Fork bushings

Related to this, just have to give a shout out to Trav at MTB suspensionworks. I dropped off a Suntour Durolux and asked him to simply crack it open, take out spacers and extend it to 170mm (as far as I was aware this was the longest stroke available). Not only did he extend it to 190mm and give it a light service with new oil but he burnished the bushes and got it running smoth as oiled butter. He’s a wizard.
 
fjohn860 said:
making these they'd have to sell them for ~$600.
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All good, cheers @fjohn860 :cool:

The full kit from RMS looks like the go then, spot on with price too. I'll have a look around when I get some time... would be a done deal without the $155 shipping.

rmsuspension.com

Fork Bushing Sizing / Burnishing Tool

Remove unwanted harshness permanently with the best performance upgrade for your fork. Why waste money on damper or spring upgrades when those aren't targeting the root cause of a harsh feeling and unresponsive fork? Sizing / burnishing fork bushings removes friction and stiction from the fork...
rmsuspension.com
 
Mike from RMS got back to me 20 mins after I emailed him. He says to hold on as the shipping is set by a provider and he has just had a massive jump, anything outside the mainland is now an obscene price.

He's looking for an alternative but it may take 1-2 weeks :)

The forks I want to run this tool in have been shit for a long time, 2 more weeks isn't going to matter.
 
ozzybmx said:
Mike from RMS got back to me 20 mins after I emailed him. He says to hold on as the shipping is set by a provider and he has just had a massive jump, anything outside the mainland is now an obscene price.

He's looking for an alternative but it may take 1-2 weeks :)

The forks I want to run this tool in have been shit for a long time, 2 more weeks isn't going to matter.
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Ozzy, are you planning to get a set of +0.07 or + 0.1 heads for the burnishing tool?
 
ForkinGreat said:
Ozzy, are you planning to get a set of +0.07 or + 0.1 heads for the burnishing tool?
Click to expand...

I'd been thinking 0.1 but I'll ask him and maybe do a bit more bobo. Looks like the 0.1 generally makes a noticeable jump.

The only size I dont have in the set is 40mm so it makes sense to grab the whole set and give them a polish when doing a lower leg.
 
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ozzybmx said:
All good, cheers @fjohn860 :cool:

The full kit from RMS looks like the go then, spot on with price too. I'll have a look around when I get some time... would be a done deal without the $155 shipping.

rmsuspension.com

Fork Bushing Sizing / Burnishing Tool

Remove unwanted harshness permanently with the best performance upgrade for your fork. Why waste money on damper or spring upgrades when those aren't targeting the root cause of a harsh feeling and unresponsive fork? Sizing / burnishing fork bushings removes friction and stiction from the fork...
rmsuspension.com
Click to expand...
I'm not saying I can't make a kit up, but timeline wise you'd be better getting it from Mike as I'd be doing it in my spare time and could take me 6mths to find the machine time.


ForkinGreat said:
Ozzy, are you planning to get a set of +0.07 or + 0.1 heads for the burnishing tool?
Click to expand...
ozzybmx said:
I'd been thinking 0.1 but I'll ask him and maybe do a bit more bobo. Looks like the 0.1 generally makes a noticeable jump.

The only size I dont have in the set is 40mm so it makes sense to grab the whole set and give them a polish when doing a lower leg.
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FWIW My original 35mm head I made as 0.7mm. I never measured the stanchions but I think the 0.1mm would've been fine.


One thing to remember the heads heat up considerable after successive passes and could change the OD on the head by up to 0.03mm (at a guess). Certainly when machining stuff you have to remember to cool down the piece before final measurements.
 
Also I had a absolute chunt of a time getting my .07 head through one of the bushings on my "bad" fork... Even after running a .04 through it first... I imagine if you had a really bad bushing going straight to .1 might need some extra swear words to get the job done.
 
Mattyp said:
Also I had a absolute chunt of a time getting my .07 head through one of the bushings on my "bad" fork... Even after running a .04 through it first... I imagine if you had a really bad bushing going straight to .1 might need some extra swear words to get the job done.
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I know @moorey had this issue.

Bunging the head in the freezer overnight might work....
 
ozzybmx said:
Could even give it a decent serve before I start which might encourage it to get in there better 🤬
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Ozz, can you please give us some example servings which we might use as encouragement in such a situation?
There must be some spicy Irish exhortations that would give superior lube to the burnishing head (not a euphemism)
:D
 
fjohn860 said:
I'm not saying I can't make a kit up, but timeline wise you'd be better getting it from Mike as I'd be doing it in my spare time and could take me 6mths to find the machine time.
Click to expand...

All good @fjohn860, was just running it past you guys in case yous had an established sideline quietly churning them out.

I used to have use of a machine shop and time to use it but not anymore. Probably a bit rusty too as it's been about 15yrs since I used a lathe so the system of attaching the interchangeable heads might have been challenging. In this case with the precision, better leaving it to the pros.
 
Just got a reply from the Aberdonian - https://sicd.co.uk/product/suspension-fork-bushing-sizing-tool/

None in stock as he was out of the display/flight cases but has a shipment arriving soon and is starting to make the kits again. He has a few 'pro' kits though.

$400 more for the SICD kits but you get an extra 0.07 tool for each size.

Interesting that I have read that the 37mm Dorado has tight bushings and can benefit from 37.13 and even 37.17.
Its the last fork I own that I would think of doing as its the plushest fork I have ever ridden, from the start and is still the same, I serviced it a while back as it had done over 1500km without any attention and it was gleaming inside. Swapped the factory oil for Motorex 2.5 as per ShockCraft recommendations and its sweet as. Had it in my mind that if I should ask about swapping the 40mm head out for an additional 37.13.

Just done 30km on the ebb with the Dorado and was thinking about it while riding, the small bump is beautiful and that fork really comes alive the faster you go over big shit, so not even really caring about it now... though when I buy one of these kits, the tool will get ran through every fork I service from here on.
 
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Got an email from the bloke at RMS this morning at about 3am (nightshift) saying he had secured a new shipping deal.

Emailed back asking about the choice of 0.1mm heads, he said that if only buying 1 size, 0.1mm was the size to get.

Ordered the kit.

Got an email back 5 minutes later saying it was mid afternoon Canada and a public hol on Monday so he was going to package it now and ride to the PO to get it off to me ASAP :oops:

5-6 email trail and purchase was in the space of about 30 minutes, then the shipping confirmation arrived, then its at the PO :cool: Bloody good service.

Original shipping was $155au, now coming by UPS Worldwide Express for $66... which is cheaper than most of the German options.

Looks like it will be here around Tuesday.

Might even be able to get into the first of about 15 forks before I head away for the long weekend.


MICA-SEMI_1R2A5744-1.jpg


gfhjgfhjghf.jpg
 
ozzybmx said:
Got an email from the bloke at RMS this morning at about 3am (nightshift) saying he had secured a new shipping deal.

Emailed back asking about the choice of 0.1mm heads, he said that if only buying 1 size, 0.1mm was the size to get.

Ordered the kit.

Got an email back 5 minutes later saying it was mid afternoon Canada and a public hol on Monday so he was going to package it now and ride to the PO to get it off to me ASAP :oops:

5-6 email trail and purchase was in the space of about 30 minutes, then the shipping confirmation arrived, then its at the PO :cool: Bloody good service.

Original shipping was $155au, now coming by UPS Worldwide Express for $66... which is cheaper than most of the German options.

Looks like it will be here around Tuesday.

Might even be able to get into the first of about 15 forks before I head away for the long weekend.


View attachment 412275

View attachment 412274
Click to expand...
Interested to see how you go and the results.
 
oldcorollas said:
that's some sexy looking interference patterns!
(like a diffration grating... due to spacing between machining marks.. )
Click to expand...
Funky tricks of the light. Like this clear plastic dinner set. Set on top of a light box covered with a polarising filter sheet, then another polarising filter (at a 90deg offset) on the camera lens, so the camera captures only the light distorted through the clear plastic - which exaggerates the colour due to the inherent stresses in the material during the injection moulding/cooling processes:
https://flic.kr/p/c3sTkj
 
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