Forks: Stick a fork in them?

[cuzncletus]

The forks on my Wombat rescue are pitted from years of being in a leaf pile. Yes, they'll clean up some, but I seriously doubt seals could pass over them without getting at least visible cuts in them. Will cleaning and chroming them help? (Expensive.) What about other forks, expensive but maybe not as much as chroming. I saw a good used set of Ace forks. Would they fit the triple trees and be satisfactory for a trials bike?

[TheBevman]

I've had good luck with filing down the high spots on the forks, degrease them and filling the pits with JB weld. I carefully use a jeweler's file to level off the JB after it cures for a few days. It usually takes a few times to get all the pits. I file it very lightly from a few different angles and haven't scratched a fork yet and then follow it up with some 1200 grit wet/dry (wetted and with a touch of dish soap).

Last one I did was my old "85 XR200R and it held 6 years until I sold it... it might still be holding...?

Bev

[BrianZ]

If you do decide to rechrome the forks, check out shops that specialize in repairing hydraulic cylinders. I know of a local (sort of) shop that will rechrome fork tubes for $100 (CDN) ea. Not cheap, but cheaper that replacements.

Brian

[taber hodaka]

Buy used Montana shocks no rust. --------------Clarence

[go_hercules]

I too have used JB Weld to fill in small pits in fork tubes of several bikes. Cleaned them good with lacquer thinner, put the JB Weld on and let it cure overnight. Then sanded with a rubber sanding block to keep things level. I used 1000 grit wet paper. Took a while to sand it down with that smooth paper, but I didn't want to scratch the good surrounding chrome any more than necessary. If they are really pitted or rusty you might have to start with something rougher, maybe even like 320 grit or so. Anyway, when I have done this, the new seals lasted as long as I can remember. JB Weld is great stuff.

[squid on a 300]

Super glue will fill them nicely also...i have seen some pretty big gouges in fork tubes from falling on rocks smoothed out and filled with SG and sanded with some fin grit....no leaks afterwards

[Bullfrog]

It is really nifty to read these descriptions for filling pits on fork legs . . . successfully! I'm going to keep that technique in mind.
Ed