Fitting Front Fork Spring Buffers

[DavidHulse]

Apologies if this is a daft question, but I'm having difficulty fitting new spring buffers to the old fork stanchions after a rebuild. There are six of these to go on the tubes but I haven't succeeded in doing one yet! I've tried softening the rubbers with hot water and applying liquid soap, but I can only just get it on the tube but can't slide it down to where it needs to go. Has anyone got any tips to enable this to be done easily? Thanks.

[DavidHulse]

Forgot to mention it's a 1958 G11CS with one and a quarter inch stanchions.

[clive]

tyre fitting lubricant perhaps? Did not bother with them on my 58 G11CS.

[Duncan]

Possibly a silly question but they are for 1 1/4" forks not 1 1/8" ?

[DavidHulse]

I did wonder about that myself. I did order the 1 1/4 size 021911 and that's what the invoice from AMOC shows, but I'll have to check whether they might have supplied the wrong parts. There's no number on the parts or packaging. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Andy51]

I always use 1 in slices of old bicycle inner tubes, they slide on a treat. If you got them on, surely they should slide down? Try using an old plastic bush to push them down. Andy

[DavidHulse]

I only got one on, with much effort, but only as far as the top inch of the stanchion. After that, I couldn't move it, or put anything behind it to push it down. That's when I came to the conclusion, with five more to do afterwards, that this was not going to work. I will have a look at bicycle inner tube though. Thanks for the tip, Andy.

[Rosy]

I used silicon spray, once it's over the top of the stanchion I used a length of 1-1/4' waste pipe to push it into position, as the pipe is a perfect fit over the stanchion, just make sure the end of the pipe is nice and square.

[56G80S]

When doing this (and I may be doing it again once the engine is done) I also used bicycle inner tube.

In the past I have found that whatever you do, they'll end up bunched up at the bottom, up against the lower yoke.

Johnny B

[DavidHulse]

Success!! I managed to do it with silicone lubricant spray and a piece of 32mm plastic waste pipe as a pusher. It was quite a tight fit but they're all on now. Thanks for your suggestions, guys. Dave.