LeMans III Fork Tube Removal

[MarkPell]

In an attempt to replace cracked dust covers, I am attempting to remove fork tubes, so far unsuccessfully. Have all pinch bolts loose, sprayed the hell out of the area with WD40 and got one side beaten down (using a block of wood and beater) to where the cap is flush with the triple tree.

I have hard plastic wedges jammed pretty well into the upper and lower slots and was hoping it would have loosened up by now, but no such luck. Should they be so hard to come out and if so, what else should I be doing??

Looking at it now, could I have just removed lower section of fork instead to replace dust cover? (which I still can do for the other leg)

Thanks in advance to all the far wiser members  of the forum for you advice!!

Mark

[guzzisteve]

Yes you can drop lower sliders off, there is a bolt up above where axle goes through. It goes into the bottom of the dampener.

[harrytief]

Bent tube?

[Groover]

you might need to loosen the center horizontal locking bolt on the upper triple (under the steering tube big bolt) then shake things up. It could be they are slightly skewed from hitting a curb or something and the top and bottom yokes are under pressure by being twisted slightly (just enough to cause what you are experiencing).

[MarkPell]

you might need to loosen the center horizontal locking bolt on the upper triple (under the steering tube big bolt) then shake things up. It could be they are slightly skewed from hitting a curb or something and the top and bottom yokes are under pressure by being twisted slightly (just enough to cause what you are experiencing).

That bolt??

[Groover]

That bolt??

Yes

[Chuck in Indiana]

Yep, you also might try a better penetrating lube than WD40. After all these years, sometimes those fork tubes seem really friendly with the triples, and don't want to leave them..

[MarkPell]

Yep, you also might try a better penetrating lube than WD40. After all these years, sometimes those fork tubes seem really friendly with the triples, and don't want to leave them..

PB blaster it is!! Can't believe how stubborn these sob's are!!

[Guzzistajohn]

Always called that panther piss in the wheelchair industry. We used a BUNCH of it too!!