Do I need specialty tools to change out fork cartridges

[Wingnut]

Wow, glad you provided this!

I was in the process of laying one out ... on 1" EMT (karma is real) and WAS kind of wondering about the 1.2mm diff in OD. Now that I've seen yours I think I'm on the right track, going to tweak the teeth inward a noodge. As you said, I might not need the tool, plenty of threads saying just crank down the preload and burp it with an impact. Well, could work, has worked, but my luck I'd spin the cartridge and gall the stanchion.

The Ohlins don't come with a tool, (for the price they should come with condo for a week in Cabo and a date for the dance),  I was going to make another tool just for those but I will have the physical cartridge right in front of my nose to measure.

"Take note crowd Piotrek is in the house!"

Thank you!

 

 

[Wingnut]

betoney:

Yes, read that in a couple of places too. Easier material to work with to be sure. I grabbed some EMT only because the OD was sooo close and the general procedure is the same. I'm going to chuck my angle grinder in the vise and hand shape the cutouts, five minutes tops.

I traced the OD on a piece of paper, located center of the ID with a compass, straight line through that, protractor to make a 90 deg cross line over that through the center. Placed pipe centered on diagram, marked the intersects with the outside edge, then rotated pipe on center for a 10.8 mm movement in the mark and scribed again. Wallah, four teeth. Now to grind out the space between to a depth of ..oh ... 5 mm.

I'll have to tweak the teeth inward a snooge to make up for the difference in the pipe OD but I think I'm there.

$2 for the pipe. a half hour spritzing the end of the pipe with leftover flat black spray paint (magic marker in toolbox was dry) to make the layout clear, scribe and grind.

Saved about $300. (two tools) I think I'll have steak tomorrow night.

 

 

  

[duhs10]

When working on the FJ forks in the past... I was able to get the bottom bolt loose without using the cartridge holding tool thingy... just turned the fork upside down, put some pressure on the spring (fork caps removed) to add some resistance, and quickly turned the cartridge bolt to break it loose.

I have that fork cartridge tool somewhere in the garage.....

[Buggy Nate]

I used to make almost all of my special tools for the bike shop. Boss was always a tight ass like that. I made heaps of pronged tools like the above out of those awful useless imperial sockets. 🤣Heaps of manufacturers use them for clutch hub nuts and frame mount locknuts.