Inner Fork Tube Restoration

[squid on a 300]

The bike is starting to shape up. Frame, swing arm, air box stripped and painted. Rear wheel polished ,hub painted and reassembled. Redwing shocks installed.
I have dissembled the forks for an overhaul. The inner fork tubes are pretty well pitted in spots. What do you guys do? I have seen some pretty roached out before pictures of bikes and the inner fork tubes always look rusted and pitted. Do you re-chrome or replace?...If replace what is a good source?

[admin]

I will have brand new fork tubes for the 30mm forks and the 34mm forks in about six weeks. Other than that I am totally unsure where these can be had.
Paul

[squid on a 300]

Thanks Paul...I didn't see them listed on the site so I was not sure if they were available or not through you...
Bob

[admin]

Not yet Bob. They have been approved for production and have been ordered. I have 100 pairs of each coming in the next two months.
Thanks
Paul

[rough rider]

Hey Paul, What's the price on the tubes? Oh, Merry Christmas! Richard

[admin]

Hi Richard,
Just prior to their arrival they will be $ 180.00 per pair to help us offset the huge investment.
After they arrive they will sell for $ 220.00 a pair until they are all sold.
This may be a one time production run.
Merry Christmas !!
Paul

[Zyx]

Paul, are you sourcing these from Franks? $180 sounds more than fair for a buy in.

[Jack Elliott]

Hi this is my first post here.
I have previously got around the pitted inner tube problem by buying complete sets with decent chrome but they are getting hard to find. I have recently stripped the forks off my Super Combat project that are pitted but (i think ) re chromable and have been investigating Hard Chroming options. I am hoping someone might have a tip for removing the snap rings ? I also am stumped by the metal bushings below the snap rings ,it says in the workshop manual that "the metal bushing usually comes off with the outer nut" but mine are not budging (I am assuming they will need to be removed before the tubes can be hard chromed although it might be possible for the chroming and machining to be carried out with them still in place),they appear to have pressed pins holding them to the chromed tubes . Have tried tapping them in with a pin punch with no luck . Heat and possibly a press were my next option although if I could remove the snap rings I thought I might take them to the chromers and see if the bushes can be left in place. I thought until recently that all the 30mm forks were all basically the same . Brian Zuests great article in the latest Resonator Revisited has gone along way towards explaining the differences in and the evolution of the 30mm forks.
As it turns out the inner tubes on my Super Combat are not original but appear to be from a Wombat.I am basing this on looking at the position of the Fork Inner tube snap ring as shown in the various schematics . The Super combat and Road Toad schematics clearly show the snap ring further up the tube. The "wombat" tubes in my case have had 3 holes drilled above the snap ring so they function as per the Super combat tubes. I assume that the original rider bent the inner tubes and replaced them with the (thinner) earlier tubes.
I am interested in the new tubes Paul is making .I wonder will it be possible to replicate the various wall thicknesses as the later bikes had tubes with thicker walls which would be stronger but I think only usable on the Super Combat and Road Toad .
Hope all this makes sense to the wise Hodaka veterans and that I haven't further confused the rest of us!

[bchappy]

Welcome Jack,
Are you sure the ones you have are 30 mm and not the 34 mm from the later 03 Wombat or the 250. A picture would help us. Go to the "Full Editor" at the bottom of the Edit screen and you will see where you can add attachments.

[admin]

Jack I have hundreds of used (pitted) fork tubes I had saved all these years in hopes of finding a company that would precision grind off the chrome/pits and then rechrome with a hard chrome. My findings in the past were from several vendors that yes this could be done but from my vendors it was more expensive to move this way than it was to just build new tubes.
I will have the 34mm tubes and the 30mm tubes made and they should arrive here within a couple months.
At this time just one production run of 100 pairs of each style.
To answer Greg's question about Forking by Frank the answer Greg is NO they are not making these tubes for us. I am not a Forking by Frank fan and cannot wait years for the tubes to be done.

I am working with Hodaka Dave on this project. His help and advise has been a huge asset.
Paul

[dirty_rat]

Jack, If you are referring to the bushing on the bottom of the inner tube, no, it doesn't come off. As you mentioned, it has been staked to the fork tube (and probably was a very tight press fit). To remove it you would almost certainly destroy the bushing and possible the fork tube. The bushing referred to in the manual is the metal one that slides on above the circlip. There should also be a plastic one below it, between the bushing and the circlip.

[Zyx]

The staked on lower bushing, in fact, has to come off to rebuild new tubes. I believe you will find the new tubes don't come with a Hodaka bushing already installed, unless Paul has gone out of his way to have them built that way. The tubes I used a year ago to rebuild my forks were from Forking by Frank's but were sourced through Hodaka Parts. They had no lower bushing. In fact, they were bare chrome tubes, threaded on top for the spring nut, but otherwise naked. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I just sent them to Hodaka Dave to have them built. He would be best able to address the question of the lower bushing as well as the snap ring.

I am generally competent for most repairs, but rebuilding forks from ground up is right on the edge of what I would think is likely to succeed in my home shop. I chose not to screw up expensive tubes. No doubt I could learn to do it, but I am on the wrong side of the learning curve for this one. If anyone out there has never done this, unless they are certain beyond doubt that they can handle a rebuild using new tubes, I would send them out.

[Jack Elliott]

Thankyou everyone for their reply
Bill, they are definitely 30mm forks as they are the same as my wombat and Ace.
I have considered putting bigger ones on but the 34mm forks are very rare here in Australia .
cr 125 Honda forks would be an option as they are fairly plentiful and i see a Super Combat on Ebay now which has had that treatment . It would also mean changing the front wheel though.
I appreciate the comments re difficulty of removing the bushing . Pauls new tubes will fix the problem and I am going to investigate getting Hodaka Dave to swap the lower bushing.
Paul its awesome that your making new parts for these bikes and that through this site there is help and wisdom to not only fix things but make them better!

[admin]

Jack it is already New Years in Oz so a very Happy New Years to you and our friends down under!!
The only way to build these new tubes was to include the bushing. It obviously costs us more to make the tubes this way but makes things simplier for those who purchase them.
This photo is of one the of sample fork tubes that have been sent for myself and for Dave to check out. This 30mm tube and the 34mm tubes are PERFECT!

[Dale]

Very nice! Thanks Paul.

[Zyx]

Including the lower bushing will greatly simplify restoring old forks.

[pungo]

Paul,

Just as an FYI on future quantity planning. I will likely need about 5-8 pairs to complete my Hodie projects in the queue.
And thats before replacing existing ones that are a little pitted above the lower tree.
Would sure be nice to have all mint fork tubes on all bikes.

[Jack Elliott]

Thanks Paul
Problem solved they look great and count me in for 2 sets
Happy New Year to All
Jack

[Zyx]

Paul,

Which model tube did you use for patterning and sizing the meter holes in the tube?