Fork Length Issues…

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viclioce
Posts: 4794
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:35 pm
Location: Santa Fe, NM
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Fork Length Issues…

Post by viclioce »

Question about forks. I have a very crusty set of forks from a 94 Wombat. I did some trading and obtained what I thought would be a better set.

However, the guy I traded with sent me 2 left forks! He didn’t pay attention. So I had no right fork with a pinch bolt to lock the axle.

Skip ahead. I posted on FB that I needed a right fork with the correct pinch bolt fitting and also the style with the removable dampener bolt as well. I was sent one by a friend!

Anyway, I get the fork tube and assembled, it’s like 2” too short. Yet when I take the fork leg apart, the upper tubes & lower legs are the same length. The parts fiche list them to be the same part numbers as well. Even the dampeners are the same part numbers. Did I get a fork with a shorter dampener rod? The fork seems the seem length until I tighten up the dampener rod & bolt.

So, my question is, why, if the parts are all the same part numbers, does the one leg come together about 1.5-2” shorter than the other? Any help would be appreciated. I spent almost 3 hours repeatedly pulling these forks apart, including the old, original ones from the 94, and I can’t see any difference in part lengths UNTIL the fork unit is assembled. HELP!!!!! 😱 Victor

1978 175SL
1976 03 Wombat
1975 99 Road Toad (2)
1973 96 Dirt Squirt (2)
1973 “Wombat Combat”
1973 Combat Wombat
1972 94 Wombat (2)
1972 Super Squirt
1971 92B+ Ace
1970 92B Ace 100B (2)
1968 92 Ace 100
1966 Ace 90
; D Victor
dirty_rat
Posts: 721
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:39 am
Location: Spring Hill, FL

Re: Fork Length Issues…

Post by dirty_rat »

Victor,
Go to "Resonator Revisited" V2-42, page 19 and there is an article about the different forks and the internal parts. It gives lengths and assembly diagrams, etc. That might help you sort out your forks.
viclioce
Posts: 4794
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:35 pm
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Contact:

Re: Fork Length Issues…

Post by viclioce »

Thanks Albert! I made copies of the pages and I’ll do comparisons today. I pretty much compared the old fork with the new fork leg and with an extra left leg. They all appeared to be the same. So today I’m going to double check the left leg in the frame. It may be the culprit! I’ll keep you posted. This is the first time I’ve worked on separate sides several weeks apart. But the right leg seems to compare with B+ & Wombat forks of the past. So, it’s a good chance there’s something different with the existing left fork assembly…….. :ugeek: Victor

1978 175SL
1976 03 Wombat
1975 99 Road Toad (2)
1973 96 Dirt Squirt (2)
1973 “Wombat Combat”
1973 Combat Wombat
1972 94 Wombat (2)
1972 Super Squirt
1971 92B+ Ace
1970 92B Ace 100B (2)
1968 92 Ace 100
1966 Ace 90
; D Victor
viclioce
Posts: 4794
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:35 pm
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Contact:

Re: Fork Length Issues…

Post by viclioce »

OK! I figured it out today. When pulled the left fork assembly apart, I figured out the descrepency. Turns out that the left fork had a longer dampener rod in it. The guy I traded with sent it to me that way.

Now everything is the same length on both sides. It sucks when you have to work on fork sides 3 weeks apart! But I got it all figured out!

Dirty_Rat, thanks for pointing me to the Resonator Revisited article. It helped a lot! Now I can move forward with the build!!! 🎉🎉🎉 :ugeek: Victor
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1978 175SL
1976 03 Wombat
1975 99 Road Toad (2)
1973 96 Dirt Squirt (2)
1973 “Wombat Combat”
1973 Combat Wombat
1972 94 Wombat (2)
1972 Super Squirt
1971 92B+ Ace
1970 92B Ace 100B (2)
1968 92 Ace 100
1966 Ace 90
; D Victor
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