kawipilot Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I do all my own Maintenance, but showed up to a track day with badly leaking fork seals and needed them replaced. I had the tools but wanting to throw the guy a bone I had Superbike Suspension do the job. These were freshly redone forks with new cartridge kits, oil, seals installed this spring. What would you fellow riders think is fair to pop out leaky seals, install new ones and fill em up with oil should cost? Maybe I am gettin old, but I thought $ 150 should cover it. Please voice your opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APCh8r Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I think reuben at 35 Motorsports has them for $140 on his website Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 id say if you took it to a shop to have it done $140-$160 would be about right ...having done at the track i would guess your going to pay a premium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 With the forks off the bike I'd do them for $100 including oil and seals, on the bike id say $150 is fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixxie750 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 we charge$150 off the bike and $175 on the bike OTD. just for reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JStump Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 I got a quote of $150 from a couple local dealer so that sounds about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixxerlife Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 150 is about right from what i hear shops quote, and there pocketing at least half that for 30-40 mins of there time.. I've heard some quote 200+ for a seal swap at the track. 2talltim is right, you pay the premium at the track.. Some people just get rapped, and don't even know it, but then again its all about the situation your in..Just did mine for 60 with oem seals and top shelf fluid, 30 mins in the back of a van!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh1234 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 How often do fork seals need to be replaced? When they start to leak? How often does that occur? as in, after how many years, USUALLY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 How often do fork seals need to be replaced? When they start to leak? How often does that occur? as in, after how many years, USUALLY. my bikes have never been done 14 yrs old, they still dont leak...my wifes 1993 shadow were done for the first time 2 years ago and they slightly leaked..i have a buddie that has a 08 gsxr and had them done last year, so i dont think there is really a gage to use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JStump Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 How often do fork seals need to be replaced? When they start to leak? How often does that occur? as in, after how many years, USUALLY.from what I have gathered, they can last for years as long as you keep the fork tubes from getting too crusty from bugs and dirt which tears up the seal when the forks travel into the tube. If you see a line of oil left on the tube after riding or compressing the forks it may be time to change them. You can try to use a piece of 35mm film to get the dirt out and reseal them sometimes depending on how bad they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad324 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Fork seals are less of a "scheduled maintenance" thing' date=' but fork oil should not go more than a couple years between flushes. Your fork bushings will start to break down and the material they are made from mixes with the oil, essentially turning your fork oil into a light weight sanding compound. This takes its toll on fork internals, especially on bikes with adjustable suspension. Besides, how can you inspect your bushings if you've never popped the forks? Fork oil is just like engine oil, with regards to eventual degradation. Get that stuff flushed regularly.[/quote']looks like somebody just volunteered to do suspension upgrades and maintenance this winter on the VFR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Depends on how much abuse they get. The surfaces of the seal that actually do the sealing have to deal with friction and pressure constantly. If you are too big for your bike and like to come down hard off of wheelies, hit kits of pot holes, don't slow down for speed bumps etc.. they will wear out sooner. It's really an easy job, I use a broom handle, an Allen socket and a 2 foot piece of pvc pipe. Maybe I should set up at the track and undercut the other guys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 It depends how good you are at wheelying... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue03636 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Maybe I should set up at the track and undercut the other guys?and you have the tool to compress the springs?You will end up paying more for trackside service and even more if they take the forks off. I would still guess $180-200 pending how you got the forks to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Never used a tool to compress the springs, just clamp the legs back to the bike with it jacked up and push the springs in with the cap nuts. Takes a few tries but you get a feel for it. I should add that I work mainly on older bikes that don't have inverted forks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moto-Brian Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Whoa! There's a lot of weird info here from several years of not needing to service anything to using broom handles as tools to work on forks...Send them to Reuben at 35 Motorsports. There are a ton of guys going back and forth and if you think Ken is doing a solid job, wait until you have Reuben do them...The things that stand out to me are:-Track use.-Leaking seals.-Probably never serviced fluids.All these things lend to one key point. The oil and the forks are things that ARE regular maintenance and SHOULD be serviced regularly IF you are track daying this bike. The fluid breaks down from use. At the track, it gets more use than street.Guys that never have their fluid replaced and have their forks serviced are doing an injustice to themselves and the bike. Next time you are near a shop that does fork service, watch the oil that comes out of the forks. You'll then understand why they need serviced. Track day use bikes are even worse. I've seen forks from guys that the oil looks like grey cottage cheese... The oil breaks down like engine oil and needs help. The OEM fluid isn't as good as the fork fluid that Reuben uses which is typically Maxima. The stuff he uses is going to break down less quickly, but will still need to be serviced as it is being abused moreso at the track.Finally, there are some guys at the track that are servicing forks and they are running through them as fast as they can and the idea is that time is money. The quicker the turn around, the better the margin. There are steps that are missed and things that are evident if you know what you are looking at. The trouble is that most track day guys are not well versed and think they are getting such amazing service. The fact is that I can put them on a set of forks with 30mm Ohlins cartridges and a WELL serviced set of OEM forks and OEM internals and they won't be able to tell the difference. Point is, there's a LOT of mental stuff going on. Now, as you progress in speed and ability, better suspension will be what you shoot for as the OEM stuff will simply reach limits that hold the rider back. Until you are an advanced or higher end I rider, that isn't going to be in play.The thing to understand is there is a way to do suspension correctly and it goes further than turning them upside down and letting the fluid run out and adding oil back in. There are details, there are small "tricks" these guys know. Reuben is one of the best.Let me put it to you this way. Buddy won a shock on Ebay that was serviced by a known trackside guy. The bumper was on upside down. It's the little things... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moto-Brian Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Never used a tool to compress the springs, just clamp the legs back to the bike with it jacked up and push the springs in with the cap nuts. Takes a few tries but you get a feel for it. I should add that I work mainly on older bikes that don't have inverted forks.Actually to break down the forks once the fork caps are removed, you should use a tool that companies like Racetech sell to compress to remove the cap and break the cartridges down to inspect shim stacks, etc...For example, you can see there are several options based on price. I use the small tool at the track to replace springs that is the disassembly tool shown at the bottom for forks. I also have the rear shock compression tool for the shock.http://racetech.com/page/id/70You need a tool to break the forks and shocks down... If you are using the tools you listed, I would suggest that anyone needing that work done, not to consider someone using a broom stick... No offense... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 I use the broom stick to keep the dampening rod from spinning while removing the cap screw that holds it in, works fine and no bad side effects, so why pay for a tool you can make for free? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSB67 Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Still interested to hear what the OP ended up paying for his trackside job.And yes, a fork spring compressor is pretty much required for modern sportbike forks. I compress MX fork springs by hand, but the sportbike springs are way too stiff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregoR6 Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Still interested to hear what the OP ended up paying for his trackside job..+1. I'm gonna say $210. Other wagers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moto-Brian Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 I use the broom stick to keep the dampening rod from spinning while removing the cap screw that holds it in, works fine and no bad side effects, so why pay for a tool you can make for free?I cannot see at all how you use a broom stick on the dampening rod. You have to compress the spring, use a special plate that has a notch to hold the rod from spinning and creates a gap to get the box wrench on to take the cap off...Again, you can use hillbilly tactics to do whatever you want to your personal things if you feel secure doing so. BUT, I would NNNNNEEEEVVVEEER suggest someone take their suspension components for service to a guy not using at MINIMUM, the proper tools required to do the job. Suspension is something that if done incorrectly, can cause issue. Again, you can do whatever you wish to your own stuff, but to suggest such primitive things to people and suggesting the tools you should buy to be a waste of money is crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Hey man, you can be a snob all you want but don't question my methods. I'm an FAA certified mechanic so I'm pretty sure I can do a set of forks. I just jack all the weight off the front end, remove the caps, let the 1/2 inch or so of compressed spring decompress, remove the springs, shove my hillbilly broom stick into the depression on the end of the dampening rod and use an impact wrench to remove the cap screw at the bottom of the fork leg. Like I said, I work on older stuff and have never done a set of inverted forks, maybe its a lot different and requires fancy-pants tools. This is how I do it and I got the directions off of a yamaha forum. Next you'll tell me I shouldn't use a length of 1-1/2 inch pvc pipe to press the new seal in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue03636 Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 The new stuff is way different. You have to be able to compress the spring and the easiest way is a $100 tool. Well worth every penny I spent on it as most shops will charge you for an hour just to swap springs. I don't mind making tools for my stuff but I also wouldn't offer to do seals for others with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted September 25, 2011 Report Share Posted September 25, 2011 Well dog my cats! I needs to get me some education! Maybe next spring if I sell enough of my old shit I can buy a bike built during the current millennium. Till then me and my ole flea bitten coon dog will make do using broomsticks and spare parts from the ole moonshine still out back, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue03636 Posted September 25, 2011 Report Share Posted September 25, 2011 Machining a tool is a little different than hacking into a broom. Hell I had a bar and chain that I used to compress the spring with. It worked but I wouldn't offer to do someone else's stuff with it. If the tools were machined and functioned like they should then no problem. I just wouldn't work on others stuff with backyard engineered tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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