Fork alignment/replacement in triple tree?

I've just replaced a set of crappy gaiters that lasted all of 3 months! Using better ones this time I hope. But anyway I simply dropped the forks out of the triple tree so I could fit the new gaiters. Now I'm trying to put them back in I'm having trouble locating the tops of the stanchion tubes into the top of the triple tree. How's it supposed to work? Being that they're a tapered fit? And does the top of each stanchion tube need to be exactly level with the top of the triple tree?

How's it supposed to work?

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I push them up from below and once close enough use the fork top nut to draw them up. The lower yoke may need opening up by using a hardwood wedge and the first time you engage the top fork nut leave the instruments mounting out so the nut reaches down lower.

Being that they're a tapered fit?

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The taper on the stanchion fits in the taper in the top yoke holes.

And does the top of each stanchion tube need to be exactly level with the top of the triple tree?

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No, it needs to be below the top of the top yoke so the fork top nut does not bottom out in the stanchion before the tapers fully engage.

When I try and tighten the top nut to pull the staunchion up the whole staunchion just turns?

Headfullofsnakes said:

When I try and tighten the top nut to pull the staunchion up the whole staunchion just turns?

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Push them up harder into the taper. The tapers will 'bind' together and prevent the stanchions from turning.

What FastEddie said, plus you can wrap some padding around the stanchion and use metal grips or just use the rubber grips for undoing bottle caps etc on the bare stanchion after cleaning any oil off.

A plumbers strap wrench until the taper holds enough to take over. Also, I always use a bit of molebdynem grease on the threads of the fork caps.

Headfullofsnakes said:

When I try and tighten the top nut to pull the staunchion up the whole staunchion just turns?

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Can you check the nut is correct size an is not binding on the thread. Will for instance it screw in enough when the fork leg is not in the yokes. Do you have the correct clock holders (not after market parts) an washer?

Try borrowing the better halfs rubber washing up gloves to grip it or better still give the better half the job ......

concours said:

A plumbers strap wrench until the taper holds enough to take over. Also, I always use a bit of molebdynem grease on the threads of the fork caps.

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+1

A REAL tool was a length of Leather ( about 1 1/4 wide , 3/16 thick . An old Bonnet Strap would do it ) on the end of a stick off wood the same width .

A turn & a half around , and itll ' self lock ' unless its backward .

Like any nut, it should start easy with fingers. If there is any binding the threads are bad, dirty or it's not threading straight (cross threading). Something isn't right if the tubes are turning and you can't hold them by hand.

Thanks for all the advice so far. Realised it was turning because I was missing the washers that go under the top nut (they haven't been there since I've owned the bike!). So got that sorted, BUT still the right hand staunchion won't come up into the taper properly.







This is the first time I've done anything with the forks and I think it may have been like this for years, as I've polished back the inside hole in the top yolk since taking the photos and there's a sort of line etched into it right about where it currently sits.

So my questions now are; (1) being that it's probably been like this for years, how bad is it? and/or (2) how might I go about fixing this?

I cleaned up the hole with really fine sandpaper yesterday. Should I keep going with this and see if that helps? I'm a bit of an amateur sorry, learning as I go... !

Measure the yokes and tubes. Is it possible one of the tubes were replaced before?