fork lowers-new project
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,325
Likes: 7
From: SE Illinois
fork lowers-new project
Well, after reading a lot of posts and how people had done it, I decided last night to remove my reflectors from my front fork lowers..
After heating up my bike shop, I decided to use fishing line. Fishing line worked well, and the reflectors came off easily.
This is the part where things go to hell....Now I'm left with this stucky *** stuff all over the fork lowers (this **** must have been engineered by NASA). I try everything from direct heat to non-harsh chemicals to remove it & no luck. I finally get impatient and decide to try some Acetone. My wife is a nail tech & has her own shop, so I go next door and get some Acetone from her and proceed to try and remove the sticky ****.
In my mind I'm thinking this could damage or remove the clear coat on the forks, but I have to do something, so I proceed. Acetone is working, but slowly. At this time I also decide to break out the Goo-Gone..
Long story short, Acetone and Goo-Gone work well at removing this crap, but it also works well as a paint remover. I now have a bare aluminum section on my forks that has no clear coat. Guess the only thing to do now is remove the fender, get some more Goo-Gone, and remove all the clear coat from the forks, and proceed the pain staking process of polishing them.
Gonna go after work and get some more Goo-Gone, mothers aluminum polish, a Flitz power ball & a case of beer....not what I had planned on doing this weekend, but hopefully the end result will turn out well.
Wish me luck...any advise?
After heating up my bike shop, I decided to use fishing line. Fishing line worked well, and the reflectors came off easily.
This is the part where things go to hell....Now I'm left with this stucky *** stuff all over the fork lowers (this **** must have been engineered by NASA). I try everything from direct heat to non-harsh chemicals to remove it & no luck. I finally get impatient and decide to try some Acetone. My wife is a nail tech & has her own shop, so I go next door and get some Acetone from her and proceed to try and remove the sticky ****.
In my mind I'm thinking this could damage or remove the clear coat on the forks, but I have to do something, so I proceed. Acetone is working, but slowly. At this time I also decide to break out the Goo-Gone..
Long story short, Acetone and Goo-Gone work well at removing this crap, but it also works well as a paint remover. I now have a bare aluminum section on my forks that has no clear coat. Guess the only thing to do now is remove the fender, get some more Goo-Gone, and remove all the clear coat from the forks, and proceed the pain staking process of polishing them.
Gonna go after work and get some more Goo-Gone, mothers aluminum polish, a Flitz power ball & a case of beer....not what I had planned on doing this weekend, but hopefully the end result will turn out well.
Wish me luck...any advise?
Thread Starter
|
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,325
Likes: 7
From: SE Illinois
Always thought they would look better shiny anyway...the clear coat gives off a gray appearance, which doesn't go with the rest of the bike anyway. I guess when it's all said & done my bike will look better anyway, just wasn't wanting to go through the process right now but now I have no choice. Lesson learned the hard way.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 739
Likes: 5
From: West Memphis, AR
It is not hard to polish them. Just wet sand them with 400, 600, 1000, 1200 and 1500. I used Mothers Billet Alu. polish. It is a lot better than the regular polish.
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we can polish and clear them if you would like... goof-off works good to just get off the adhesive
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Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Republic of Texas
I removed my reflectors yesterday using only a hair dryer. There was some goo residue (more on the rear than on the front) that came off with bug and tar remover and a little elbow grease.
