forks help needed

[derek taylor]

getting desperate now, just fitted new oil seals in the forks,
ha carn't get the forks back in the springs are to hard to compress.
anyone any ideas there must be an easy way to do it? thanks a lot any help will be great.

[bsa-bill]

The original advised method was to screw a "broom shank" into the top of the stantion through the top joke and pull it up through then pinch it tight with the pinch bolt in the lower yoke.
Not a method I was ever happy with, apart from lacking the required third upper limb I was always thinking of bits of wood floating in the fork oil.
Alternatives were to modify an old fork top nut, grinding off the hexagon bit down so that it pass through the top yoke (like the broom shank) and welding on an extension on the top, then use this in place of the broom shank.
or my preferred method buy a ready made tool, there reasonable priced and make the job easier

best of luck with it, lets know how it goes

[derek taylor]

i'v had a long round bar across the bottom of the forks where the wheel spindle goes and two ratchet straps round each end of the bar and the the handle bars,  tightened each one evenly until about an inch to go but it was that tight could not move the ratchet any more there must of been tons of pressure on the straps.
it was getting dangerous.
have an awful feeling someone has put stronger springs in it because it once had a sidecar fitted.

[muskrat]

G'day Derek. This is similar to what I use. Good for lots of different bikes, also used to break the taper when removing the stanchions.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FORK-STANCHION-REMOVAL-INSTALL-TOOL-BSA-NORTON-TRIUMPH-/350990541064?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item51b8aaa108
Cheers

[morris]

Hi Derek, if it's sidecar springs you'll definitely need the tool for pulling them up.
They are not only stiffer but also longer than solo's.
I have solo springs on the SA and sidecar springs on the plunger. The ones on the SA I can push by hand to about 1/2 an inch from the top yoke, but I can't for the world push the plunger's stanchions any higher than 6-7 inches from the yoke

[derek taylor]

ordered some new springs, thanx all

[KiwiGF]

Hi you are making sure the stanchions are f ully extended when fittin g them? If would be virtually impossible to fit them if they are f u lly compressed! Basically some sort of tool is essential to make sure the stanchions are extended.On my bike I only need to compress the springs 15mm before ghe top nut can take over

[derek taylor]

right then the latest is, the springs came ha their an inch longer than the ones that i took out. but struggled like hell to get them in but their done now, think kiwigf was right about the stanchions not being fully extended. just one thing i need to know does the stanchion need to be flush with the top of the top yoke ?

[bsa-bill]

Would think below flush if they came right up you would never know if they were tight as the nut/cap would not be able to pull them up any further, I like them to be equal though.