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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Front fork overhaul... /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1117167992 Message started by WD on 05/26/05 at 21:26:32 |
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Title: Front fork overhaul... Post by WD on 05/26/05 at 21:26:32 Some quick questions since I lost my service manual (my bookcase is a blackhole...)... 1- What oil weight is stock? I'm going to run the heaviest I can get my hands on...125W150 gear oil sounds about right...although 30W fork oil is cheaper priced. 2- I need to swap the seals. finally leaking fast enough to bother me. Exactly how does the front wheel drop out? And any "surprises" involved in dropping the tubes? 3- Are there stiffer fork springs available? Mine keep bottoming out. Thanks. -WD |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by Kropatchek on 05/27/05 at 01:15:42 Quick anwers: 1- Suzuki recomments 15W forkoil, but to have a stiffer dampening 30W forkoil is oke. 2- Loosenup the Allen bolt on the RH leg (facing the wind) remove the front axle from the RH side. The tubes can be a bit tight in the upper- and lower tripple tree. Unscrew the topbolt a bit and hammer it down. Dont forget to have a bigger hammer as counterweight on the underside of the upper tripple tree. 3- Yes there are stiffer springs, but I only know a supplier in Germany. For a partsbreakdown as always see Ron Ayers Greetz Kropatchek |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by Greg_650 on 05/27/05 at 05:39:16 WD wrote:
You are kidding with the gear oil, right? Trying to make it a "hard head" suspension? There is a nut on the axle and a clamp/pinch bolt to drop off the front wheel. Then to remove the forks you need to loosen the turnsignals, remove the fork caps on the top of the forks (BOING go the springs), and finally loosen the the clamp/pinch bolts on the lower tree. Then the forks slide down and out (after disconnecting appropriate cable, etc.) I put a 3/8" spacer on the tops of both my springs for added preload.... |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by bentwheel on 05/27/05 at 06:47:03 Hey WD, If you are thinking of using gear lube in your forks, why don't you just pour in cement? It will have the same effect. ;D |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by WD on 05/27/05 at 07:44:48 Thanks. The "gear oil" is actually a racing spec fork oil...I'll stick to 30 weight. For now. Unless one of y'all is holding out on me and has a Triumph, BSA or similar sized springer or girder front suspension you don't need. I've never been a fan of hydraulic forks... Front wheel has never been off since I bought the bike...what are the odds the axle threads are gonna strip out...knowing me, pretty high in favor of that... -WD |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by Max_Morley on 05/27/05 at 08:52:03 I've done this job on mine. Top plug has to be removed before you try sliding the fork out of the triple tree. I did mine one side at a time. You will need a metric 3/8 or 1/2 in drive allen for the bolt that is above the axle in the fork. Also probably an air or electric impact wrench to remove it as it is loctited in. Use a old broom handle up inside the upside down fork to hold the inner parts while removing the retaining bolt. The special tool shown in the manual doesn't fit and the substitute looks like an old taper square style easy out. Local techs advised me of the broom handle trick as that is what they use. Saw an ad for lifetime warranty seals in a magazine the other day. I used dirt bike wet suit type material to make a wiper to help make the seals last I put in. Hard shell bugs dried on the forks took out the first set. For what it is worth, watch the turn signal wiring routing before you take it apart so it goes back the same way, the wire pinched in the fork stop will kill the bike as you park it making dignosis difficult. |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by sunny on 05/27/05 at 12:41:42 well, looks like i'll be doing my own fork seals here. am i correct in assuming that something must be wrong with my forks if it's been just a year since the last time they were done? |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by Greg_650 on 05/27/05 at 13:24:56 WD wrote:
But you said "125W150 gear oil sounds about right"...so you were kidding anyway. As for stripped threads....one word, WD40. |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by bentwheel on 05/27/05 at 14:17:11 Sunny, You are right, new fork seals certainly should last more than one year. Premature seal wear is likely caused by an imperfection in your fork tubes. There may be a burr or sharp edge caused by a stone chip which quickly shreds your seal with every compression. Clean your tubes and take a very close look ( use a magnifying glass for a closer look). Stroke the tubes with your hand and you may feel the chip. Another method is to cut up a pair of nylons and drag them over the tubes to detect a snag. If you find the culprit you have to sand down the sharp edge. Carefully sand only the chip and not the surrounding area. A sanding stone works well for this, but a small fine file will do the job. Follow it up by cleaning your fork tubes with a chrome polish. |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by bobo383 on 05/28/05 at 08:03:29 My Savage Clymer manual, page 280, says: "Fork oil type: SAE15W fork oil or Dexron ATF" Dexron is a buck a quart, Bel Ray Fork oil is $8/qt, so you know which one I'll use. Phooey on those posers who say it has to be "fork oil". Any hydraulic oil or motor oil will work, the viscosity is what changes things up of course. Ain't done the Savage yet. I Used 5W (manual spec) on my YZF600, but 15W40 on my neighbor's Sportster. The latter was because he didn't like how the front end dived when he braked on the freeway. It's much better now as you can imagine. I just replaced fork seals on my YZF600. I used the stuff recommended in the manual, 5W, that number seemed awful light to me but it works great. Now that I've been inside the forks, I see why. The damping holes are teeeeny-tiny. The damper rod is probably 1/8" inside diameter, for all of its length of about 18" or so. Not at all like the Savage or an HD. |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by sunny on 06/01/05 at 13:54:36 before i do the fork seals, is it at all possible that a horrid jolt could cause the fork seal damage? the last time i rode there was this THING, preceeded by a sign that merely said BUMP. i was almost thrown from the bike, my derriere was lifted at least a foot off the seat... prior to that the seal was fine. |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by bentwheel on 06/01/05 at 14:34:11 It sure could Sunny. "A horrid jolt" as you described could cause the oil to be forced out between the seal lips and the fork tube. Clean up the oil and monitor the area. If it stays dry you may be alright. |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by WD on 06/01/05 at 14:42:22 Sunny, that's what I decided to do with mine. Cleaned everything off really well, checked the seal to tube interface. No new leaking. Could be empty, but I doubt it. I called the dealership where I bought it. Only Suzuki shop worth dealing with, he still had my purchase/service records from 1998...his mechanic changed the seals at the 600 miles service and didn't charge me for them. He had also gone from light to medium weight fork oil, 20W if I remember what he told me the other night. I'll going to pull the tubes, drain the forks, and refill them with HD30 motor oil or type F ATF. Gotta stop that front end dive under braking...what a nuisance. -WD |
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Title: Re: Front fork overhaul... Post by bobo383 on 06/01/05 at 16:25:21 15W40 did a great job of stopping the Sportster from diving, and that's 200 lbs heavier than the little Savage. 30W should do ya just fine. |
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