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front shock leaking

2K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  Cherokee82050 
#1 ·
Hi
My bike has been wobbling pretty bad below 40 mph on acceleration and decelleration. After checking tires and rims I have found the left fork leaking not just a little but actually dripping. As I shake the front wheel back and forth up on a jack there is play. I'm guessing worn bushings in the forks.. The play is not in the head bearing I did re torque that a few weeks ago.

Questions:
Would this be covered under warentee, or would it be normal wear and tear ?
Is it a big deal to replace the seals and bushings ?

I'm a pretty good mechanic but don't have any special Honda tools and not looking to buy any.
I thought if I had it apart I would install all balls and some progressive springs
Thanks for any advise,
Tom
 
#3 ·
Dear Tom, Please allow me to wax poetic... You are just beginning to scratch the surface of a road that many of us have been down. My best advice is for you to spend some time on this forum to search out what many including myself have decided about the matters you inquired. Then make you own decisions. However, I will try to briefly address your questions from my experience within your post that I edited as follows:

Hi
My bike has been wobbling pretty bad below 40 mph on acceleration and decelleration. After checking tires and rims I have found the left fork leaking not just a little but actually dripping. As I shake the front wheel back and forth up on a jack there is play. I'm guessing worn bushings in the forks.. The play is not in the head bearing I did re torque that a few weeks ago. While your Wing is up on the jack (securely!) with the tire straight ahead, kneel down in front of the tire and grab hold of the lower fork legs near the axle. Try to pull them toward then push them away from you. Any movement felt or observed between the inner tube and outer slider is probably the best indicator of worn/loose bushings. There should be virtually no movement. If so it's time for a front fork leg's rebuild with new upper & lower bushings. Being you have to replace the seals anyway (don't just service one leg only), you may as well just plan on replacing the bushings, but the aforementioned diagnosis will at least allow you to confirm how loose the bushings may be. Clean all the parts and reassemble with new fork oil. Honda fork oil is 10 wt. P.S. If your left fork leg is actually dripping oil on the floor, chances are very good that the left caliper brake pads got "soaked" so those will need to be replaced as well.

Questions:
Would this be covered under warentee, or would it be normal wear and tear ? Yours is an 08 from what I've researched from your other posts. I'm not familiar enough with the warranty / extended service plan if you have it to answer this question.

Is it a big deal to replace the seals and bushings ? For me, no. For you, maybe. There is quite a bit of parts R&I to remove the fork legs for the rebuild. If you plan to attempt this yourself, invest the money and buy the Honda service manual and study it before you simply start taking things apart.

I'm a pretty good mechanic but don't have any special Honda tools and not looking to buy any. Well, that's not quite the right attitude :)... You probably won't need anything "special" to remove, rebuild and reinstall the fork legs provided you have a fairly well stocked tool box and at least a torque wrench and a decent air impact with the correct size internal hex driver to remove the bolts on the bottom of the legs. I made a seal driver from a length of appropriate O.D. PVC pipe. If you buy or make a split seal driver tool, you can avoid some upper disassembly by just removing the lower sliders. I've never done it that way, guess I'm just too old school.

I thought if I had it apart I would install all balls and some progressive springs. Well, there are many opinions about these options. Again I recommend you invest some time and research it within this forum. I'll just say that for me @ about 195 lb and mostly riding solo, I like the Progressive springs and they are probably the least cost of other options. I'd recommend All Balls from minimally a reduced maintenance standpoint. And if your going to have the fork legs removed anyway, nows the time to do it. Tighten them like the 1500 that had tapered bearings as they will be too tight if you follow the 1800 service manual for the stock ball bearings. You should buy from Honda or make a stem nut tool when replacing the bearings. Do a forum search using keywords stem tool as making one is not all that difficult.

Thanks for any advise,
Tom
You're welcome, just my thoughts on these matters. I guarantee you that there are many more!
 
#4 ·
Wow thanks for the extensive reply Joe

I have wiggled the front wheel and there is considerable play in the fork sliders.
I just called my local dealer and they said they would cover the repairs under warentee, but to tell the truth i'm not jumping up and down about letting someone else work on my bike.

Thanks, Tom
 
#5 ·
Take advantage of the affirmed warranty coverage. If the dealership tech doe not do it right, then you can take over. Just check their work for proper reassembly and function. Lots of play in front is more likely a damaged head bearing than excessive bushing wear, or some experts say we have excessive flex in the trees anyway. If your brake pads were oiled, have them replaced too.

prs
 
#6 ·
Wow thanks for the extensive reply Joe

I have wiggled the front wheel and there is considerable play in the fork sliders.
I just called my local dealer and they said they would cover the repairs under warentee, but to tell the truth i'm not jumping up and down about letting someone else work on my bike.

Thanks, Tom
You're welcome Tom. I empathize with you letting the dealer shop work on your Wing. I've managed to avoid it and hopefully will continue to do so. However, if this can be done under warranty, that's probably the way you should go. Then if you decide to make a springs change or want All Balls installed, you might be able to negotiate a fair out of pocket price, if they'll even do it. Other than the cost of the springs there shouldn't be any labor being they'll be in there anyway. No so with the bearings.

Guess all I can say is express your concerns to the Service Manager and look it over real well when you get it back. Otherwise go with your gut. If you don't get a nice warm & fuzzy feeling talking to them when making the initial arrangements, maybe there's another dealer near you that you could check out? Another idea might be asking them for recent service customer referrals? Or if you belong to GWRRA ask your local chapter members who they recommend for dealer service?

Good luck!
 
#7 ·
While you're at it, I'd ask the dealer to put in a set of All Balls bearings (steering head bearings). It should only cost another hour's work of labor as the dealer will already have the tupperwear off.

I had a couple of blown fork seals before I cut off the antidive plunger. I'd suggest you search for antidive, and you'll see that it is often a cause.

May you ride well 'n often,

Rick
 
#8 ·
Dear Tom, Please allow me to wax poetic... You are just beginning to scratch the surface of a road that many of us have been down. My best advice is for you to spend some time on this forum to search out what many including myself have decided about the matters you inquired. Then make you own decisions. However, I will try to briefly address your questions from my experience within your post that I edited as follows:

Hi
My bike has been wobbling pretty bad below 40 mph on acceleration and decelleration. After checking tires and rims I have found the left fork leaking not just a little but actually dripping. As I shake the front wheel back and forth up on a jack there is play. I'm guessing worn bushings in the forks.. The play is not in the head bearing I did re torque that a few weeks ago. While your Wing is up on the jack (securely!) with the tire straight ahead, kneel down in front of the tire and grab hold of the lower fork legs near the axle. Try to pull them toward then push them away from you. Any movement felt or observed between the inner tube and outer slider is probably the best indicator of worn/loose bushings. There should be virtually no movement. If so it's time for a front fork leg's rebuild with new upper & lower bushings. Being you have to replace the seals anyway (don't just service one leg only), you may as well just plan on replacing the bushings, but the aforementioned diagnosis will at least allow you to confirm how loose the bushings may be. Clean all the parts and reassemble with new fork oil. Honda fork oil is 10 wt. P.S. If your left fork leg is actually dripping oil on the floor, chances are very good that the left caliper brake pads got "soaked" so those will need to be replaced as well.

Questions:
Would this be covered under warentee, or would it be normal wear and tear ? Yours is an 08 from what I've researched from your other posts. I'm not familiar enough with the warranty / extended service plan if you have it to answer this question.

Is it a big deal to replace the seals and bushings ? For me, no. For you, maybe. There is quite a bit of parts R&I to remove the fork legs for the rebuild. If you plan to attempt this yourself, invest the money and buy the Honda service manual and study it before you simply start taking things apart.

I'm a pretty good mechanic but don't have any special Honda tools and not looking to buy any. Well, that's not quite the right attitude :)... You probably won't need anything "special" to remove, rebuild and reinstall the fork legs provided you have a fairly well stocked tool box and at least a torque wrench and a decent air impact with the correct size internal hex driver to remove the bolts on the bottom of the legs. I made a seal driver from a length of appropriate O.D. PVC pipe. If you buy or make a split seal driver tool, you can avoid some upper disassembly by just removing the lower sliders. I've never done it that way, guess I'm just too old school.

I thought if I had it apart I would install all balls and some progressive springs. Well, there are many opinions about these options. Again I recommend you invest some time and research it within this forum. I'll just say that for me @ about 195 lb and mostly riding solo, I like the Progressive springs and they are probably the least cost of other options. I'd recommend All Balls from minimally a reduced maintenance standpoint. And if your going to have the fork legs removed anyway, nows the time to do it. Tighten them like the 1500 that had tapered bearings as they will be too tight if you follow the 1800 service manual for the stock ball bearings. You should buy from Honda or make a stem nut tool when replacing the bearings. Do a forum search using keywords stem tool as making one is not all that difficult.

Thanks for any advise,
Tom
You're welcome, just my thoughts on these matters. I guarantee you that there are many more!

Just some additions to a good post that many will probably use for reference in the future:

Homemade fork tools: http://gl1800riders.com/forums/show...-and-Fork-Seal-Drivers-and-a-Nifty-Fork-Stand

Homemade steering stem tools: http://gl1800riders.com/forums/show...-a-Steering-Stem-Socket-for-Less-than-5-Bucks!

IHTH someone!
 
#9 ·
fork seal leaking

Just had one of mine done under warranty. I was told that the extended warranty won't cover seals only the original warranty. I was very suprised that my service department covered mine because I have the rake on my trike and also had the progressive springs installed when it was triked out.

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