# DIY Fork Bushing Removal & Installation



## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

I have a spare fork that I bought awhile back and am just now getting time to overhaul it (2002'ish RockShox SID SL). I noticed it's starting to wear the stanchions at the bushings so I'd like to replace the bushings. But, this is something I've never done.

While the bushings are cheap (about $15 for the set), the actual RockShox tools to remove and replace the bushings will cost me over $100 and that doesn't include the parts I can't find (bushing install sleeves).

The MTBR forums usually have a solution to my problems. After searching last night and this morning, I found that Bad Mechanic had previously posted some excellent ideas on how to remove and install the bushings yourself.

Here's his recommendation for removal:



bad mechanic said:


> Take a washer which is the same diameter as the bushings. Grind flats into the side of the washer on opposite sides so it looks like this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


And, his recommendation for installation:



bad mechanic said:


> This is a little more involved.
> 
> There are a couple ways to do it. The route I went was taking the old stanchion and JB Welding several old bushing onto it, one bushing's height from the bottom. I used fine sandpaper to knock off the slick coating on the inside of the bushing and the outside of the stanchion, and then used hose clamps on the bushings for 24 hours while the JB Weld set. I then drilled holes through right through all bushings, and glued metal rods in place, and ground their ends flat with the bushings. It's probably overkill, but it works. I then used sandpaper to slightly reduce the diameter of the bushings.
> 
> ...


Well, I can follow those directions. Out to the garage...

I measured the inside of the lowers (not the inside of the bushings) and it was about 30.5mm. I found a washer that was larger than that, secured the washer to a bolt with a nut, and chucked the bolt into my drill. While spinning the washer I laid it on a coarse file and started shaving down the washer. I'd stop every now and then to see how much more I had to go. Once I had it down to 30mm, I used my bench grinder to flatten it on each side. Finished by sanding off any burrs.









Put it on a long piece of all-thread and put a smaller washer behind it just to add some stiffness.

















Fits nicely into the lowers...









Secure the other end of the all thread into a vice. Tap, tap, tap at the top of the lowers with a rubber mallet.









Out comes the upper bushing...









Out comes the lower bushing...









Overall, they came out much easier than I had anticipated.









The top bushing was flush with the lip of the lower and I took the measurement of the lower bushing (from the lip) before removing it.

I ordered the new bushings today and I'll use the time (and the old bushings) to fabricate the installation tool.

Special thanks to Bad Mechanic!

To be continued...


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## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

nice that is basically what the pro bushing removal tool is. don't replace bushings in lowers much anymore. they are pretty durable according the the manufacturers


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

reptilezs said:


> nice that is basically what the pro bushing removal tool is. don't replace bushings in lowers much anymore. they are pretty durable according the the manufacturers


Thank you. There were no wear marks on the lower part of the stanchions, just the upper areas. I probably could have just replaced the upper bushings. But, you can't buy the upper bushings separately and I was having fun using my new bushing extractor.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

Donor fork is a Spinner Aeris Sport. The SID stanchions are 28mm and these are 28.5mm. I figured I would need to sand on the donor stanchions a bit in order to get the epoxy to hold, anyway. Should work out fine.









I couldn't figure out how to get the lowers off. Want to know the beautiful thing about disassembling a fork that you don't care about? You can cut that s.o.b. and take a peek inside! 

Peek in the drive side... Huh, not connected to anything. No wonder the nut was just spinning around (ha, spinning. Spinner. I made a funny.)









Peek in the non-drive side. A shaft of some sort. Oh, how can we solve this?









Cut it!









I'm enjoying this, can you tell?









For anyone actually trying to disassemble an Aeris Sport without a hacksaw, I could tell later if you remove the cap on the non-drive side and reach wayyy down there with a (I think it was) 6mm hex head you could actually unscrew it and remove the lowers gracefully.









I removed all of the other pieces and parts (had to break some other things. Muahahahahah!) and then cut a slot in the crown and tap out the steerer.

The new bushings are in the mail. But, I have a few other projects I need to tend to before I can get back to this one. It may be awhile before I update the thread...


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## tomacropod (Jul 23, 2004)

Excellent DIY tool. The manufacturer's bushing install and removal tools seem impossible to source as a set, this is a great project.

- Joel


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

Thank you. The beauty of this design is that you could easily fabricate the removal and installation tool for any diameter stanchion rather cheaply. And, it really doesn't take any specialized equipment to create them (unless you wanted to get fancy).


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Dude, most excellent, thanks for this. I have a few forks that could do with a bushing change, but like you the cost of the tools from RS made it not worthwhile, but now it seems more reasonable to me :thumbsup: I'd bump ya rep, but it says I have to spread some more around before I can rep ya again.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

Finished painting the fork lowers (more info here).

What I was going to do: Using the caps that came on the stanchion, I was going to rig up a way to spin the stanchion using a drill and then gently file it down to 28mm.

What actually happened: A kind soul on here took pity on me and volunteered to turn it down using his metal lathe. I won't mention his name (so he's not inundated with lathing requests ). But, I am very grateful as I'm sure the final product will be much better than what I would have cobbled together.

He let me know it's finished and should be shipped back to me sometime soon. Once it arrives, I'll finish out the bushing installation and snap some photos.

If I have time, I might try to turn the other stanchion down just for grins and to see "what would have happened".


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

I didn't have time to try and turn down the other scrap stanchion. But, I did receive the finished tool in the mail. It's beautiful... If I would have been able to make a functional busing driver from the other stanchion, it would have looked nothing like this...























Who was the kind benefactor of this wonderful tool? None other than Bad Mechanic, himself. Sir, thank you very much for assisting with this. If anyone on here deserves some +rep, it's you...

I sent a loose stanchion and one old bushing and this is what he returned to me. And, yes, it works as good as it looks (see next post).


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Nice work !

I definitively have to get a metal lathe


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

Time to get down to business...









Insert the lower busing onto the driver.















Insert the assembly into the lower and give it a few firm hits with the hammer. Remove the driver, measure (you did measure the depth of the bushing before you removed it, right?  ). Re-insert driver and repeat until the bushing is at the desired depth.

















Rinse and repeat for the upper bushing.

















All done. Will install new seals and overhaul the internals this weekend (hopefully).


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

If anyone in the North Dallas area needs to have bushings removed and/or installed in their 28mm stanchion RockShox fork, send me a PM. Your only payment will be to provide some company (a good joke or story wouldn't hurt) while the work is being done. :thumbsup:

Well, you do need to provide the bushings.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

I do have a question. This is the first time I've replaced fork bushings and when I put the stanchion back in the lowers I have to use a very "firm" push or pull to get them to move. They're not sticking. There is just absolutely _no_ play. Is this normal? Can anyone chime in with some sage advice?


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Gotta break them down. Normal. It means your stanchions are still very good and you replaced the bushings before they start damaging the stanchions.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

marpilli said:


> I do have a question. This is the first time I've replaced fork bushings and when I put the stanchion back in the lowers I have to use a very "firm" push or pull to get them to move. They're not sticking. There is just absolutely _no_ play. Is this normal? Can anyone chime in with some sage advice?


It is possible, depending on the design of the lowers, that the bushing surfaces in the lowers have a slight taper that allows you to adjust bushing fit. I have not done the 28mm SIDs but the you do seem to be able to tighten or loosen up the lower and upper bushings on the 32mm SIDs by slight (eg. 0.5-1.0mm) bushing insertion depth changes.

Provided the bushings and stanchions are generously lubed in fork oil (or Mobil 1 if that takes your fancy), then I adjust the bushing tightness so that there is no discernible slop but almost no resistance. eg. the lowers should almost slide off the stanchions under their own weight.

If the bushings are any tighter then you may have an insufficient gap to get lube oil in there. They may eventually loosen up, but will wear prematurely.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

TigWorld said:


> eg. the lowers should almost slide off the stanchions under their own weight.


I did some more reading last night and your advice is spot on with what I've read. The lower bushings are fine. It's the upper bushings that are a bit too tight. I'll tinker with it some more this weekend to see if I can get them setup a with a little less "grip".

As long as I'm gentle about it, should I expect any problems if I remove and re-install the upper bushings?


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

marpilli said:


> I did some more reading last night and your advice is spot on with what I've read. The lower bushings are fine. It's the upper bushings that are a bit too tight. I'll tinker with it some more this weekend to see if I can get them setup a with a little less "grip".


Before pulling them out, I'd slide the lowers down far enough that the lower bushing isn't engaged, and then push the lowers back and forth and side to side to make sure the top bushing is well seated. Or, remove the lowers entirely, and use the tool to do so.



marpilli said:


> As long as I'm gentle about it, should I expect any problems if I remove and re-install the upper bushings?


You should be fine.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

You can use your bushing removal tool to back the top bushings out a couple of mm and then test fit, then use the bushing driver to ease the bushings back in bit by bit until you get the fit you need.  Make sure the bushings and stanchions have a generous coating of the splash lube. You want to dial the fit in with the lube you'll use.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

^^^ Both excellent suggestions, thank you. I'll report back with any updates and I'll try to carve out some time to work with it before the weekend.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

I think I have it fixed. I went ahead and tapped out the upper bushings and tried the stanchion lower bushing to see how it was fitting (it fit fine).

I then put some 15wt fork oil on a clean rag and wiped the inside of the lowers and the outside of the bushing. This definitely helped me drive it in gently and in small increments.

After resetting the bushing, I used the tool to work the bushing from side to side to ensure it was seated. The stanchions then slid in the bushings as I expected. I must have driven the previous bushings in just a tad too far.

Thank you all for your help!


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

i'm making my own tools based on this thread... thanks for the detail! i have a couple questions about the installation tool though...

the tool is essentially a scrap 28mm stanchion with an old bushing attached as a stop for the new (loose) bushing as its driven in. isnt the outer diameter of the old bushing (now part of the "tool") the same as that of the new bushing... and doesn't the whole assembly therefore get hung up when driving the new bushing down into the lowers? is the old bushing mounted to the stanchion/tool spun down to have a slightly reduced outer diameter to make the tool more maneuverable within the lowers?

also, how much force is required to drive the bushings into place? i'm trying to gauge how well i need to fix the old bushing to the stanchion to make the tool. i'm imagining JBW should do it, but if it's enough to require a significant whack with a hammer, i might drill out the stanchion and put a pin through to hold the bushing in place. thoughts?



marpilli said:


> Time to get down to business...
> 
> View attachment 687511
> 
> ...


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

s4gobabygo said:


> i'm making my own tools based on this thread... thanks for the detail!


Cool deal! Please post the outcome when done...



s4gobabygo said:


> the tool is essentially a scrap 28mm stanchion with an old bushing attached as a stop for the new (loose) bushing as its driven in. isnt the outer diameter of the old bushing (now part of the "tool") the same as that of the new bushing... and doesn't the whole assembly therefore get hung up when driving the new bushing down into the lowers? is the old bushing mounted to the stanchion/tool spun down to have a slightly reduced outer diameter to make the tool more maneuverable within the lowers?


I didn't actually build my installation tool (Bad Mechanic was kind enough to build it for me). But, I was prepared to follow the directions he had posted in another thread. Here they are:



bad mechanic said:


> There are a couple ways to do it. The route I went was taking the old stanchion and JB Welding several old bushing onto it, one bushing's height from the bottom. I used fine sandpaper to knock off the slick coating on the inside of the bushing and the outside of the stanchion, and then used hose clamps on the bushings for 24 hours while the JB Weld set. I then drilled holes through right through all bushings, and glued metal rods in place, and ground their ends flat with the bushings. It's probably overkill, but it works. I then used sandpaper to slightly reduce the diameter of the bushings.


As he instructed, JB Weld looks to be a viable solution to adhering the old bushing to the scrap stanchion. Regarding the width, he also says to use sandpaper to slightly reduce the diameter of the glued bushing. This should keep the installation tool from becoming jammed in the lowers.



s4gobabygo said:


> also, how much force is required to drive the bushings into place?


It didn't take much force at all. Removing the old bushings took a few strong whacks with a rubber mallet. But, the installation was much gentler taps (as I recall).


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

marpilli said:


> Cool deal! Please post the outcome when done...
> 
> I didn't actually build my installation tool (Bad Mechanic was kind enough to build it for me). But, I was prepared to follow the directions he had posted in another thread. Here they are:
> 
> ...


thanks a lot. i'd seen his previous thread, but somehow missed the comment about sanding down the old bushings. it may be some time before i get to actually put this all into action... i really have my work cut out for me with this fork project!


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

I might be motivated to build another installation tool...


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

bad mechanic said:


> I might be motivated to build another installation tool...


i'm kind of amped about taking a stab at this myself, but if i run into issues, you'll be the first to get a panicked PM from me. :thumbsup:


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

bad mechanic said:


> I might be motivated to build another installation tool...


I can donate the other stanchion. I'll have to dig around to see if I kept the old bushings, though...


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

marpilli said:


> I can donate the other stanchion. I'll have to dig around to see if I kept the old bushings, though...


i have plenty of garbage RS spares laying around... but it seems like there may be an inherent advantage to using the larger stanchion, turned down to 28mm, since that would create a lip for the old bushing on the tool. do either of you guys think that's a material advantage compared to just using a 28mm stanchion with an old bushing just JBW'd in place?


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

s4gobabygo said:


> i have plenty of garbage RS spares laying around... but it seems like there may be an inherent advantage to using the larger stanchion, turned down to 28mm, since that would create a lip for the old bushing on the tool. do either of you guys think that's a material advantage compared to just using a 28mm stanchion with an old bushing just JBW'd in place?


The stanchion I sent Bad Mechanic was actually 28.5mm. He turned it down to the proper size. I have the other stanchion hanging on the wall in my garage. I'll never use it but I just can't bring myself to throw it away. 

If you want it, let me know and I'll ship it your direction.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

being that bad mechanic was the one who made it, id like to hear from him whether he thinks theres an advantage to turning down a larger stanchion to 28mm like yours, since the lip left over might serve to reinforce the bushing that's mounted to the tool. if not, i'm happy to just "push the easy button" and use one of the many garbage 28mm stanchions kicking around my basement.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

I think if you can machine it, then that's the better and cleaner way to go. The method I described earlier was one born of desperation. With the tool I made for Marpilli I didn't use the bushing at all. I machined a collar which was press fit onto the tool down against the lip left from turning it down to 28mm. 

If you want to skip the stanchion entirely, you could buy the material ($10+shipping) and I can machine you the tool out of solid aluminum.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

i just JBW'd an old bushing to an old stanchion last night. we'll see how well this works, and go from there. it'll probably be a week before i finish everyhing else on the fork, so i can let it cure til then, and give the install a try.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

Did you knock the teflon coating off the inside of the bushing before gluing?


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

bad mechanic said:


> Did you knock the teflon coating off the inside of the bushing before gluing?


yep. took off some of the coating from the stanchion too, to give the JBW something to hold onto. hopefully i'll get a good bond. i can let it cure under the clamp for a while, so i don't want to jinx myself, but i think my chances are pretty good.


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## bing! (Jul 8, 2010)

do you guys have a big demand for bushing swaps? I've only come upon one. If there were, I'd want to tool up for it.


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Yo Marpilli, this fork you did this for, is it one of the old 28mm stanchion versions or are the stanchions bigger? If so I happen to have 2 Enduro seal kits for that size, just shoot me a PM with a mailing address and I'll try to remember to mail them to you. You come up with some good ideas and seems I don't spread enough rep around to hit you again, so this should maybe do - keep up the good ideas and creative solutions.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

s4gobabygo said:


> yep. took off some of the coating from the stanchion too, to give the JBW something to hold onto. hopefully i'll get a good bond. i can let it cure under the clamp for a while, so i don't want to jinx myself, but i think my chances are pretty good.


Any progress?


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

the method i used was successful, though it comes with a caveat. the bushings did not bond as well with the stanchion tube i used for the installation tool as i'd hoped. they hung on long enough to drive the new bushings into place, but the tool did not survive the job to install another set of bushings in the future. i did manage to get the bushings pressed into place without too much trouble, but the process was a bit ugly for the final bushing, as the tool was coming apart. for anyone attempting this, i'd say it's totally doable with the DIY tool i made as a one-time job, but if you have more than one fork to work on, a machined tool would be the better solution. i think i could have done a slightly better job with JBW-ing the old bushings to the stanchion... maybe it would have bonded better. getting the teflon out of the inside of the old bushing to make a good bonding surface was really the hardest part, and i think the biggest contributor to the ultimate failure of the tool. i think if i spent more time cleaning out the teflon so that the JBW had a better metal-to-metal bond, the tool may still be hanging on my workbench to install another set of bushings in the future. 

FWIW, when the teflon is removed from the bushing, the thickness of the bushing is reduced enough to slip in and out of the lower with ease, so no sanding of the exterior of the old bushing on the "tool" was necessary for me.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

Good to hear. 

As I noted in my original post, when I originally made my home made one I drilled through the bushing and stanchion and JB Welded a section of metal rod into place. After reading your post, I'm pretty sure that's what allowed it to survive.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

yes, pinning the bushing in place would definitely do the trick for a permanent tool. overall, even with the tool failing, it wasn't much of a hassle. for people looking to hit the "easy button" on this job, i'd say just do it the way i did, and expect the tool to suffer a bit through the process. you may struggle a little bit, but getting the bushings into place didnt require anywhere near as much precision as i originally anticipated, so the inferior tool wasnt really an issue.



bad mechanic said:


> Good to hear.
> 
> As I noted in my original post, when I originally made my home made one I drilled through the bushing and stanchion and JB Welded a section of metal rod into place. After reading your post, I'm pretty sure that's what allowed it to survive.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

Great information. Thank you very much for the update!


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

s4gobabygo said:


> yes, pinning the bushing in place would definitely do the trick for a permanent tool. overall, even with the tool failing, it wasn't much of a hassle. for people looking to hit the "easy button" on this job, i'd say just do it the way i did, and expect the tool to suffer a bit through the process. you may struggle a little bit, but getting the bushings into place didnt require anywhere near as much precision as i originally anticipated, so the inferior tool wasnt really an issue.


You're totally right on that, and the bushings could always easily be re-glued if necessary to finish the job.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

bad mechanic said:


> You're totally right on that, and the bushings could always easily be re-glued if necessary to finish the job.


one bit of insight i really should add is that if you're using the DIY tool with just JBW (no pin), when pressing the bushings in, make sure to have the slot in the new bushing OPPOSITE the slot on the old bushing, which is on the tool. i didnt think about it, and on the first one i pressed in, i had the slots more or less aligned, which i think contributed to the (old) bushing coming off the stanchion. if the slots are opposite one another, the bushing on the tool should not be as vulnerable to movement of the new bushing being driven in.


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## Stejnolan (Sep 27, 2012)

Found this thread the other day and it has saved me trying to find a new set of forks... Thanks to all the previous posters.
I have a bit to add too. I've a set of Marzocchi 55 eta 2008 forks. Got them serviced by a LBS a while back and since then they have been leaking oil. There was a fair bit of rock in the bushings too. I was going to change the bushings but could be waiting 2 months for them from the UK so I decided to try resizing the current ones. Using a tool something like that described I just gave all the bushings a couple of taps further into the lowers and it worked a treat. It didn't get rid of all the play but it's probably about 90% there. Found that the LBS have fitted the oil seals upside down so hopefully now have a pretty sorted set of forks.
Moral of the story... It seems 'resizing' is possible on old bushes...


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

Oooh I am totally prepared to try this at some point. How long should a set of well maintained bushings last? I have some old 32mm Fox stanchions I could use for my 32mm Rockshox.


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## Christopher Robin (Dec 1, 2004)

Bumping this thread....

Really cool idea. What's frustrating is nowadays fork lowers are disposable. I have bushing issues with my 2011 888 Evo fork but I'm apparently supposed to buy all new lowers! Meanwhile there are 38mm bushings out there. Hmmm.....


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

saw this got bumped, so i thought i'd update my own story line here...

i have since bought a set of 28mm bushing installation rings, for use with the rock shox universal bushing tool. i don't have the expensive bushing tool, but the rings alone did the trick. i've been rebuilding a lot of judies and sids lately, so it was worth the $25.

here's the link to what i got.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

s4gobabygo said:


> saw this got bumped, so i thought i'd update my own story line here...
> 
> i have since bought a set of 28mm bushing installation rings, for use with the rock shox universal bushing tool. i don't have the expensive bushing tool, but the rings alone did the trick. i've been rebuilding a lot of judies and sids lately, so it was worth the $25.
> 
> here's the link to what i got.


Nice find on the rings. And, rebuilding a lot of Judy's and SID's lately? We need to chat.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

marpilli said:


> Nice find on the rings. And, rebuilding a lot of Judy's and SID's lately? We need to chat.


without digressing too far, i've been doing a lot of restoring old rs forks for various retro bikes, or just for my garage wall. currently on my bench is a 1995 judy sl which i'm inconspicuously converting to 2004 sid team internals for a weight weenie retro bike i'm working on (which has some covert anachronisms). i also have a minty 1997 DHO in need of a rebuild, which will end up on a 90s-dual-slalom-themed hardtail which will serve as a townie. overkill i know, but as my old shop teacher used to say "anything worth doing is worth overdoing"! feel free to PM me if you wanna geek out about any of the above.


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## Mike Sinkoski (Oct 26, 2008)

Hey do you guys have a line on the 28mm bushings? Im in need of a set for a y2k sid and cannot find them anywhere. If yall have a source or a stash, i would definately be interested. It seems like all the other items for rebuilds are available but not the bushings.


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## huckleberry hound (Feb 27, 2015)

Mike Sinkoski said:


> Hey do you guys have a line on the 28mm bushings? Im in need of a set for a y2k sid and cannot find them anywhere. If yall have a source or a stash, i would definately be interested. It seems like all the other items for rebuilds are available but not the bushings.


Do you mean something like this?
Rock Shox 28mm Bushing Kit Am Sid Judy Pilot 2005 New Old Stock Fork Parts | eBay


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## Mike Sinkoski (Oct 26, 2008)

Yep thats it huckleberry, ebay is the only place with nos bushings I guess. Thanks for the find!


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## Spyrious (Jul 14, 2010)

Hello.Thread revival!I'm looking for a tool or a fork stanchion to make a tool to fit bushings in a rs revelation fork.I can find 30mm rod and 32mm tube in aluminium.Will these work?


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## dnarraf (Aug 4, 2017)

*Bush fitting*



Spyrious said:


> Hello.Thread revival!I'm looking for a tool or a fork stanchion to make a tool to fit bushings in a rs revelation fork.I can find 30mm rod and 32mm tube in aluminium.Will these work?


Why not just use a washer the exact size of the bore (but a loose fit) followed by a socket _slightly_ smaller than the bore with the long extension bar fitted the wrong way round to tap the bush home.Pull washer out after fitting with a length of wire
Done it this way; very easy.


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## Spyrious (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks for the tip. I already did the fork service and i was lucky to find out that the bushings where like new. I will remember this for next time. 

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk


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## dawor (Mar 23, 2018)

Hello,I have just found this thread,wanted to ask if there are
some replacement bushings for Rock Shox Lyrik 35mm?

There are many for 35mm from other mtb manufacturers,motorcycles manufacturers forks,some cheap on Ali,and RS are the most
expensive?!

May U use something like this if I find the right dimension if its possible?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/30-...0955-4087-8dbb-c0217a840291&priceBeautifyAB=0


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

Use the Rock Shox bushings. Trying to use cheap aftermarket bushings, or air compressor bushings, is a great way to destroy your fork.


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## dawor (Mar 23, 2018)

I have found some alternatives which would fit by their dimension,so these
are for example for Rock Shox Lyrik:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SF-...tered-bush-Size-12-14-20mm-1/32410437926.html

and these for Manitou:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SF-...c223-45a7-a351-7ad717d3e877&priceBeautifyAB=0

Maybe I would give them a try.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

*No*. Use the Rock Shox bushings. Unless you're trying to destroy your stanchions.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

There is a lot more to bushings than just the dimensions. Fork bushings will have a lot friction coating on the inside which will also protect the stanchion. They may also have slots cut in them to allow oil to pass through.

If you use this bushings you found, you will destroy your stanchions pretty quickly.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

bad mechanic said:


> ...If you use this bushings you found, you will destroy your stanchions pretty quickly.


He probably won't as the dimensions of those bushes would only work for the shock eyelets. No idea why the OP makes reference to a "Lyrik" and then links to a 1/2" DU bushing...


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## nicolasswid (Apr 15, 2014)

Hello did somebody did bushing changes in a "modern" Rockshox (2017 SID 32mm in my case)? In which direction is the "taper", in order to have a wider, less tight bushing, you have to put the bushing lower or higher? thanks


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