Uneven new stanchions

I put new AN stanchions on my rebuild a while back an now notice some excess stixktion as well as some play on one of them.

After disassembling, I can now observe that there is a humped profile to the tube so that it sticks right about midway extended and the top bush will hang up there, and there is slop at full extension that you can feel by hand when wiggling the bush.

I am assuming I need to reduce the OD of the middle of the tube to that of the lower end and get a smaller ID bushing.

What would be the best method to do this?

Or any better suggestions?

Definitely not wanting to sound in any way facetious here, but your best method is to buy new stanchions! Or get them ground and re-chromed by a pro outfit.

Personally, I’d talk to AN about these and see what they have to say.

For what it’s worth, in 2013 I bought new stanchions from RGM, this year I sent the forks to Maxton for all new internals (Maxton are a top end race suspension company in U.K.) and the stanchions passed their QC. So I’m assuming they’re pretty much OK.

Gortnipper, PM sent.

Do not get them re-ground, if you find someone who can do it, it costs a fortune. I can match them to bushes if customers ask, just like weighing con rods that some ask for.

Regards,

How can custom bushes opened out for a humped section be a solution, they will be too loose when not on the hump. He needs replacement stanchions to size the full length of the bush travel area.

If you were in the UK, I would have recommended centerless grinding and hard chroming and I have used AM Philpott Hard Chroming Ltd in the past. Their service will give your fork stanchions a long life and perfect mating conditions with standard size bushes. The loss of tube stiffness by grinding is negligible, unless your tubes are heavily pitted, in which case I recommend replacing them with new quality ones.

-Knut

What is a "humped profile'"?

Stephen Hill

I would measure with a micrometer in a bunch of places and see just what you have. Even if they saved money chrome plating and not grinding after they should have been ground before plating to be accurate after.

I don't understand why if they are new why you don't take or send them back to Andover Norton. I'm sure if it's a manufacturing issue they would want to know as well. I'd certainly call and talk to them at the very least.

I am talking to them. Just trying to understand options as I purchased them a while ago.