Before you begin, gather the following tools and materials:
- Front fork seal kit (which should include the seals, o-rings, and dust seals)
- Fork oil
- Funnel
- Flat blade screwdriver
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Allen key
- Socket set
- Torque wrench
- Pliers
- Rags
- Safety goggles
- Oil drain pan
Now follow these steps:
1. Loosen, but do not remove the pinch bolts on the lower triple tree clamp and the bolts on the top triple tree clamp.
2. Remove the front wheel.
3. Loosen the bottom fork pinch bolt.
4. Remove the brake calipers and zip tie them to the side of the handlebars to keep them out of the way. Be sure not to let the calipers hang by the brake line.
5. Remove the fender.
6. Remove the upper fork bolt. You may also have to remove the top cap before you can access this bolt.
7. Pull the fork tubes out of the triple trees.
8. Drain the fork oil into a drain pan by loosening the drain plug at the bottom of each fork.
9. Remove the old fork seals by sliding them off the fork tubes with a flat blade screwdriver. Be careful not to damage the fork tubes.
10. Clean the fork tubes thoroughly to remove any dirt, oil, or other debris.
11. Apply a small amount of grease to the new fork seals and slide them onto the fork tubes.
12. Apply a thin coat of sealant (optional) to the area where the fork seal will seat
13. Use a seal driver or a large PVC pipe cap to press the seal flush against the fork tube
14. Install the new dust seals to the tubes (if not part of the fork seals)
15. Insert the fork tubes into the triple trees.
16. Install the top triple tree clamp.
17. Install the upper fork bolt and torque to specification
18. Slide on the brake calipers.
19. Install the front wheel.
20. Add fork oil to each fork tube according to the manufacturer's specifications.
21. Install the drain plugs.
22. Tighten the pinch bolts on the lower triple tree clamp.
23. Install the fender.
24. Test the forks for proper operation by bouncing the bike up and down.
- If the seals were properly installed, the forks should compress smoothly and without leaking any oil.
- If the forks don't compress smoothly, or if you see oil leaking from the seals, you will need to reinstall them.
