Fork Rebuild, Do I need springs??

[ryanschoebel]

Hey all, when you are rebuilding your forks, how do you know if the springs need replaced, or just the seals and valves?

I ask because a few days ago, I came into a parking lot a bit faster than normal, and when I went over the slope to get in, the forks completely bottomed out. When it did, it absolutely thrashed my front fender to the point that I don't think an industrial sized tub of Plastifix would help it. Almost an inch of material is missing. The RPM fork brace that's on it also contacted the tee for the front brake line, and it started leaking. So long story short, I cant put off the rebuild any longer, but I don't know if i should replace everything, or if I can get away with just seals and oil. Money is ever tight, so if I can get away with just not replacing the springs, I will.

As always, thanks,
Ryan

[Tuned forks]

Ryan, I can report that since Robert rebuilt my forks with their appropriate springs, fork valves and seals plus oil, they are much more consistent and comfy than before.  Of course my forks were previously rebuilt incorrectly and damaged too.  Additionally, during the WCR rides my hands did not go numb like they used to.  Bars are the same.  Something about that forks rebuild seems to transmit less vibration to the grips.  If you can scare up the bananas, I recommend going the whole nine yards.

Joe

[T Legg]

I can't help you with your forks but you can repair your fender.I can make a mold for the missing piece from one of my fenders and send it to you if you post a picture of it.plastifix makes a repair as tough as the original material

[ryanschoebel]

A picture of my fender, or the mold?

Joe, good info, thanks. I would like to do everything if I can, but I'm just curious if the springs can actually wear out

[T Legg]

Your fender.If I know what's broken off I can make a mold of that section.when I finish repairing the tabs on my fender I'll post a picture of the molds I made for it.

[FJ_Hooligan]

Forks bottoming out is an indication of the wrong spring rate rather than being worn out.  The spring rate can degrade slightly over time, but the spring will not actually wear out.  

Bottoming can also be due to not enough fork oil or oil weight too thin or oil that needs to be replaced due to loss of viscosity.

You could try adding additional spacer length.  That will increase the preload on the spring, but excessive preload on a weak spring can cause the fork action to become stiff and harsh.

If your springs are stock, they were too weak from the start and certainly haven't gotten any better over time.  

[CutterBill]

If the fork springs are worn out, they will get shorter. Take them out, measure the free length, and compare that to the Factory Service Manual.
Bill