07 Front Fork Maintenance

[RossKean]

Heat, firmly anchoring the lower leg and 2 to 4 solid slide-hammer type actions have been our recipe for success!

~G

Since I have the Traxxion Dynamics AK20, my last Gen II seal replacement was done without the middle bushing as per TD. Makes fork separation much easier... Reassembly easier too without the need of a special tool to seat the middle bush.

 

[tschutter]

I finally got my extended socket put together today.

So I was able to get everything back together. The left fork is done and ready to re-install. Now for the right.

I was able to clean up the front fender, front wheel, calipers and replaced a couple brake pads. So that also is ready for install when the time comes.
Tim

 

[tschutter]

Removing the right tubes were much easier. Obviously, the experience of the left was a big help. But the key is heat. I heated it 15-20s, then pulled it pretty hard. When it jammed, I inverted it on the bench and slammed it back in. After 3-4 hard pulls, I heated it some more, and with another pull, it was apart.

I think the left was the original seal. It had a lot more corrosion around the exterior side. I purchased the bike in '19 with 15k miles. So I would have guessed that the fork seals would NOT have been replaced but if you have a leak, well, you replace the seal...

Anyway, they are apart, time for some cleaning and putting them back.
Tim

 

[tschutter]

Since I have the Traxxion Dynamics AK20, my last Gen II seal replacement was done without the middle bushing as per TD. Makes fork separation much easier... Reassembly easier too without the need of a special tool to seat the middle bush.

I'm just leaving the suspension as is so I'm just replacing the middle bushing using the FJRed special tool.

 

[tschutter]

I'm happy to report that the second fork went together easier than the first. Back to full strength.

So she is ready for spring. Wish it were here...

 

[SkooterG]

I'm just leaving the suspension as is so I'm just replacing the middle bushing using the FJRed special tool.

FYI, stock or aftermarket, many in the know advise to skip the middle bushing.

 

[tschutter]

FYI, stock or aftermarket, many in the know advise to skip the middle bushing.

If I were back at the 'ordering parts' stage, I might have made this change and not replaced the bushing. And maybe for the next guy that tries to tackle this project, maybe he will decide that it isn't needed.
I tried to figure why it was needed and haven't come up with much. The only possible is to reduce flex as the inner tube is stressed. My initial (gut) feeling is that this inner tube doesn't flex much, not enough to require the bushing. And my mind continues to ponder, if it does flex some, who cares? As my dad used to say: 'No one lives there'. So I can see where you could get away without this middle bushing - now that I've seen it all on my bench. But before I did this, would I have said, "You don't need that', probably not - I guess I figure the engineers that designed it had a reason. Maybe I need to review how much faith I should put in engineers!?

 

[RossKean]

I tried to figure why it was needed and haven't come up with much. The only possible is to reduce flex as the inner tube is stressed.

I think it is theoretically to make the forks more rigid, although I haven't been troubled by its absence in my 2011. I suspect that the presence of the middle bushing might cause faster bushing wear...

 

[SkooterG]

But before I did this, would I have said, "You don't need that', probably not - I guess I figure the engineers that designed it had a reason. Maybe I need to review how much faith I should put in engineers!?

I am totally with you on this one. If the Yamaha engineers deemed it necessary it must be there for a reason! But over the years I've heard from too many others more suspension savvy than I that it is completely unnecessary.