Hello
After spending a long time in storage I have reassembled the rod damper forks on my 1967 WDB40. Sadly the forks got stuck tight when I put the weight of the bike on them.
I've stripped down both forks and it seems like the problem is with the lower bush on the left side. It sticks tight when the stanchion is around 6" into the fork sleeve.
I'm not sure how far the stanchions should travel into the sleeve but I think it should be more that 6".
I've tried new bushes and they are an even tighter fit.
If anyone has any advice I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Try slackening the very top yoke centre nut and pinch bolt.
Then work downwards,
Fork top nuts
Lower yoke pinch bolts
Mudguard bolts
Finally wheel spindle
Now try and bounce to realign everything, nip up slowly whilst bouncing
Check for dents to the outer if there is one the lower bush movement will be restricted giving the problem you have.
Stanchions bent?
There can be a problem (at least on Triumph forks of that era) where there is a stud and washer half way up the fork leg. This can get over tightened and a dimple of the tube gets pushed into the lumen. So the bush gets stuck on the internal dimple. There is free movement above and below the dimple.
If that is the case you can either carefully take long file to level it or get machine shop to bore it out (of course tube needs to be in otherwise good order and held really well to avoid a scoop opposite the high spot).
I've had a similar problem on a Triumph TR25. Turned out the stanchion was ever so slightly bent. It slid down about 3/4 of the way down and started to bind. If you forced it it got stuck. Try the stanchion in the other slider to see if you get the same problem and vice versa.
You'll know if it's the stanchion or the slider that's the problem then.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I've tried both stanchions in the slider with just the lower bush in place.
They both bind at the same place. It looks like there's some damage inside the left slider even though there are no dents on the outside.
Are yours the through spindle type or the clamp type with 2 bottom bolts each type?
If the latter the overtighened stud is most likely.
Plenty of these around even new at very reasonable prices.
My WD B40 had stuck forks virtually turning it into a rigid. When i got mine and realised the forks were not returning I stripped the front end to find it was a combination of rusty stanchions and a coffee coloured mayonnaise for oil combined with scored / oval bushes. They were not obviously oval but the vernier caliper told a different story . I just replaced my stanchions, bushes and seals in the end . I bought the stanchions from Burton Bike Bits .