Fork Link Bushes

[dapper]

Still doing up a local lad's Series 2. Forks have been blasted but not painted yet. Have bought new bushes, etc and assembled them so I can get damper lugs welded onto forks, but even without any paint on yet, the bushes are a very tight fit into the bottom of the fork legs. Nothing wrong with the nylon bits, it's the steel bushes the bolts go in. I am going to have a bugger of a job fitting them when painted. I've assembled them without the fork link spacer caps just for the welding of the lugs and they fit fine with some play obviously, but when they're all painted, it will be very tight indeed to fit with the fork link spacer caps. Any ideas? Would it be OK to grind off a bit of the steel fork link bush? Just enough so they fit snug?

[DigDug]

Don't paint the hole Mark.

Just a thought.

[Donnie]

grinding off a bit of the central bush is tempting sure, however you risk that when everthing is tightened up and torqued correctly, jamming the outer bush too, this will lead to, well, effectively shagged forks.

[dapper]

Don't paint the hole Mark.

Just a thought.

Don't forget we live on the coast John with the salty sea air. Remember the b@5t@rd of a job I had getting the originals out I can live with leaving the inside bottom of the fork just etch primed, but I'm still going to have to clout the feckers with a hammer to get the links in. The central metal bushes are slightly longer than the nylon/plastic outer bushes. A delicate bit of fettling may be required

[Donnie]

They are supposed to be longer, for the very reasons I've said above ???

[dapper]

Aye, Donnie, I know that Don't worry. Not going to feck 'em up

[HxPaul]

Dont grind anything off the internal steel bush,it is supposed to be slightly longer than the plastic bush.The reason is as Donnie says,when tightened to the correct torque the internal steel bush is gripped and the fork links with the plastic bush are free to rotate.Just dont paint the inside of the forks were the fork link steel shims rest,this can be greased.

[shocky]

Sometimes you need to take a knats dicky of the inner to make them fit also the cup washers vary in thickness im just doing my gp forks for a outboard shock conversion and ive gone with S2 links with the bronze bushes and lubrication holes ive tried about 20 inners to get the best fit inside the bronze bush next job isto get them inside my forks but as there still fitted its guess work at the mo I may remove a fraction from the actual link its self if needed but dont know which side untill I fit the disc brake and see which side it is biased to

[monument7]

Just my opinion mind but is it not the forks that need fettling not the link bushes. The forks have probably closed up due to previous tightening so all I did on mine was jack open the aperture with a nut and bolt, the links then slide in nicely and then nip up on the inner part of the bush when tightened. Various ways of opening the gap up but this is how I did it

[wack 63]

If the links are tight to fit in the opening use a suitable piece of wood to gently open the boots. If the links won't fit between the holes , use some M12 threaded bar with the nuts on the inside then tighten the nuts to push the boot apart. Fit all the links and spacer caps then the link bolts and tighten up , pulling the boot back to the correct distance.