Unscrewing fork slider extensions

[1608]

I agree with the wooden clamp idea. It would also benfit with perhaps a bit of old innertube to line the jaws. This help protect and add grip with the minimum of pressure needed. A tank or Ennox cutter would make a nice neat job of cutting the wood.

[sjr]

perhaps a simpler idea along the lines of Pauls clamp, a piece of timber inch or so thick, bored to correct diameter, cut it in half and clamp seal holder between it in the vice, works for me with most things of this type, kind regards

I did precisely as Paul has done, copied his design and made a clamp out of 100mm x 100mm x 25mm aluminium. Clamped the extension in it, heated the top of the slider up with a gas torch, put an 11/16" bar in the spindle lug, and put all my weight on it. It moved! Both extensions now happily unscrewed with no further damage to parts or tools. Magic. Thanks to everybody, especially to Paul for the clamp design.

Steve

[PGGuse]

Oops - Steve I forgot to mention my clamp was designed for a Roadholder fork slider extension! You hopefully did not make any mistake.
Paul

[sjr]

No mistakes, the extensions are now off the sliders and everything in good condition.

Next task is to remove the damper tubes.
My box spanners just slip on the bolt heads, I'm thinking of grinding down a socket to get in there. Any experience with this? Is it better to leave well alone?

Steve

[Don Madden]

Use a thinned socket to remove the bolts, I use a rattle gun. Take everything apart for inspection. Rust is common & if there is friction inside the dampers the small, soft pins that hold the valve can wear or break. Cheers, Don.

[clive]

new box spanner needed!

[sjr]

Use a thinned socket to remove the bolts, I use a rattle gun. Take everything apart for inspection. Rust is common & if there is friction inside the dampers the small, soft pins that hold the valve can wear or break. Cheers, Don.

Did exactly as you suggested Don, with immediate success. Fork legs were full of nasty gunge, having a great time now trying to get them nice and clean.

[sjr]

Here are pics of the tool before and after unscrewing the extension.
Makes it all very easy.

[rayswadling]

I approached this task today expecting some issues using just the tools I have in my garage after reading the various posts on doing this.
The forks are 1 and 1/4" of indeterminate age which I bought from a local source.

A plastic mallet got the stanchions out of the yokes due to general corrosion.
As the slider extensions are in a pretty poor state, I have to admit to not being too concerned about destroying them in the process.
In the end, I gripped the extension in a bench vice as close to the slider as possible and put a long bar through the axle clamp (the bar was a good fit to avoid damage to the clamp). I just sprayed the join with releasing oil.

To my surprise, after nipping up the vice a bit more to stop the extension turning, a bit of effort on the bar just unscrewed them with no problem at all. Good threads left in the slider, no damage whatsoever....Result!

So I turned my attention to getting the oil seals out.

First careful attempts I could feel the topout spring cushioning my attempts to jerk the stanchion out.
So with the slider carefully clamped in the vice, with the mudguard lug underneath the vice jaws to stop the slider moving I gave the stanchion a good hard pull and out it came...Both forks the same....Result 2!!

So all in all, looks like I have been lucky and it's been an easy task and now I can get on with rebuilding them.

Ray.

[Andy51]

The split clamp idea is the ideal way to grip something like the slider extensions or jam pot legs, but I have used a jubilee clip and it works every time. Just cut a 1 inch wide strip of rubber (for friction and protection) from an old inner tube or similar, wrap it round the slider extension or whatever, then put a suitable large jubilee clip over the rubber. Tighten up firmly, then put the lot in a vice with the jaws gripping the jubilee clip - you don't have to tighten the vice too much, the screw 'lump' on the jubilee clip will stop it turning in the jaws. A second strip and clip may be needed on the fork slider or other part of whatever you are unscrewing if it is round or has no obvious means of gripping, using a stilson wrench as for the vice. As you start to unscrew, the rubber strip may 'bunch up' - this will add to the friction so don't worry. A few good heaves and it should unscrew easily - it has never failed for me!