R1100GS fork problem.

DrAlf · Apr 1, 2003

Afternoon All.

A GS riding friend of mine has asked me to post a question on his behalf so here goes:

The bike is a ’94 R1100GS and said friend has hit problems whilst changing the fork oil and seals. The forks were taken apart and the seals and oil replaced. The bleed screws were undone and then the fork stanchions pushed back into the sliders. The first fork stanchion went into the slider with no problems but the second one simply would not push into the slider – it went some of the way down and then stopped as if something was preventing the fork stanchion from sitting further down in the slider. The question is then, what is stopping the stanchion from seating correctly in the fork slider? Andy M and myself have just rebuilt the forks on my R1150GS with no problems whatsoever – is the R1100GS setup different to the 1150? Anyone got on ideas?

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

ATB

DrAlf.

Vern · Apr 2, 2003

I hate to say this,but it sounds like your mate has got a bent stantion. I think that's all it can be if the inside of the fork leg looks ok. Have you tried seeing if the stantions fit in each others legs? Try rolling the stantions along a flat surface, you'll soon see if they're bent. Good luck :confused:

DrAlf · Apr 2, 2003

Vern.

Cheers for the info. As it happens, the problem wasn’t anywhere near as bad as it sounded and is all sorted out now. It turns out that a bush had become unseated from the bottom of the sliders and all that was required was a good whack with a hammer to reseat the thing. Said friend is back on the road now and a happy man.

Cheers.

DrAlf

Isaac Hunt · Apr 2, 2003

..................all that was required was a good whack..............

ca'nt beat a good whack!!!!!

mago · Oct 14, 2005

How to?

DrAlf said:
Afternoon All.

The bleed screws were undone and then the fork stanchions pushed back into the sliders.
DrAlf.

How far do you push the stanchions into the sliders with the bleed screws undone? Till they hit oil? If so, there will be no spring action?

Could you please detail this part of putting it back together?

Thanks.

pikeydave · Oct 14, 2005

reassemble forks so that the 'spring effect' of the air trapped in the legs is in the neutral position. i.e. the legs remain extended on the air cusion at about where they'd be with the bike on the stand. easy to do as once you've let them go from the top yoke they are easy to slide up and down.
That is from a CW mech on setting up a front end.

mago · Oct 14, 2005

pikeydave said:
reassemble forks so that the 'spring effect' of the air trapped in the legs is in the neutral position. i.e. the legs remain extended on the air cusion at about where they'd be with the bike on the stand. easy to do as once you've let them go from the top yoke they are easy to slide up and down.
That is from a CW mech on setting up a front end.

Thanks..

Sea Lion · Oct 14, 2005

Why were you replacing the fork oil as a matter of interest?

I have wondered about this myself but it does not seem to be part of the service schedule.

Richard Russell · Jul 18, 2006

Hi DrAlf... sorry to drag up an ancient thread, but I've got exactly the same problem as your mate had. I have one fork leg where the stanchion gets stuck once it reaches the lower bush.

Can you elaborate on "all that was required was a good whack with a hammer to reseat the thing"? After reading your earlier post I used a plastic hammer to tap the stanchion gently in. It kind of worked, but once in place it was incredibly stiff. I managed to get it out again (phew), but now I'm back at square one.

The problem is definitely with the slider and not the stanchion --- I can get either stanchion into the left hand slider, but neither stanchion into the right hand slider.

And yes, I have removed the bleed screws

I'm puzzled! :nenau

DrAlf · Jul 18, 2006

Hi Richard,

Making the most of the search facility I see

As mentioned the problem wasn’t with my bike and I wasn’t present when the whack with the hammer was delivered. However I’ll try and get hold of my old mate and get further details on how he fixed his problem. I’ll update as soon as possible.

Richard Russell · Jul 18, 2006

I'm a bit further forward with my fork problem. I took out the oil seal, top bushing and the four plastic liners out of the slider, and now the stanchion fits easily into the slider. However... where it sticks out the top of the slider it is visibly off-centre. In fact, it's touching the lip of the slider at one side, where the oil seal is supposed to sit.

I can only think of two reasons this might happen. Either the lower bushing is somehow sitting squint in the bottom of the slider, or the slider is slightly bent. Since the lower bushing seems to be several inches long it's difficult to imagine how it could be squint, so I figure it must be option 2.

Bummer

Richard Russell · Jul 18, 2006

A picture is worth 1000 words etc...

Someone tell me I'm wrong, and I don't need a new slider... please :nenau

Tarka · Jul 19, 2006

Richard,
If the bushes aren`t sitting on the piss,something`s bent.

Looking at your picture,and from your statement that the stanchion is okay in the other slider,it appears that the bushes aren`t seated correctly.

If something is bent,it won`t be the slider......it`ll be the stanchion.
(The stanchion is the chrome tube,if you didn`t know.....)

Richard Russell · Jul 19, 2006

The stanchion is definitely straight - it spins freely in the slider, and stays in the same (off-centre) place relative to the lip of the slider.

From the limited view I have from the top of the slider, it seems that the lower bushing is actually a sleeve that's several inches long. I can't imagine how it could not be seated correctly, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong

R1100GS fork problem.

DrAlf

Well-known member

Vern

Toy maker

DrAlf

Well-known member

Isaac Hunt

Guest

mago

Guest

pikeydave

Registered user

mago

Guest

Sea Lion

Registered user

Richard Russell

Member

DrAlf

Well-known member

Richard Russell

Member

Richard Russell

Member

Tarka

Registered user

Richard Russell

Member

Similar threads