Help-F'd up my spring install!

VMAX NV · Mar 20, 2011

So I finally got all my parts in the mail(will order from Sean next time), watched the video a couple times and put it all together.

So before adding the oil, I thought I'd look in my Haynes book to see how they suggested putting it back together. They suggested some threadlock on the threads of the drain bolt. Now Sean had not used any in his video, but I thought WTF, it couldn't hurt any, so I unscrewed the bolt.

BAD IDEA!

I couldn't get it screwed back in and had to take all the seals and everything back off and then I found that the spindle taper/oil lock piece/stop/plastic thing had become dislodged, turned end over end and was now jammed the wrong way into the end of the inner tube(see pic. 1)

I CAN NOT get this piece out! I think I might have to cut it out and order a new one. I hope I haven't messed up anything else inside the inner tube. Is this what I'm supposed to see through the hole?(pic. 2) I'd really hate to have to buy an inner tube($180?)

So any help, thoughts, suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Trevor aka VMAX NV aka Noob Wrencher

Heretic · Mar 20, 2011

I may be having difficulty seeing what really happened, but I just had the forks on my 2003 apart last fall. The plastic stop piece thing looks like is the right way around just shoved up into the the fork tube. You could try putting the dampening rod back in and using the spring/spacer whatever to push it out. If you put the plastic stop into the fork leg first you assembled it wrong. Its meant to be placed onto the end on the dampening rod while in the slider leg fork portion before putting it into the lower fork leg. Please provide other information or more pics and I'm sure we can figure it out.

VMAX NV · Mar 20, 2011

I put it all together correctly. Then I unscrewed the bolt. I must have slid the leg up the tube a bit and the stop popped off and got flipped. I know it's flipped because the damper can fit in there like in the picture.

I tried like you said and put the damper/sping/spacer to try to push it back out, but it would not budge.

mabdcmb@yahoo.com · Mar 20, 2011

I cant even begin to understand how it would flip and get stuck like that. Anyways, I'm sure the fork tube is fine. I would put a broom stick or piece of 1" conduit or something on the floor, put the fork over it, and smack it down a couple times. The plastic piece will either come out or break, LOL.

Putting loctite on the damper rod bolts is a good idea.

one2dmax · Mar 20, 2011

Worst case send it here and i'll fix it.

VMAX NV · Mar 20, 2011

BINGO! Mike you are the winner! Man, I love this forum!
I looked around the patio and found an old broom sitick. One good bang and it popped right out!
Also, thanks for the offer Sean.

THE NOOB WRENCHER - I make the mistakes so you don't have to!