front fork disassembly question

[mikedabike64]

hello I picked up 2008 ninja 250 which I love, it came with leaky fork seals and my question is
since I do not have a vice, and I see that I have to loosen the allen bolt on the bottom of the fork
could I loosen it while it is still pinched by the triple clamp?
I assume it must be removed in order to take the forks apart
Thanks Mike Handler.

[dino74]

Originally Posted by mikedabike64

hello I picked up 2008 ninja 250 which I love, it came with leaky fork seals and my question is
since I do not have a vice, and I see that I have to loosen the allen bolt on the bottom of the fork
could I loosen it while it is still pinched by the triple clamp?
I assume it must be removed in order to take the forks apart
Thanks Mike Handler.

The bolt at the bottom screws into the damper rod. You need something to stop the rod from spinning. Many people loosen/tighten that bolt while the fork is full assembled. The spring reload usually provides enough friction to stop the rod from spinning. If it spins, then you'll have to use a removal tool. 2nd pic down.

[subxero]

Doesn't sound like you have prior suspension experience so I will give you some advice.

Take the forks out of the triple and take them to a suspension specialist place and pay them to rebuild your forks for a little more than it would cost you for just the parts and tools and be uber happy that you didn't have to e'f with it yourself and that it is done right.
And if you want you can pay a little more to get better components and get suspension tuned for your weight and type of riding you do.

you're welcome

[subxero]

these guys don't seem to far from you, not sure about their reputation but they will still fix it better than you (no offense)

http://epmperf.com/motorcycle-shock-rebuild.htm

[mikedabike64]

I have only redone Springs and forks on my 500 but have not been that deep into it,
I just took the forks off make some preloaded spacers I went with 80 Springs and 15 weight oil & that really helped at the track, minor rear suspension work an SV shock,
but I see that this is a little more involved & that bottom screw I lack experience with,
I really appreciate the help and the suggestions on the diy
the fork was vice and then it was removed, but with the forks leaking like they do I don't have a choice
taking them off and having somebody do it might not be a bad idea
You guys are awesome thanks that suspension shop
is only a town over.
So when I botch the job they can fix it.

[Lychee]

@Dino 74 has the answer. I would add, disassemble and empty the fork oil first. Then reassemble the fork and clamp it into the triple. Then use a large wrench and clamp the fork above or below the axle. Then unscrew the bolt with a long hex wrench. Do not use a wrench with a ball end, the chance of it striping the bolt is too high. The fork will turn until the wrench is braced against the triple tree stand. (Hopefully you are using one.) then the bolt will come loose. If you need more force, add a box wrench to help you turn the hex wrench. Installation in reverse.

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_do_..._fork_seals%3F

[mikedabike64]

Ok thanks, I will check the procedure out

[mikedabike64]

I wanted to use the company that subxero found for me but when I called they are out until the 23rd racing somewhere.
but since they are so close I figured if I mess it up , but I actually finished it, the allen bolt on the bottom of the fork was a bit of a pain with no vice, I just did what you guys told me to do and it worked out good
, I went with 15 weight oil, and for me it is perfect gives me just enough feel up front but not so compliant that it wallows.
Thanks everyone, I appreciate the help.

[JAG]

Took forks completely apart two weeks ago. With no special
Tools available. The most difficult part is outer bushing, getting it back in using two screw drivers and or anything flat on each side and other than that no special tools needed. All the bushings were like new at 16,600 miles so taking
The forks apart was a waste of time. The right fork damper
Was damaged. It was loose and turns freely. Doesn't seem to be a problem for now. Put everything back together with new oil with no noticeable difference. Taking the forks apart causes some damage to the inner bushing as that is what drives out the outer bushing. No weight needed for this either. Bushing material coating is like soft Teflon. As far as measuring the amout of oil a tape measure seemed to work perfect from the top of the tube to the oil level 4.3 inches.

[mikedabike64]

I replaced the oil with 15w, I'm kind of glad that I did take it all apart because it was a learning experience worst case scenario I could have brought the forks to a, local shop one of the guys actually found for me, but at least I know in the future I can disassemble them and maybe put some of the gold valve emulators.
Iam trying to do as much as I can because I would rather buy parts then pay for labor which is very expensive these days.
I need to check valve clearance I was quoted 285 dollars