removing front fork bushings

[snowbeard]

so I did my due diligence with a search, but to no avail.

I am trying to get the front fork from an 8 inch half width hub fork apart, I have the right side that the axle threads into (not the clamp side).  I have removed the allen from the bottom, and taken out the damping rod and lower piece.  I have finally gotten the leg broken free from the bushings and have about a half inch of movement up and down before either the seal holder hits or what seems like the lower bushing hits the top.

in the haynes manual it says there is a circlip there that must be prised out, but I don't see one, and can't feel any gap with my sharp pointy tool either.  when I look at the other slider I have, I don't see any groove for the clip, and I see the sloped edge down to where the bush would be, just like I see in the one I'm working on.

so what am I missing?  did the bushing get pulled up past the clip?  is it pretty obvious?  any thoughts?  heat maybe? 

I've been slowly working this thing apart for a couple of weeks now and finally had a breakthru, only to find I can't find the circlip!!

[A10Boy]

Thats strange, the circlip sits only about 1/4 inch down from the top of the leg - there is a slight ramp and then the groove.The circlip is only a simple wire jobbie, there are no holes for circlip pliers.

I've had them before where a shim has worked its way over the circlip, but the bush wont.

[RichardL]

Snowbeard,

From the Blackberry I can't provide the link (well, I could, but it's a hassle), but if you go to Bikes and Pictures and look at my file there (Richard's 55..., 2nd page, I think) you will see my approach for compressing the spring to get to the circlip. I'm not 100% sure this applies to tour problem but, to me, it sounds like it might.

Regarding Portugal, will this mean we must give up the idea of a national A7/A10 ride-in to your house in Colorado (circa Boulder)?

Richard L.

[beezalex]

Snowbeard,

What bike are these forks from?  You said "damper rods" so I'm guessing these are late 60's bsa forks?  If so, A65/Victor damper rod forks do not use a circlip to retain the bearing. 

[snowbeard]

well, in fact I don't know that it isn't a late 60's leg, it was supposedly from a 1960 super rocket, but I'm not sure the super rocket used a half width then?  the fellow also gave me a late 60's unit gas tank for it, he said he knew it wasn't correct, but he made a similar one work on his other A10   so he may have done the same for fork legs.

so if I had the later fork leg with no circlip, what is the procedure for removing that bushing?  I was getting around to heating things maybe?


so with your comment Beezalex, am I to understand that the early A10's did not have damper rods?  and here I thought I was learning something to benefit my Spitfire!!  what would be the tell tale sign for the years?


Richard, I only have one leg to the setup, and it is off the bike, with no springs. but that looks much how I might go about it myself! very handy.  And if you guys want to start a national ride to my house in Boulder, well, I'd come back for that!! 

[beezalex]

Snowbeard,

No A10's originally came with damper rods.  They were not introduced on A65's and Unit singles until 1966, I believe.  Basically, the only thing holding the bushings in is the seal holder and friction.  Sometimes, that friction can be significant.  One thing you do NOT want to do is clamp the lowers in a vise.  Ask me how I know .  The best method I've found for extracting the lowers from the legs is by putting the forks back in the triple clamps without the seal holders, re-install the axle and put a bottle jack between the lower triple tree and the axle and pressing the whole spiel apart.  This has worked well for me several times.

Hope that helps.  Good luck.

[snowbeard]

thanks for the info, I can only guess what you mean about not clamping the lowers 

I have actually been clamping just the lug on the bottom, not the tube. maybe I can put the axle on it and pull up.   

I have access to Dry Ice and maybe a hairdryer on the slider in combo would free it up.

so just to clarify before I go beating on it, if I have a damper rod, I probably don't have circlips, right?

thanks a bunch!!

[bsa-bill]

If you have the damper rods that go down through the topnuts then you will still have a cirlip or should do.
These rods were after market and provide double damping.
I have a 61 flash and it definitley has circlips
the present bike I'm working on (58) had shims that had been cut, they should be a complete ring and sit between the bush and the circlip, fitting them is a case of trail and error until you get the right amount of shimming between the circlip and the top of the bush ( so there's no play)
The PO obviously took a shortcut by cutting the shim to save dismantling the stancheon and seal holder but it is possible a cut shim could move from below the circlip and mask it.
Later forks ( like A50/65 ) had some kind of shuttle damping sytem I believe, don't think it involved rods though, those with more experience of these models might like to comment.

all the best - Bill

[snowbeard]

jeez, it's really hard for me to tell, all I got was one fork, no topnut or springs even, with a stuck slider.  when I took the allen bolt from out the hole in the bottom of the threaded axle side (hole thru the bottom to reach the allen) I was able to take the assembly out, damper rod and suction tube(?)

I then got the seal holder loose and slid it a half inch or so up the leg to where it won't go any further.  what I see inside is a bronze looking bush about an eighth inch thick, all the way around the leg.  I see the slight bevel around the inside edge of the slider, but no clip.

I'll see what I can do about pics when I go home tonite, thanks for all the help so far!! :)

[Brian]

Snowbeard if you have a allen headed bolt going up into the bottom of the fork leg then you dont have the normal A10 forks. Are the springs inside the fork or on the outside ? If they are inside then you possibly have a set of 71' or 72' forks or something off a different bike altogether.
Definitely do not heat them or do anything else to force anything until you have positively identified them, most forks regardless of design will come apart easily when you know how they come apart.

[trevinoz]

Those forks are probably 1966 and later. The bush is only held by the seal holder. There is a conical shaped washer which bears on the top bush and holds it tight against the slider, this is a modification from the earlier type which had a circlip and needed shims to hold bush tight.
Possibly, hold bottom, not tubular section, in a vice and work the stanchion up and down against the top bush, like a slide hammer. The bush should come out.
Trev.

[snowbeard]

the leg



the damper



the bush



the other fork leg that I hope to use, looks very similar to what I can see of the black one



thanks!!

[snowbeard]

ok, so you guys are right, I have the A65 fork setup.  I'm a little bummed that it's not original A10 stuff, but I have no one to blame but myself that I chose all the parts not really knowing any better.   

on the other hand, was the damper rod an improvement on the shuttle cock system in an A10?  maybe it's a "period upgrade to better handling"??   

either way, it was the slide hammer method that got it, no circlip.  there was so much dry carbon gunk in there that the bushes weren't even meeting by about three inches. as I hammered the leg it started coming out more and more, finally the bush started coming out and finally it came out entirely. 

Looks like I need a bushings and a nut for the bottom on my other leg, but at least they match lengths!!  there was some concern that the stuck one might be "chopper" length!! 

thanks for all the help!!!

[beezalex]

Snowbeard, the '66-'68 BSA damper rod forks are a BIG improvement over the earlier damping system.  This is what you have.  The nice thing is, they are externally identical to A10/Goldstar forks (only a true anorak can tell from the outside) and a worthwhile upgrade.

[snowbeard]

thanks Alex, that is good to hear! I will be one step closer to anorak when I am done, and already now know to look for the holes in the bottom to reach the allen!  other than that I can't see anything different either! (yet)

hopefully this leg I just got free will be salvageable, it's got a good bit of rust and pitting along it, but I guess since the seals are above, as long as it's free on the bushes that shouldn't be too terrible.  time will tell.  might see if the fellow I got the first one from has another!