major stiction issues

[pavetim]

Ok i've had problems with my KX450 air forks with front traction.  I tore apart and found the inner cart seals bad.  I replaced, put new fluid in and put back together.  This happened before and hope it would have gotten fixed but it's got major stiction, you can feel it pushing on forks.  And when i reach down and grab tire to set hole shot device and you let go slowly you can see the forks will actually stay down a couple inches and not come back up.  Any idea i'm almost to the point of ditching these forks.

[mxracermx]

Ok i've had problems with my KX450 air forks with front traction. I tore apart and found the inner cart seals bad. I replaced, put new fluid in and put back together. This happened before and hope it would have gotten fixed but it's got major stiction, you can feel it pushing on forks. And when i reach down and grab tire to set hole shot device and you let go slowly you can see the forks will actually stay down a couple inches and not come back up. Any idea i'm almost to the point of ditching these forks.

what seals did you use?

[pavetim]

SKF seals, KYB bushings, Redline suspension Oil.  I did the axle the correct way but still has me stumped.  As far as I can tell nothing is bent but I might have to take apart again and check everything.  The wear is all good, nothing is wearing uneven like a bent part would.  I'll check again but i am pretty sure with the forks off the bike it feels fine.  I'll take fork off tomorrow and check on that.

[pavetim]

SKF seals, KYB bushings, Redline suspension Oil.  I did the axle the correct way but still has me stumped.  As far as I can tell nothing is bent but I might have to take apart again and check everything.  The wear is all good, nothing is wearing uneven like a bent part would.  I'll check again but i am pretty sure with the forks off the bike it feels fine.  I'll take fork off tomorrow and check on that.

[mxracermx]

SKF seals, KYB bushings, Redline suspension Oil. I did the axle the correct way but still has me stumped. As far as I can tell nothing is bent but I might have to take apart again and check everything. The wear is all good, nothing is wearing uneven like a bent part would. I'll check again but i am pretty sure with the forks off the bike it feels fine. I'll take fork off tomorrow and check on that.

it's why I only use oem seals. Pivot works, proX all have way to much stick. Yeah they don't leak because they have a vice hold of your stantions

[mog]

Skf seals are not sticky like pivot works however

[mog]

Skf seals are not sticky like pivot works however

[EnglertRacing]

with the air forks you could bottom the forks with no air pressure and then tighten the non brake side pinch bolts.  Results in better alignment then the old push push up and down humm guess my forks are lined up.

 

and the skf seals should have less stiction.  Something is not right.

[Vietze]

Well, the PSF fork will have ALWAYS more stiction than an AOS fork since the airpressure pushes the seallip tighter to the chrom leg.

[pavetim]

Well pulled forks and tried them, they actually feel really good.  So now i loosedn steering stem nut, slide each fork in the tree and tighten clamp bolts, I then tighten steering stem bolt.  Put front tire on, tighten brake side clamp, tighten nut, and leave non brake side clamp loose.  Spin tire a few times and slam on brakes then tighten axle clamp bolts.  Everything is torqued per the manual and it now still doesn't act right, still stays down a little when I push down and let off slowly.  I'm stumped.

[mog]

Forks are meant to sag around 35mm when your off the bike and 50mm when your on it , they do not come back to topped out

[EnglertRacing]

Well pulled forks and tried them, they actually feel really good.  So now i loosedn steering stem nut, slide each fork in the tree and tighten clamp bolts, I then tighten steering stem bolt.  Put front tire on, tighten brake side clamp, tighten nut, and leave non brake side clamp loose.  Spin tire a few times and slam on brakes then tighten axle clamp bolts.  Everything is torqued per the manual and it now still doesn't act right, still stays down a little when I push down and let off slowly.  I'm stumped.

 

NEIN!

 NEIN!

  NEIN!

put the same air pressure in both legs. whether its zero or what ever your going to run probably better to put what your going to run

install the brake side fork tube in the clamps at the desired height. tighten the clamp pinch bolts to torque.

install the non brake side fork tube do not tighten the clamp pinch bolts.

slide the front axle through the fork lugs adjust the height of the non brake side fork tube untill the axle can be rotated by hand easily.

tighten the non brake side tripple clamp pinch bolts to spec.

put the front wheel on. axle in slide it untill it stops

tighten the non brake side pinch bolts.

tighten the axle nut.

tighten the brake side axle pinch bolts.

loosen the non brake side axle pinch bolts.

dump all your air pressure would be even better if you could remove the valve core

** or below for spring forks

if your bikes on the ground it will bottom out.

if its on a stand or table like i use get some random objects like a 5 gallon bucket or another motorcycle stand and stack crap till your front wheel is bottomed out.

or alternatly use a tie down on each side of the bar looped through the wheel

now with the forks bottomed you can tighten the non brake side bolts.

 

this procedure ensures that the bushings are far from each other as possible and that the fork tubes are parallel with each other and perpendicular to the axle as possible... nothing else is even remotely as accurate.

 

**and to do this with spring forks you just loosen the top caps and take the bars off your cartridges and springs will just pop up when you bottom the forks providing no resistance.

[pavetim]

I believe you but what does tightening the axle clamp bolts at full compression accomplish?  I mean how often are you riding at full compression (never) your always up higher so wouldn't it make sense to tighten at top of fork height?  Just asking

[EnglertRacing]

There's probably like 0.005-0.007 inch clearance just a guess maybe more between the bushings and the tube. When the forks are topped out the bushings are close as possible pull the non brake side with the pinch bolts back and forth it moves probably 3/16" with new bushings.

Bottom the forks out......

Try moving it side to side now. You just can't and your forks are inline now.

Your bushings are far as possible now!

[pavetim]

_{Ahh gotcha, makes perfect sense.  Makes alot less free play in there.  Great idea.}

[pavetim]

Well i did it your way an I can definatly see an advantage but it's doing the same thing.  I understand sag but when I put bike on ground it really doesn't sag, but if I pull tire down and release it slowly it stays down.  

[EnglertRacing]

I wonder if something is bent.

Maybe with the axle off feel the action of each tube, then with the

Alignment procedure just done to the axle you can check the action again.

Maybe you have a bent axle, tube, clamp.

[pavetim]

They slide in the clamps like butter and axle hand spins.

[pavetim]

Well idk but bike feels pretty awesome today so maybe the stiction isnt aa issue. Those darn leaking inner cart seals were tho. And the new way of aligning I like, air pressure didnt move from my original setting