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Fork lower interior rough

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Old Aug 18, 2018 | 10:54 AM
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Default Fork lower interior rough

I sent out a brand new HD fork lower to be chromed. It came back spectacular on the outside, but the interior is pretty rough. I’ve never done a fork rebuild before so I wasn’t familiar with what to expect. I imagine it was etched during the chrome process, so before I pull mine apart and screw things up, I wanted to check with yous guys to see if it was normal/ok. Thinking about getting a bottle brush and some scotchbrite to at least smooth out the top where the seal goes, right? What do you think?




 
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Old Aug 18, 2018 | 04:52 PM
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Default Folllow up

Picked up a bottle brush and so,e green scotchbrite pads and had at it. Cleared off most of the grime, but there is still what looks like plating residue.

So again, should I have any concern with the fork seal doing it’s job with this? Of do I need to get more agressive an bring it down to bare aluminum? Some sandpaper perhaps?



 
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Old Aug 18, 2018 | 07:27 PM
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Hmm ... WOW!

Had they ever chromed Sliders before?



So, it looks the same down the bore? ... You can't use that


.
 

Last edited by multihdrdr; Aug 18, 2018 at 08:37 PM.
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Old Aug 18, 2018 | 08:17 PM
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If it's rough to the touch I would think that the fork seal could leak.
 
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Old Aug 18, 2018 | 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by multihdrdr
Hmm ... WOW!

Had they ever chromed Sliders before?

So, it looks like that down the bore? ... You can't use that
.
Yeah, Paul’s chrome plating in PA. They did good work on a couple of prior projects. God dammit. I’ll call them Monday and explain they ruined my part and demand they refund the cost of the part and the job.

Mother F’er.

Originally Posted by misfitJason
If it's rough to the touch I would think that the fork seal could leak.
Yes, the scotchbrite smoothed it a bit, but it’s not smooth. And it continues down the bore,

Unbelievable.

 

Last edited by Mchad; Aug 18, 2018 at 08:39 PM.
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Old Aug 18, 2018 | 09:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Mchad


Yeah, Paul’s chrome plating in PA. They did good work on a couple of prior projects. God dammit. I’ll call them Monday and explain they ruined my part and demand they refund the cost of the part and the job.

Mother F’er.



Yes, the scotchbrite smoothed it a bit, but it’s not smooth. And it continues down the bore,

Unbelievable.

Sorry to hear that....I would hope they would refund or strip it, give you an opportunity to verify the bore will be OK, then mask or plug the bore and replate.

 
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Old Aug 18, 2018 | 09:43 PM
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Looks like they forgot or didn’t use the proper plugs when they plated it. Chrome plating is an art....especially when doing motorcycles and specific parts like lower fork legs. They half to make sure that nothing gets inside, into the tube.
 

Last edited by crusader1xxx; Aug 18, 2018 at 09:44 PM.
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Old Aug 19, 2018 | 06:37 AM
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well, at least it will be nice looking on the outside when you make a desk lamp out of it !


here's hoping they step up and admit to there screw up
 
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Old Aug 19, 2018 | 07:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Vec
well, at least it will be nice looking on the outside when you make a desk lamp out of it !


here's hoping they step up and admit to there screw up
Thats funny. I think this is pretty clear cut. I have the receipt from Surdyke for the slider purchase a few days before they received it and sent the acknowledgment. I’m going to give them the opportunity to order a replacement directly and chrome it, or refund the cost of the item and the chrome job. I’m sure some worker screwed up, and the owner/management didn’t even see it. The last thing I sent was delayed a few days because they weren’t happy with the result, so I expect a QC step was missed. We’ll see. I’m just pissed at how far back this puts my project.

Anyone know the tolarances? I don’t want them to offer to run a bore sander through it which will inevitably remove aluminum and open it up too much.
 
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Old Aug 19, 2018 | 08:07 AM
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For stuff like that the dimensional tolerance is usually less critical than surface finish. I'd guess something around diameter +/- .002", circularity, axial parralelism, and surface RA of maybe 120 or less. Without an engineering document from the manufacturer it's difficult to say either way.

Not worth the risk of a rework, IMO.

The operator or order writer probably didn't know the interior needed masked/plugged. Be sure to specify all holes to be plugged in the future. Don't forget the drain plug.
 
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