Forks Stiff! Need help fast Please!

[mad_max]

Hi. I just bought a Thumpstar pro 125 for a bit of a laugh and they're fun as. The forks go down (with some wrestling) but not up. Took them off, One is air and 1 is preload. Turns out the preload 1 is sweet except for buggered seal but still works. The other 1 has fine seal and everything internally (the rod that connects to the top) seems to work algood but theres something stopping the stanchion from moving smoothly and it takes a bit of force to make it move.

Unsure whats making it like this as this fork seems to be the good 1 as the seals are good.

ANY Ideas? I want to take it riding tomorrow



Cheers

[slofox]

Is the stanchion straight?

[cs363]

At a guess I'd say someone has overtightened the triple clamps, hopefully not so tight the tubes are damaged.... try backing the clamp bolts off a little and see if it makes any difference.

(I'm assuming it's the model that has got upside down forks?)

[mad_max]

Hi, Im hoping the stanchion is straight but im not too sure, illl have a look tomorrow. The clamps could have been too tight because it wasnt easy to get off but theyre still stiff as off the bike. If that was it its probably permanent damage. Dont suppose you can straighten stanchions could you?

[cs363]

Hi, Im hoping the stanchion is straight but im not too sure, illl have a look tomorrow. The clamps could have been too tight because it wasnt easy to get off but theyre still stiff as off the bike. If that was it its probably permanent damage. Dont suppose you can straighten stanchions could you?

If they aren't badly bent it's not too hard to straighten them if you know what you're doing. You'll need a press and a dial gauge though...
If they are bent probably best to take it to someone who knows what they're doing with suspension. Easy job for them.

[slofox]

Dont suppose you can straighten stanchions could you?

Yes ya can. Had this not been so, my racing career all those years ago would have been very short indeed...

I always took 'em to the engineer to do them though. Cheap enough usually...