So i got my fork seals changed about ~30miles ago.  My front left fork seal is leaking again (although this started within first 5miles).  I took it back to where i got it done and the guy said that more than likelly the bushes are away, causing the seals to keep leaking.  I have looked around alot of online shops and cant seem to find anywhere selling suspension bushes (i dont know if there a standard thing or specific to bike etc).

Ive been quoted somewhere in the region of 80 - 100 dollars which i think might be a bit step for replacing the bushes.

Does anyone know : A) where to get them, B) how hard is it to do, C) is the guy just trying to get more money out of me?

Thanks

I don't know where to get then, you could start by calling some shops and seeing how bad the prices are on genuine Suzuki parts. It should be easy to do. If I recall, I think they came out when I was replacing my fork seals and I needed to put them back in. (it may have been the CBR forks though, I forget which was which) Don't pay your bike shop to do the seals again, they're easy to do yourself

It's also possible to dammage the seals when installing them. If they're leaking after 30 miles this is probally the case. Maye sure there aren't any scratches or pitting on the fork tubes either, that'll cut up the new seals really quick.

I've also heard of "leak proof" fork seals that work better than stock, these may work for you.

See if there is any play in your forks before replacing your bushings.

i took the bike back and the chap is in the process of taking the forks off etc and checking what the problem is. if it aint the bushes and just faulty seals he should replace them for pretty cheap as ive already paid to have it done once.

If it is the bushes id rather do them myself, so ill just get him to stick it back together and get it home and do it.

Just wondering as they are that difficult to find (online anyway) that it may not actually be a problem like he suggests?

Quote from: ducati_nolan on May 17, 2007, 11:42:43 AM
I don't know where to get then, you could start by calling some shops and seeing how bad the prices are on genuine Suzuki parts. It should be easy to do. If I recall, I think they came out when I was replacing my fork seals and I needed to put them back in. (it may have been the CBR forks though, I forget which was which) Don't pay your bike shop to do the seals again, they're easy to do yourself

It's also possible to dammage the seals when installing them. If they're leaking after 30 miles this is probally the case. Maye sure there aren't any scratches or pitting on the fork tubes either, that'll cut up the new seals really quick.

I've also heard of "leak proof" fork seals that work better than stock, these may work for you.

See if there is any play in your forks before replacing your bushings.

+1 on checking for nicks in the seals. Also, everything I've ever heard has said that the leak proof seals suck, get the OEM.

The "bushings" are the dissimilar metal wear plates (sort of like the plain bearings in the engine) at the bottom of the upper tube of the fork. They and the ones on the lower tube just below where the fork seal lives are where the two halves of the fork contact and move on each other.

A bad bushing wouldn't cause a seal to fail. He screwed up the replacement. Either because he damaged the seal installing it, or failed to notice damage to the upper tube that could.

what he suggested was that if the bushes "were away" then the fork would flex..... i.e. instead of -- they would \/  (exageration), thus causing the seals to stop working

i checked the forks for pitting before i purchased the bike and they seemed to be in pretty good nic

How many miles are on the bike?

not entirely sure as the original clocks have been changed for yamaha ones (to go with yamaha fairing) at some point before i purchased it.

its a '98 model

I would be more inclined to believe it was just a botched seal change (it happens, I've done it), than the slider wearing out. I think to distort the seal to the point where it leaked you would be able to notice a misalignment of the upper and lower tubes. It would look bent.

Check and see if they Used Leak Proof Seals.If so have them Replaced with Genuine Suzuki Seals.

how would i be able to tell if the bushes were away?

im considering going and getting the bike back as they havnt got round to doing anything to it yet (monday at earliest now).

cheers

Him saying the bushes could be worn is a very valid point, they can and do wear although not as often as the seals do. However my guess is that the seals are more than flexible enough to accomodate slight movement between the upper and lower parts, but not a major amount of movement.

To detect any wear you need to remove each tube from the bike, remove each spring and drain the oil. Then try to "bend" each fork from the middle with it fully extended, or hold the lower leg in a vice and try to move the upper tube from side to side. If you can detect any noticable movement the bushes are worn. Badly worn fork bushes are a MOT failure in the UK and display the same symptom as a worn headrace bearing, a noticable"clunk" when you brake hard on the front along with wooly handling.

The bushes will almost certainly only be a dealer part. If I remember one is a hard plastic, maybe teflon, the other looked to be phoshpur-bronze or similar. If your guy is suggesting the bushes could be worn I would be asking him why he didnt check them when the forks were apart??? They are no more difficult to replace than the seals themselves, they slide out of the leg when the tube is withdrawn. They sit below the seal and they are a tightish slide-fit over the tube.

Incidently, the Suzuki service manual in section 6-15 says......

CAUTION:
The outter tube and inner tube "anti-friction` metals must be replaced along with the oil-seal and dust-seal. (for metals read bushes, the term has been lost in the translation from Jap` to english)

Quote from: Paulmuphesto on May 17, 2007, 11:29:53 AM
I have looked around alot of online shops and cant seem to find anywhere selling suspension bushes (i dont know if there a standard thing or specific to bike etc).

Sorry, but I gotta say it...

Have you tried searching for 'bushings' and not 'bushes'? Bushes are small plants with dense green leaves...

 

Quote from: debtman7 on May 18, 2007, 11:20:08 AM

Quote from: Paulmuphesto on May 17, 2007, 11:29:53 AM
I have looked around alot of online shops and cant seem to find anywhere selling suspension bushes (i dont know if there a standard thing or specific to bike etc).

Sorry, but I gotta say it...

Have you tried searching for 'bushings' and not 'bushes'? Bushes are small plants with dense green leaves...

You call them bushings, over here we call them bushes, either way they are the same thing. The only difference being the term used to describe them. Unlike certain bearings and seals the bushes/bushings used on the GS forks are NOT made to any ISO standards. They are unique parts made soley for the application. If yours are shot the only place to source them is via Suzuki themselves as a spare part. No one makes them as pattern parts due to the fact they very rarely fail and the lack of demand.

Quote from: sledge on May 18, 2007, 04:21:07 PM
You call them bushings, over here we call them bushes, either way they are the same thing. The only difference being the term used to describe them. Unlike certain bearings and seals the bushes/bushings used on the GS forks are NOT made to any ISO standards. They are unique parts made soley for the application. If yours are shot the only place to source them is via Suzuki themselves as a spare part. No one makes them as pattern parts due to the fact they very rarely fail and the lack of demand.

Really, they're known as bushes over there? That's a new one to me

Have you checked bikebandit? Look at the diagrams and figure out what part it is you need, they're usually cheaper than dealerships but shipping might be high...