OzVMX Forum

Clubroom => Bike Talk => Topic started by: jhovel on August 17, 2008, 08:25:41 pm

Title: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: jhovel on August 17, 2008, 08:25:41 pm

I'm restoring a Honda SL70. Among the many parts Tim helped me with (with many thanks!) is a front fork which has considerabel pitting and wear through the hard chrome in places.
Re-chroming costs at least $240 the pair and good ones are hard to find - of course.
I wonder if anyone has experimented with having forks electroless nickel plated or 'ordinary' nickel plated to rstore the dimension and then getting them cylindrical ground to size?
This bike os not likely to be ridden 1000's of kilometers but will be ridden. I doubt they will be work out again....
Any suggestions?
Cheers,
Joe

PS: does anyone know if the 'Posty bike' forks are the same diameter (27mm), same or longer length and could be adapted (cut/ends turned on lathe etc)? They might be another option...

Title: Re: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: GMC on August 20, 2008, 09:16:30 am

I'm no expert in plating but I don't think "normal" plating will restore size, nor can it be ground to size.
I once heard someone tried normal chrome on their forks but it fell off quite quickly, due to the fork action.
Even with ordinary chrome they will still need to strip the old plating off first, polish & replate so it probably wouldn't be much cheaper.
& the quotes Iv'e had are quite dear for electroless nickel.

Title: Re: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: YSS on August 20, 2008, 09:23:50 am

GMC , you are absolutey right there.

Title: Re: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: LWC82PE on August 20, 2008, 07:56:30 pm

i also would recommend coughing up the dollars for hardchroming. do it properly and do it once. good quality hardchroming will last ages.

Title: Re: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: jhovel on August 25, 2008, 11:50:56 pm

Thanks for that info.
I guess good quality hard chroming lasted - well, I actually don't know - until it gave up sometime in the past 37 years...  :)
I'll problay try again and see if the next lot last any longer (I'll find out when I'm 94 - and then it's someone else's concern  :)

Title: Re: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: LWC82PE on August 26, 2008, 12:45:33 pm

i always use

http://www.hardchromeservices.com.au/

Title: Re: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: jhovel on August 26, 2008, 09:04:52 pm

Thanks for that recommendation!
I got a quote from them at them earlier in the year for another fork at $240.
Maybe the "little" SL70 forks are cheaper  ;)
I'll ask them again...
Cheers,
Joe

Title: Re: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: PEZBerq on August 30, 2008, 09:18:11 am

Rad just did my WR Husky 40mm forks for $280 the pair. Great job, excellent grinding and polishing.  They had to redo one fork again as their quality control inspection spotted a problem - better than finding it myself at home!  About a 3-4 week wait though.

Title: Re: restoring/replating front fork stanchions?
Post by: LWC82PE on September 02, 2008, 09:18:05 pm

Jeepers and I thought http://www.hardchromeservices.com.au/ where expensive at the $240 mark. They do a very good job for that price though