ES?

Mike

Collect big mallet and torch plus manual or just start taking apart starting at the bottom then working up till able to bop out the stanchions and keep on going to get to the stem bearings if ya like. Google the specific search terms to find more posts and photo's here as will find the subject line while forum search just looks for text, but ma never mention the subject line because everyone already knows that what their taking about. Not good to post this sort so inquiry on a weekend with most the experts away from work stations, so get the dregs w/o a schedule like me. Definitely inspect and clean well the insides of stanchions and outside of springs.

What do you mean Dregs hobot "so get the dregs w/o a schedule like me." You've been in and out of every inch of these bikes as far as I can tell,,,I just can't understand you. LOL.... I'd consider the lansdown kit CptKelly, it seems to be a real inprovement, I don't have it yet on my bike yet, but have only seen good feedback regarding them. Cj

The bushes you replace may not be within spec. Some have to be machined down a thou or two.

If you are using a aftermarket fender and not using the fender stays, CNW does a mod by removing the bosses on the sliders. *if that's the look you want that is.

Gosh sky a bit of warning to put on sunglasses would be good next time.

Bushes often come deformed enough to bind on stanchion. My habit now is slip on stanchion as much and can then lightly rap around bush till slip slides easy, too easy I've found once better rounded, so re-used old worn tighter ones. Di formed bushes may also apply to fit in sliders. Not sure I should hang out in a place with standards that respects my advice. I don't know which fork mod is better yet as hard not to improve on Roadholders as issued but I sure like mine of course.

Before complete strip down, leave the stanchions in the yolks and check the alignment; Any twist,or fore-aft mis-alignment will cause a "sticky" result no matter how good the bush's are in the end,
Next, wear, sliders in time get worn..thats a fact. It was rare for the "old lads" to change the fork oil, After many years the spring sides frett away on the stanchion walls causing steel particals to mix with the water/oil mixture, The bottom steel bush "use's" this abrasive slurry to grind the alloy slider bore.
New bushs will be a good fit at the top and bottom..with a fair amount of play/slack in the centre.
I have started to retail a few restore kits to correct this, I press in a thin wall [1mm] steel sleeve and some turn graphite Nylon bushs to suit, Nylon running in steel is far better than the original steel on alloy.
Postal logistic's to the USA are not good,and expensive,, unless you can fit them you self, you will require access to a lathe.

The best tool in the box , is just good old common sence,and follow the book.
www.lansdowne-engineering.com

By my meager experience if the forks are sticky I suspect bent tubes and rusted springs inside rusted stanchions before misalignment suspected. Last spring I put Trixie engine back together, after riding nice on refurbished factory forks, a couple-3 yr earlier, thinking I'd not have to do forks again, but were so sticky I couldn't hardly shove em down and then they stayed down. Went round and round putting back together to get same unridable restriction, till looked down tubes to see the crust that had formed, ugh. W/o engineer level measuring jigs and tools, its a waste of time to check forks alignment prior to servicing them as get chance to do that once everything up to snuff inside and out. Roll the tubes against each other to best detect their condition w/o any tools. It it takes that test to detect bends, then within range a machine shop can set usable straight-ish again. I' ve run on worn bushes at either end and all's i can say is if you can ride wild enough and in wild enough conditions to detect this then I'd be afraid to ride against ya Trixie's tubes are left overs from Peel crashes i had shop straighten to within a few 1000'ths true and she happy as a Lark on em, within anything I can do or care too on an un-linked- tamed isolastic Cdo. Main down side of factory set up is the clanks at either limits and the rough jarring ride till I get to pavement. The other thing is getting spring rates to resist a riders mass on hard braking. If bushes too loose what I perceive is visual vibration/blur at axle level, if wild enough in rough road leans and slight slack testing in shop unloaded, but nothing else.