Well this can't be good...

[spray____]

I was just putting my front wheel on and this happened as I was tightening down the pinch bolts:

Pretty ******. I was using a torque wrench too to make sure I didn't do anything stupid. There is still a bunch of meat holding the pieces together but those pinch bolts aren't doing anything now except driving the gap bigger. This isn't the kind of thing I want to ignore.

Anyone know how I might fix this? Don't want to buy a new fork unless I absolutely have to. I believe its aluminum (its not magnetic) so would it be possible to weld? JB Weld is all I would be able to do myself, and I'm guessing I'll want something more serious? Anyone know someone who could fix this?

Tell me good things!

 

[superseven]

I would speak to reputable machine shops. They typically can work wonders. A shop local to my home town has saved me a few times, once from a driveshaft replacement as they rebuilt threads I stripped while removing a center bearing and second by straightening a axle on my 4 wheeler.

Good luck, just make sure you get a competent shop to look at it.

Best of luck.

 

[spray____]

Anyone have recommendations? I'm near Jane and St Clair but I'd drive

 

[TwistedKestrel]

Cool!

You ain't fixing that, no way no how. Used fork legs are very cheap, the problem is just all the work & tools/labour cost of swapping it. You have the perfect excuse to get your forks rebuilt now.

Kinda scratching my head how that happened in the first place. The torque on those pinch bolts is only 15 ft lbs...

 

[Jimsun]

your toque wrench been certified before use? Has it been recently calibrated?

 

[RetroGrouch]

The axle bolt does most of the holding, the pinch bolt mostly prevents the axle from spinning. I'd say get it welded up nice. It may be ugly but overall cheaper and faster to fix.

 

[spray____]

Used fork legs are very cheap, the problem is just all the work & tools/labour cost of swapping it. You have the perfect excuse to get your forks rebuilt now.

Really? The best I've been able to find are used forks from the states for $325USD. That's $400CAD, plus shipping, if the guy is even willing to do it to Canada. The single "inner tube" is about $300 brand new just by itself. Unfortunately I also just had my forks rebuilt about 50 km ago, so the idea of a rebuild doesn't excite me.

Kinda scratching my head how that happened in the first place. The torque on those pinch bolts is only 15 ft lbs...

Yep, I'm well aware. I have a torque wrench and the torque spec sheet in my toolbox. I'm thinking my torque wrench doesn't deserve the confidence I've been putting in it.

your toque wrench been certified before use? Has it been recently calibrated?

It was certified before use, but I haven't had it recalibrated in the two years or so that I've owned it. I guess it needs it now, because I definitely don't trust it anymore. Either way, the damage has been done.

The axle bolt does most of the holding, the pinch bolt mostly prevents the axle from spinning. I'd say get it welded up nice. It may be ugly but overall cheaper and faster to fix.

That's what I'm hoping will be an option. I'm no mechanical engineer, but it seems this part of the fork is really just for 1) making sure the axle doesn't drop out the bottom and 2) pinching the axle tight so it doesn't spin. I'm hoping someone can/will weld it up. I know very little about welding though.

If anyone can recommend a shop that might be able to do something like this I'd be very grateful. Right now I'm just pulling from Google Search as I have no better information. Hopefully I can make some calls on Monday and find someone who can help me out or at least have a look at it.

I really need to stop doing all my work on Saturday mornings. No one is open when things go bad, and I end up ruining the rest of my weekend sitting around stewing over things.

 

[Schneller]

Switch your motorcycle tinkering time to Sunday evenings. That way you get in some riding time on the weekends.

 

[TwistedKestrel]

Unfortunately I also just had my forks rebuilt about 50 km ago, so the idea of a rebuild doesn't excite me.

Oh. Well, that sucks. Also it turns out I wasn't looking very hard, as the very obviously different fork legs I found on eBay were for the R6S.

Maybe there was some kind of hairline fracture and this has been a long time in the making? Your wrench would have to be off by a LOT. Or someone at some point in the fork's life tried to screw the pinch bolts in all the way without the axle in the forks, who knows

 

[phil_si]

Ouch, ya you're not fixing that, time for a new fork. Good news it that R6's are fairly common and you should be able to find a set without too much trouble. Call Zdeno cycle, they might have them.

 

[spray____]

Switch your motorcycle tinkering time to Sunday evenings. That way you get in some riding time on the weekends.

That would be ideal! Unfortunately Saturday morning is when the misses takes the little one to the early learning centre. I have to advantage of the time when I can get it!

Oh. Well, that sucks. Also it turns out I wasn't looking very hard, as the very obviously different fork legs I found on eBay were for the R6S.

Maybe there was some kind of hairline fracture and this has been a long time in the making? Your wrench would have to be off by a LOT. Or someone at some point in the fork's life tried to screw the pinch bolts in all the way without the axle in the forks, who knows

Yeah, they seem a lot more plentiful. I'm not sure about the compatibility, but I think I'd have to at least switch calipers too. Some of the newer model forks are almost identical except for a tiny change in length, but they're scarce too. Thanks for looking though, I was hoping you were on to something I wasn't! I'd like to blame the fork for the problem, but who knows. I certainly wasn't cranking it down. I took the wrench to 10 and heard the click, then on the way to 15 I got the dreaded softer-not-harder feeling.

Ouch, ya you're not fixing that, time for a new fork. Good news it that R6's are fairly common and you should be able to find a set without too much trouble. Call Zdeno cycle, they might have them.

Hopefully I can prove you wrong, but I'm prepared for that not to happen. I'll give Zdeno a call on Tuesday and see what they say.

 

[zuk-r]

You can take your chances in welding it but its really risky....id look around. Perhaps motorcycle salvage yards where an R6 has been rear ended and the front is good? Or part outs aswell lots of guys do that....Good luck!

 

[Renboy]

Fork legs are cast aluminium. Welding it, although difficult, will make it stronger. If the forks were recently rebuilt, I would definitely have them fixed rather than replaced. Worst case scenario, buy another set in the off season and keep these as spares.

 

[fastar1]

Why couldn't he insert a couple heli-coils? Seems perfect for the job IMO.

 

[spray____]

Why couldn't he insert a couple heli-coils? Seems perfect for the job IMO.

Heli-coils? The threads aren't actually stripped, the problem is the crack above the hole to the far left side. I just realized I didn't clearly explain that anywhere yet.

 

[fastar1]

Oh I thought that was a couple scratches! Yikes.

I can't see how overtightning would cause that, but then I don't understand what WOULD cause that.

 

[fastar1]

Oh wait I think I know...

If someone tried to tighten the axle bolt while the pinch bolts were still tight, it may have put a lot of pressure on that part of the axle carrier.

 

[spray____]

Oh wait I think I know...

If someone tried to tighten the axle bolt while the pinch bolts were still tight, it may have put a lot of pressure on that part of the axle carrier.

Ah, I see what you're saying. It's quite possible at some point someone did that. I'm not the first owner. I can say it definitely wasn't me, and the crack only showed up today as I was tightening the pinch bolts. The axle was already tight at that point.

 

[fastar1]

Ah, I see what you're saying. It's quite possible at some point someone did that. I'm not the first owner. I can say it definitely wasn't me, and the crack only showed up today as I was tightening the pinch bolts. The axle was already tight at that point.

I don't really like any of the explanations for the crack, even my own. I'm just kind of thinking out loud about how it might have happened. Not that it matters, ultimately, but I love trying to figure out this kind of mechanical failure whodunnit.

On that note, I wonder if the bike ran with loose pinch bolts for a while, which caused the axle hole to wear out a little larger. Then when the pinch bolts were properly tightened down it caused the carrier to wrap more tightly around the axle, making it flex beyond its elastic range? But that idea doesn't sit well with me either!

If you get rid of the carrier, I'll take it. I'd love to have a good look at it.

 

[spray____]

I don't really like any of the explanations for the crack, even my own. I'm just kind of thinking out loud about how it might have happened. Not that it matters, ultimately, but I love trying to figure out this kind of mechanical failure whodunnit.

On that note, I wonder if the bike ran with loose pinch bolts for a while, which caused the axle hole to wear out a little larger. Then when the pinch bolts were properly tightened down it caused the carrier to wrap more tightly around the axle, making it flex beyond its elastic range? But that idea doesn't sit well with me either!

If you get rid of the carrier, I'll take it. I'd love to have a good look at it.

You're welcome to have a look once I get it replaced.

One guy on another forum suggested I could replace just that lower piece. He's suggesting the tube is threaded and sealed with red loctite, and/or there is a single bolt in the bottom of the tube holding them together. If they can come apart, that might be the best option. There are a bunch of bent forks on ebay for super cheap where the piece I need is fine.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how these normally work, and the parts diagram shows the whole assembly as one piece. I think I'm also going to call some suspension places early in the week and see if any of them know if it's possible, and how much it would cost.