R80 mono fork brace alignment

[Gyp]

Just replaced the fork seals for the nth time on the RT and noticed that the forks don't slide quite as easily as I think they should.

Just wondering if the fork brace needs to be reset. So the question is, can the brace be reset or is it fixed, and I guess the follow up if it can is what tool do I need for the bolts?

 

[DrFarkoff]

Perhaps loosen off all the bolts on the lower yoke and mudguard axle ect and see if anything changes ??

Bounce it a few times and retighten from the axle first !

Did that improve things ?

 

[scooter paul]

Perhaps loosen off all the bolts on the lower yoke and mudguard axle ect and see if anything changes ??

Bounce it a few times and retighten from the axle first !

Did that improve things ?

Definitely as above and remove the brace whilst you’re doing it.

 

[DrFarkoff]

Definitely as above and remove the brace whilst you’re doing it.

I would leave it on to be honest as you may realign things enough that it works (first time leave it as is and it may pull stuff into line with everything else loose! If it works? it worked!! Job Done! )

but remove and refit and it can go all Pete Tong after when refitting

@Gyp You don;t say if it is an OE steel one or a Aftermarket Alloy brace?

I had a Micron one and it was a Ballache but a bit of perseverance paid off

NOTE!!!! CHECK Everything you loosened BEFORE it leaves the garage!! Tippex is your friend for witness marks that you can wipe off with some WD40 or Isopropyl Alchohol if they annoy you

 

[Stirlingmoz]

If I recall, the monolever fork brace bolts require a female torx socket to remove.

They are ‘loctited’ in from factory and may need a bit heat to loosen.

 

[Gyp]

Thanks all; it's the factory alloy brace as mentioned by Stirlingmoz which won't have been touched since the bike left the factory in 1988.

The bike has always had a bit of an appetite for fork seals and I've done them multiple times. I'd always put it down to me being a bit clumsy landing my wheelies, but I've grown out of that now (the wheelies, not the clumsiness) and wonder if the brace is slightly off.

I might pick up a female torq bit set and see if they do move without extreme violence, and that'll allow me to loosen off everything, bounce it and tighten it up again.

But if the bolts don't move I think I'll leave well alone and work on the basis that replacing the seals every couple of years will be less bother than dealing with broken brace bolts

 

[DrFarkoff]

@Gyp Drop the lowers off and clean them well!

Leave them upside down and put a decent squirt of ACF 50 on the lower part of the threads of the fork bridge overnight

When you are ready to start at them the next day?

Stick them upside down in a bucket of Boiling water for 5 mins or more You want them too HOT to hold comfortably

Have your Ratchet and E Torx ready (Mine were all Allen caps)

Pull them out and Give the one you are going to remove first a decent sharp clunk on the bolt head towards the threaded hole BE CAREFUL NOT TO CLUNK THE Seal Orifice !!!

Slacken it But Just slacken it!

clunk the next one, again just slackening it,

And keep going! At this stage having some rigidity in the assembly makes it easier to get them all loose, hence not removing them all the way

Stick them back in the heat and when ready, just run them out with a drill driver

Clean everything up and when ready leave them all a wee bit loose and start with the axle and work your way up as mentioned before

 

[Gyp]

Well, I'm delighted to say that, once I'd got the right socket, the nuts undid without much messing about.

I just need to put it all back together now