Fork Tube Stuck

[joeh]

While i wa disassembling my 2007 gen 2 forks for service and upgrades, the upper tube became suck while tapping out the seal. now it seems to be wedged. i assume the two top bushings soehow wedged themselves together and are stuck. Tube really doesnt want to go up or down. i dont want to force anything and risk damaging the tubes. Anyone have any experiance with this issue and how to seperate them?

 

[JamesK]

I have once experienced this exact same problem on my '07, so I know the pain and horror you're feeling. From memory, my guess as to what had happened was similar to your conclusions so I figured it's already f#cked in which case I have nothing to lose by trying to free it up so I used a heat gun to warm up the outer tube in the area covering the top two bushes and worked on pushing the inner tube back in. I locked the bottom of the outer tube in a vice (with soft jaws) to provide some more stability...

Eventually the inner tube went back in and after heating up that section again I was able to split them up in the usual way. Of all the previous times I've done this job on my forks this was the first time they got stuck like that, hence why I thought I broke something.

Good luck with your job and hope it works out as well for you as it did for me.

 

[joeh]

Did you have any internal damage to the tube after freeing it?

 

[JamesK]

Did you have any internal damage to the tube after freeing it?

No, my fork tubes were ok, but the bushes where stuffed (scratched up).

 

[Auburn]

Did you have any internal damage to the tube after freeing it?

Had this happened several times on fork disassembly. Get a piece of plastic ( i cut one from a milk jug) and wrap the lower fork leg in it so you can hold the fork leg in your vice and not scrap it up. Take a MAPP gas torch (propane torch with a MAPP gas cylinder instead) it puts a lot of heat faster than propane. Heat the lower fork leg in the area where the bushings sit (about 1-2 inches from the top of the lower leg). This will take about 30 seconds to a minute. Keep the torch moving so you don't concentrate the heat. NOTE: I put the fork tube wrapped in the plastic in the vice horizontally, with the pipe clamp part of the vice clamping the tube.

Now you will have to use the upper leg like a slide hammer. Next compress the fork fully and then pull out the inner tube fast and hard (it takes some effort to do this). If you heated it well enough it will come out in one pull, if not repeat. If not out by the third try add more heat, then repeat. You won't damage the fork tub or lower. IT is the bushings hitting against each other and you are replacing them anyway.

After you get it out, you may have one of the bushings still stuck in the lower tube. The easiest way to get those out is get a 1/4" wood chisel (with the flat side against the bushing) and tap it between the fork tub and the next to the split in the bushing. It will mark the outer area of the lower fork tube, but has no affect on the operation of the fork. Once you get the chisel worked in the pry the bushing inward. You are trying to get it far enough away from the fork tube you can grab with a set of pliers and pull out. If you cause a burr on the lower tube, just clean up the sharp edge with a small file or dremel. Thoroughly clean the tub and blow out.

then you are ready for reassembly. I assume you have the tools to reassemble and drive the bushing back into place.

 

[joeh]

Thanks AuburnFJR. Glad (sort of) to know I am not the only one this has happened to. I don't have map gas but it do have an acetelene torch. I may try the heat gun method first for fear of getting it too hot.

 

[dcarver]

Thanks AuburnFJR. Glad (sort of) to know I am not the only one this has happened to. I don't have map gas but it do have an acetelene torch. I may try the heat gun method first for fear of getting it too hot.

Heat gun? :rofl: I don't think that's enough. Rosebud, judicious application would work.. Unless you have heat gun wired directly to hell. My little guy would never work, just like how I failed in the **** movies...

 

[Auburn]

Thanks AuburnFJR. Glad (sort of) to know I am not the only one this has happened to. I don't have map gas but it do have an acetelene torch. I may try the heat gun method first for fear of getting it too hot.

Acetylene is fine, just keep it moving and won't take as long as MAPP gas. Most don't have that available. Main thing s want the heat on it fast so you heat the outer tube, and it doesn't transfer too much to the inner tube.

 

[joeh]

I used a mapp bottle that my son gave me and some twisting while holding it horizontally in the vice it broke loose. Now I need to do the seals and Racetech spring upgrade.

Thanks for the advice