Fork stanchion re-chroming

[rok-the-boat]

Just wondering if anyone has re-chromed their fork stanchions in NZ. I have contacted a few places that do chroming but none will my TS185 forks.
Does anyone know of a place that does it? I'm in Whangarei but travel to Auckland on occasion.
Cheers, R

[Grumph]

Just wondering if anyone has re-chromed their fork stanchions in NZ. I have contacted a few places that do chroming but none will my TS185 forks.
Does anyone know of a place that does it? I'm in Whangarei but travel to Auckland on occasion.
Cheers, R

You need hard chrome and they have to be finish ground.

Don't know of anyone currently doing it in NZ.
Tony Pole in ChCh used to but lost his grinder.

Couple of places in Aussie advertising.

[F5 Dave]

Check weemoto etc for pattern parts.

[HenryDorsetCase]

With my CB750 it was quicker and cheaper to buy repop stanchions than faff about.

[jellywrestler]

With my CB750 it was quicker and cheaper to buy repop stanchions than faff about.

yip, but who do you think is making them for 185's?

[jellywrestler]

I used rotorua electroplaters when i did my hesketh ones, not sure who is still doing them, someone will be as hyfraulic arms on diggers and shit need repairs over time. ask someone who does that stuff

[Laava]

I used rotorua electroplaters when i did my hesketh ones, not sure who is still doing them, someone will be as hyfraulic arms on diggers and shit need repairs over time. ask someone who does that stuff

They just replace the tubes with std stock. Much easier than a motorbike.
In my experience, it is easier and cheaper to comb the internet and order new inners internationally from where ever you can. This is what I did with my Honda Sl125 and GSXR750 restos

[HenryDorsetCase]

yip, but who do you think is making them for 185's?

CMSNL for one


https://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-ts185er...er_5111029420/

Obviously it would depend on the model and OP didnt share what year his was but I chose that one because I had a TS185ER back in the day. Racing red. I fell off it a lot.

[jellywrestler]

They just replace the tubes with std stock. Much easier than a motorbike.
In my experience, it is easier and cheaper to comb the internet and order new inners internationally from where ever you can. This is what I did with my Honda Sl125 and GSXR750 restos

what were the cost comparisons please? who did you use to price up rechroming the originals to do the comparison? Why do hard chrome plating plants even exist in nz if all the people with hydraulics simply replace them?

[F5 Dave]

5 min Google, quote though

https://franksforks.com/SUZUKI%20-FORK-TUBES.html

[jellywrestler]

5 min Google, quote though

https://franksforks.com/SUZUKI%20-FORK-TUBES.html

they used to be called forking by frank, and were atrocious to deal with, almost demanding your fork sent to them, for comparison, and then they would put you on the list for when they make the next batch. . The rechroming process i have used more than once is price comparable, the finish isn't the same, a few minutes in a lathe polishing sorts it to almost perfection.

[Gremlin]

I tried a place a couple of years ago down in Onehunga I think, but as said, you need hard chrome, not decorative chrome.

Mate of mine did track someone down, but it was $500-$1000 or something for a quick job, and $1000-$1500 I think for a good job, for two fork stanchions. A pair was ordered from overseas for <$400 (both CB919s)

[Laava]

what were the cost comparisons please? who did you use to price up rechroming the originals to do the comparison? Why do hard chrome plating plants even exist in nz if all the people with hydraulics simply replace them?

OK to qualify, with all the forks I needed sorting, they had inserts of some sort that are rolled into position. These have to be removed for the hard chroming apparently, for example the GSXR insert are plastic. I had a rough price from a company in australia and it was deffo cheaper to get replacements. My comment about the hydraulics is based on what my mate who is a hydraulic engineer told me. Most if not all excavation type machinery uses a std size hydraulic tube. You cut it to length, stick it in a lather for threading and drill holes etc. Motorbike stuff is probably a bit lighter gauge in comparison?

[husaberg]

look for a company that does hydraulics like excavators on some they redo the hard chrome.

That said be far easier to find a NOS pair.
there is a place in I think Italy that list sit tons of newly made weird stuff.
but maybe have a look at the parts fiche ad compare to the other Suzis like the TF's

Hi these also list the length


https://www.wrs.it/en/22913-fork-tubes
https://www.carpimoto.com/en-US/Susp...le/Fork-Tubes/


The original list i belive came from here
https://franksforks.com/

[Grumph]

Very rarely now do hydraulic rams get replated. Much easier to cut the end fittings off and weld to a piece of thickwall hardchromed tube.
Particularly if the ram is bent....

Both tube and round bar are available hard chromed. I've used 10mm round bar to rebuild shock absorbers.

Endorse looking for NOS or pattern parts. Much easier.