tearing apart the front forks.

[UnSaniTiZ]

whatsup guys? So I've been pouring over the forums the past day, and I can't figure this one out. I'm changing my fork seals/oil and adding progressive springs. I've already propped the bike up, removed the front wheel, caliper, and fender. I've also made the tool for the damper rod bolt... but I'm not sure what part that is. I have an 04F... Here is a bikebandit exploded picture of the forks. Can someone please give me the number of the bolt that is so hard to remove (the spinning one)? Cuz I can't get out 16. Am I supposed to insert the home-made tool (assuming the forks are still attached to the bike) down the top of the forks, or up the bottom of the forks?

Update: I think I've figured some of this out. Take off fork end caps, take out spacer/washer/spring. Insert homemade tool. Realize you don't have a 15/16" socket yet (til tomorrow).

So here are my other two questions: I can't get the bolts at the bottom of the forks to turn at all... they're just too tight. What size are they? I've been trying to use a 7mm because my 8mm doesn't fit... But 7mm might feel a bit too small.

Thanks
-UnSaniTiZ

[Affschnozel]

You need 8mm allen key that must be long enough to reach that bolt.Either use the homemade tool (which uses a bolt that keys in number 13 in that pic) or try  compressing the spring with something like a broom stick to stop the bolt turning. The broom stick method worked for me after some head bashing and hair pulling
also check this:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=7084.0

[pres589]

You need 8mm allen key that must be long enough to reach that bolt.

Agreed, get a really long 8mm hex key of good quality to stop the bottom bolt from spinning while you use the home-made tool.  This would probably be much easier to do if you have a bench vice and can hold the hex key witha breaker bar of decent length.  I didn't have these things and ended up having to stand on the fork tube and the hex key I was using while turning the double-bolt home made tool.  Wasn't a lot of fun.

[red_phil]

What I did to get leverage on the 8mm alan key was to put it through a 8mm ring spanner
That way you can use the long end of the 'L' to poke down into the fork and reach the bolt.

[Flywheel]

Lucky for you, I just suffered through the same problem. The Allen bolt that holds the damper rod inside the fork slider should be 8 mm. Obtain a T-handle 8 mm Allen wrench (available singly at more serious tool shops for about ~$12). The bolt heads might be a bit stripped, which would account for the loose fit. You could try a 5/16" wrench as a substitute. I am assuming you have removed the fork cap, spacers, washers, springs and oil. Anyhow:

1) Insert your damper rod tool into the fork tube and gently twist it until the 5/8" hex bolt head seats into the top of the damper rod. Cap the tool with a 15/16" socket wrench. Try to keep the tool from rattling around inside the tube. Lay everthing aside for the moment.   

2) Take that T-handle wrench and clamp it in a vise so the business end is horizontal.

3) CAREFULLY slide the fork slider bolt-end onto the wrench (the slider is alloy, so keep everything steady or it will scratch). Hold it firmly in place.

4) Start turning the 15/16" socket counterclockwise (as seen from the top). Keep turning until the bolt is nearly out.

This was the ONLY technique that would loosen the bolt on my right fork; the Allen wrench was flexing under the load before the bolt came undone. Once I had it out, it was apparent that Suzuki had been a bit too liberal with thread sealer (it was dried around the base of the bolt head and along the entire thread length, too). Oddly enough, the left fork came apart using the impact driver method almost right away! 

   

[UnSaniTiZ]

Thanks for all the tips. I have not taken the oil out yet, because I don't have a vice I am doing all of this in the clamps on the bike. Also, 8mm allen wrenches don't fit in my bottom bolt... 7mm wrenches do. And the bolt doesn't turn at all. I don't actually have a 7mm wrench, only 1/4" so I am going out to get more parts. Those are the two things that confuse me the most.