Bent Forks 250r. Question.

[atctim]

I'm with DC - someone please show me a picture of a broken fork - It never ever happens.

[Dirtcrasher]

Let me throw some gas onto the fork fire---what about inverted forks???? the smaller part of the tube is the bottom leg and the aluminum is mounted to the tripples. Wouldn't you think as the lower tube is compressing up into the fork and force back on the front tire-- imagine the force at the seal area. those xgames dudes are probably running killer forks, but nothing like NASA would build.

My vote take em' to a mach shop have them tweak them in a hydraulic press, rebuild them.

DC didn't you do a post of straightening a fork before (someone did)??

My old man straightend my old tecate axel in his machine shop before---straight a pin!

hold on let me get some matches

What ever you do, do what YOU think is safest.

Racerxxx

Yep, you'd have to search for it - maybe "straitening forks" or "how to" IDK?????

Actually, it's in my 20 day 200X build post and probably on the first few pages because thats where I started...

You have to bend then very far past the bend point to get them to "spring" back into the correct trueness....... It's definitely not the easiest thing to do, you almost get lucky when you get it right!!

I jump all the time and never had an issue besides destroying 250SX swinger/axle components.............

[hondahaulic]

I had a set of 225dx forks that got bent to a 135* angle, no joke. just for the hell of it I thew them in my press and tried to straighten them, I got one definately straight enough to use again if I trusted it, but the 2nd one snapped just before I had it perfectly straight, so it did break. The first one took maybe 15 min. to straighten. you dont need to dissasemble them either.

but my point is that these can be bent huge angles before they are affected. 225dx forks are some of the smallest diameter forks on trikes, if not the smallest so they were weak to begin with. I would never be afraid of a straightened fork, especially if its a small amount.

[brapp]

what you ahve to take into coincideration is when you bend metal to an extreme angle it streaches metal and when you bend it back it just streaches other side . i wouldnt straighten anythign more than a few thousanths.

[brapp]

and also the 225dx forks are relitivly thin to begin with also

[honda250sx]

agreed. shear force, queer force. I never seen a snapped fork tube. I have done over a 100 damage estimates when I worked full time at a dealer. 90% were motorcycles. Never seen one. The casted aluminum clamps like DC said would be the first to disinigrate.

[atcmatt]

Thanks for the replies. Im just going to get them straightened. What sort of machine shop would do this type of work?

Matt

[brapp]

any maxhine shop that has a set of v blocks and a 20 ton hydrolic press or bigger press. hope it helps you out but there was a company bck in the mid 90s thta allthe did was straighten forks and axles. but any machine shop that has a good size hudrilic press so start makign phone calls and get her straightened out.