Hitchcocks Forum

Hi

I'd like to ask if anyone has advice for fitting new bronze bushes into fork tubes?
I'm attempting to fit some new ones to some Model G forks (steel tube pressed into aluminium lower tube), which I think are essentially similar to most REs.
The manual suggests select on fit from a box of bushes, which isn't practical, or allow them to bed in. However the bushes I have get stuck tight about 3" down the stanchions.
I'm reluctant to tap them down as the lip around the bush seems to deform easilmany thanks

many thanks

Dave

I have found that the bushes supplied by our Hosts are a very variable fit. Some are too tight on the stanchion or too tight in the slider or both! I have taken to lapping them using very fine grinding paste on an old stanchion or you could use a part of the fork tube that wouldn't normally be wiped by the oil seals on the tube you already have.

REgards, Mark

Thank you Mark

Lapping one of the bushes onto a rusty old stanchion eventually did the trick.

Interestingly both bushes were a tight but moveable fit on one stanchion to start with, but stuck tight on the other, so tolerances on both stanchions and bushes must vary enough to explain why it was easier for the factory to just select a bush to fit from the bin.

With springs fitted and oil in both forks now move without binding and no detectable free play.

Thanks again

Dave

Excellent!

REgards, Mark