Modern dirt bikes have big, beefy forks with comparatively
massive inner steel tubes to handle the rigors of current track and
trail obstacles. The combination of inverted design and 47-50mm
inner tubes solve any flex problems, but they bring their own
headaches. For one, when you get big tubes, there is the problem of
seal drag, so manufacturers are always treading a fine line between
seal life and seal drag. For another, with the inverted design, the
seal is trying to hold in oil sitting above it, rather than under
it. Making this more difficult, the backs of the steel inner tubes
are exposed to debris thrown by the front tire and the lips inside
the seal that actually hold back the oil are delicate and easily
cut by nicks in the tubes.
A full rebuild of late-model KYB and Showa sealed-cartridge
forks requires a variety of special tools, but all the seal does is
keep the oil in the outer chamber. If you need just a seal change
and not a full servicing, the job can be a lot easier. We looked at
ways to do the seal swap with a minimum of special tools, time and
mess and found you can accomplish the job with normal hand tools, a
vise with soft jaws, a Ratio Rite and a seal slammer. If you have a
helper to hold the fork upright, you won't need a vise. We managed
the replacement without even taking off the top of the fork. We did
the job in an ordinary garage, with moto-kid Chris Dvoracek doing
his first-ever fork seal change.
Before you start, clean up the bench and organize your tools. If
you plan on doing your own suspension regularly, a suspension vise
like this one from Park Tool (www.parktool.com; 651/777-6868) is an
awesome addition to a garage. If you mount it so it extends over
the edge of the bench, you can also use it to work on bicycles. For
a racer like Dvoracek, that is a bonus. You'll need some contact
cleaner, fork oil (of the correct weight for your brand of fork)
and shop-type paper towels. |
One of the main reasons you need a special suspension vise or a
normal bench vise with soft jaws is to hold the leg while you
release the cartridge rod nut in the bottom of the fork leg. The
solution is to crack the nut loose while the fork is still on the
bike. If you just unfasten it, no oil will come out. Just make sure
the ratchet is set to loosen. It is easy to get confused when
working upside down. |
You will need a vise with soft jaws made from copper, aluminum or
plastic. We found these magnetic plastic units at a Lowe's for less
than eight bucks. Or get a helper to hold the fork upright and
forget the vise. Simply put a wood, cardboard or rubber mat under
the cap so it doesn't get damaged. |
Since the seal was leaking, the areas near the wiper and the axle
holder were covered in oil and dirt. Wipe off the fork before
proceeding. Clean the area around the bolt head well. You will be
working with the fork upright, and any stray dirt will end up
inside the fork. Before you proceed, turn the adjuster all the way
in while counting the clicks. Record the setting and then turn the
adjuster all the way out. |
With the fork secured, loosen the base bolt. If you didn't slacken
the base bolt while the fork was on the bike, use the front axle to
hold the fork while you free it up. Unthread the bolt until it is
out of the axle holder. |
This step is easier with a special tool from Race Tools
(www.racetools.com; 585/328-9160), Motion Pro (www.motionpro.com;
650/594-9600) or Race Tech (www.race-tech.com; 951/279-6655). The
manual that comes with the bike provides the dimensions to make a
tool as well. It is possible to use a 12mm wrench. With one hand,
pull down firmly on the inner (steel) fork tube. You need to pull
it down far enough to get a tool or a wrench jammed under the lock
nut, as shown here. |
Use a wrench to hold the lock nut and a wrench or a socket to break
loose the base nut from the lock nut. Then fully unthread the base
bolt from the cartridge rod. Clean the base bolt and set it
aside. |
The rebound adjuster in the base bolt compresses this rod. It is
easiest to remove it now, so it doesn't drop out when you dump the
oil. Set it aside as well. The work bench we were on is well used,
so we laid out paper towels to keep the parts clean. Finally, pull
down the fork tube and release the holding tool. |
Use a blade screwdriver to pry up the fork wiper. It should come up
easily after you work the tip in between the wiper and the outer
tube. |
A wavy snap ring keeps the seal and Teflon-impregnated bushings in
place. It is simple to reach in with a small screwdriver and pop
out the snap ring. Be careful so you don't mark the tube with the
screwdriver tip. |
Grab the inner and outer tubes firmly, one in each hand. With the
fork upright (to keep the mess to a minimum), compress, then
rapidly extend the inner fork tube. You use the inner tube like a
slide-hammer to pop out the bushings and seal. The seal and bushing
will usually pop loose rather suddenly, so be careful. |
Lay out the parts on your paper towels until you are ready for
them. Slide out the spring and lay it down. Some forks have springs
that need to go in a specific direction. Check the ends of the
springs. Most have lines ground in to one end to identify them.
This fork has the springs in with the ground marks down. Prop up
the outer fork tube so the oil doesn't dump out yet. |
Use your thumbnails to pry apart the first bushing. It is usually
pretty easy, and when spread just a bit, it will easily slip off
the end of the fork tube. The cleaned bushing should be uniformly
gray on the outside. If the underlying brass is showing through at
any point, look for damage inside the outer fork tube. Your quick
and dirty fork seal change is over, and you'll need additional
special tools. |
The rest of the parts slide right off. Lay them out in the order
they come off. The washer that goes between the seal and the
bushing isn't too critical for this Showa, but a Kayaba has a
machined part that must go in the way it comes out. The second
bushing should have the uniformly gray color inside. If the brass
shows through in streaks, look for significant damage in the steel
inner tube's surface. |
Clean the tube extremely well, then under good light, inspect it
for nicks that may have cut the seal. Use a razor blade to judge
any imperfections you see. If the razor catches on any small pits,
they will need to be dressed and have the edges removed before the
new seal is put in. Nicks will almost always be at the back of the
fork tube. Deep or large scrapes or gouges may not be repaired
successfully. To keep the fork light, the outer tubes are very
thin, and they can be dented right through fork guards in a crash
involving another machine. The inner tube must be replaced if the
damage is major. |
Small nicks from the front tire hucking rocks at the rear of the
tube can be dressed. I use a fine-grit, tapered sanding tip like
this one in a Dremel tool. A Scotch-Brite tip or a Cratex tip (grit
in a rubber compound) work well, too. Don't get carried away. You
just want to knock down the edges. As soon as the razor blade will
slide across the nicks without catching, the nicks won't bother the
seal. |
Dump the oil from the outer fork leg into a drain pan. Make sure
the oil drains completely. Once the outer tube has emptied, push in
the cartridge rod and release it. It should spring back to full
extension if the cartridge is still pressurized fully. If the
cartridge rod doesn't return, the inner cartridge must be serviced,
and it will require more special tools. |
Since we are only dealing with the outer chamber oil, we can fill
it from this end and not bother with removing the top fork cap or
the cartridge. The manual will tell you the correct volume. We put
in 10cc less than the specified amount since we couldn't be sure
that the outer tube was completely drained. |
To complete the reassembly you will need another special tool, but
you can make this one out of a plastic sandwich bag. Cut off the
corner of a quart-size bag. |
Set the bag corner aside and use some light grease on the seal and
the wiper. |
Put the cut bag over the end of the steel fork tube. Without the
bag, the machined edges where the fork bushing sits are very sharp,
and they will cut the seal while it goes on. |
Slipping the greased seal over the bag keeps the seal safe. Slide
the wiper on first, drop on the snap ring, then carefully work the
seal over the bag and the sharp edges. After the seal is on, remove
the bag corner and slip on the spacer and bushings. |
The assembled inner leg should look like this. Set it aside while
you prep the outer tube. |
With the fork in an appropriate vise or held upright by your
helper, ease the fork spring over the cartridge rod. Slide in the
damping adjuster tube. The bottom end is indexed in a Showa, but
not a Kayaba. The rod will only drop in fully when it is rotated
correctly. On the Showa the rod is below the top of the cartridge
rod, but on a Kayaba it extends a bit above the top of the
rod. |
Slide the inner fork tube over the fork spring and damping
rod. |
Slip the seal and wiper up near the axle clamp. The bushing on the
end of the steel tube will slide right in. The other bushing will
need to be forced in. Let the spacer sit on top of it as
shown. |
Use a seal driver like this one from ESP (818/249-6744) to drive in
the bushing. Seal drivers are available from Race Tech, Motion Pro
and the bike manufacturer. It makes this job easy. |
When it fully seats, the seal driver will generate a solid clack.
You will hear the difference in the sound when it is in right. |
After the bushing is seated, slide down the seal and start it in
with your fingers. Use the seal driver to knock it all the way in.
As with the bushing, when the seal seats it will produce a solid,
sharp sound. Plus, when you look in the seal bore, you will see
that the snap ring groove is fully exposed, so the snap ring will
seat easily. Push in the snap ring with your fingers, then use
light pressure from the seal driver to lightly seat the snap ring
all the way around. Inspect it visually to make sure it is
seated. |
Use your fingers to push in the wiper. The seal driver is not
shaped to drive the wiper in without damaging it. It takes a good
push but will go in with just finger pressure. |
Push down the fork tube and slide the special tool or a 12mm wrench
under the lock nut. Thread on the base bolt. There is a rod that
extends from the base of the Showa bolt, and it has one flat side.
The small rod inside the cartridge rod also has one flat side. Make
sure the rod is inserted into the tube correctly before you thread
on the base bolt. Use a torque wrench to tighten the base bolt
against the lock nut. The manual has the torque specification. |
The base bolt is then torqued into the axle clamp casting. This
torque figure is much greater than the torque against the lock nut.
Use the axle to hold the fork while you tighten the bolt. All that
is left is to put the fork legs back on the bike. Remember how you
counted the rebound clicks? Set the rebound back to the number you
counted before you ride. Once you do this a couple of times, a fork
seal will be a 30-minute job. |
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