Thumper Club Forum

Technical => Bike Problems/Questions => Topic started by: guest1350 on August 22, 2011, 08:32:43 AM

Title: Re chroming forks
Post by: guest1350 on August 22, 2011, 08:32:43 AM

My bike while it got through the MOT was noted to have  "misting" fork seals.

Since I'm always getting parts chromed as part of my business I though I would just chuck in my forks and get them re-chromed while they were at it.

My worry is that the pitting on the forks may be too deep. When you (if you have) had forks re-chromed how did it cope with the pits? Was it just a case that you ended up with shiny forks with shiny pits? And how did it seal afterwards.

Cheers

Tim

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: Steve H on August 22, 2011, 11:14:40 AM

If you send your fork to be re-chromed by a fork repair specialist they will be ground back (presumably using a centre-less grinder) to remove the existing chrome, re-chromed and then ground back to the correct size.

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: Dick Scratcher on August 22, 2011, 07:18:21 PM

Can highly recommend A. M. Philpots, usually advertise in the 'classic' mags but I'd first ring Wemoto and David Silver for Honda parts as they could both (espacially Wemoto) be cheaper to supply new than having your existing stanchions re-chromed.

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: guest1350 on August 22, 2011, 07:53:31 PM

Cheers for that. A. M. Philpots is not far from me so I will get a quote from them first.

When looking at costs, firm one firm they were saying on there web site that it would cost around 200 quid which makes it not worth it. I can get second hand for 90 on Ebay.

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: Ian on August 22, 2011, 08:35:48 PM

Dont forget that (hard) chroming on forks is completely different to chroming on brightwork

HTH

Ian

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: Dick Scratcher on August 22, 2011, 09:22:42 PM

Philpot's re-chromed and re-ground a pair of Marzocchi M1R 22 point-something or other stanchions off a Laverda I owned, 12 day turnaround, £130 collected and delivered back the pair, an excellent job.

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: themoudie on August 22, 2011, 10:11:49 PM

Always used this company, with good results and a good ground finish.

Link: HCP Ltd (http://www.hardchromeplating.co.uk/)

Maybe worth a quote, as I haven't used them for a while.

My regards, Bill.

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: Steve Lake on August 23, 2011, 07:01:49 AM

all the srx forks i've had done cost around the 120 mark... so budget for that and see what you can get a (good) s/h set for

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: guest1350 on August 23, 2011, 10:41:33 AM

Ok I might get a bit of flack for this, but......

I am going to clean and polish the tubes to remove the nibs. Then clean out the pits as much as possible and really degrease it all. Next I will fill it with a metal loaded epoxy and smooth it all of flush.

Finally polish the marks up with metal polish and ali foil which will disguise any non shiny marks

O, and change the seals.

If that fails get it all ground and hard chromed.

Ps I did not invent this. Did some searching and came across the technique.

Title: Re: Re chroming forks
Post by: themoudie on August 23, 2011, 07:11:37 PM

Aye Tim,

Dinnae waste your energy! ???

If the bikes worth doing, do it reet! Loss of fork oil and queer damping/handling as result, isn't worth your neck or that of others.  ???

However, as a stop gap on a field bike, I found ordinary 'Araldite' lasted for a wee while.  ;)

My regards, Bill.