Fork Rebuild Tool

BowlingSS

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I had problems getting one fork apart due to the screw not coming out. The other one came out easy. I found a long bolt and jammed two nuts together at the end. The I put all the 3/8” extensions together. Worked like a charm.
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Just took apart a set of 74, 34mm forks yesterday, had no trouble getting the caps out, though it was obvious that someone had at some point.
I have a universal axle tool for sport bikes that has stepped sized hexes from 17mm up for the various axles that utilize this type. It worked like a charm.
The caps have a thick rubber o-ring seal so turning them just till they're snug is ample as the o-ring with prevent them from screwing themselves out.
Had to cut off a 8mm Allen key though to use in a sock with my palm impact though to get the bottom screw to spin out. It loosened fine but just spun after that. A little high rpm and it spun out perfectly.
 
To remove the bolt from the bottom to seperate the tube from the lower is done differently on the 34 mm forks than the 35 mm forks. The 35 mm use the bolt type top on the damper rod. The 34 mm use a kinda egg shape top on the damper rod.Some cut the sides out of a socket to fit, others squeeze the end of a pipe closed a bit to fit. Others have had luck just shoving the fork down on a broom handle to hold the damper rod to remove the bolt.
Leo
 
It cost more for shipping that the tool cost. Nice tool.
Yes, I forgot to check that but that is one of the problems ordering somethings online. Price ends up many times more that double when shipping is included!

I have a version of that tool but when I bought it you could find them at just about any auto part store. Then again the original VW Bugs were everywhere in the early `70's!
 
I used my little welder to make up my "special tool". This will also fit the top fork caps on some of the earlier models .....

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But originally, I was making them with a fully threaded bolt and they broke on me when trying to undo some top caps. Apparently the threads weaken the shaft. The one above was made using a longer bolt that wasn't fully threaded. The next size up nut (19mm hex) was slid on the bolt, past the threads and up onto the unthreaded part, then welded there. Then the threaded portion was cut off. This did the trick and is much stronger. I've never had one of these break on me.
 
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