Subject: RE: bad forks?
Author: Charlie Mullendore
Date: Mar 20, 2004, 6:34 PM
Post ID: 1716354066
Hi Mike,
I'd do Dave Richardson's good/bad test - put them in water and if they
float they're okay to use. Seriously, the seal won't last long with the
chrome cutting away at it and the chrome will also likely continue to
flake off over time. Unlike a (drum brake) Loop front end, the Convert's
tubes contact the sliders directly. If the chrome peels far enough, it
could damage the slider also.
The old guy will likely send you another pair of tubes that aren't worth
the shipping costs. Sorry to be so pessimistic, but I'd cut my losses
and buy new, buy some you can actually look at first or buy from someone
you know and trust. Cheers,
Charlie
http://members.tripod.com/charlesmullendore/index.htm
mjon-@yahoo.com wrote:
Hi, all. I really need some advice, so I am mailing this to both my lists. I bought some used fork tubes from a shop that sells used bike parts. When I ordered I asked the guy several times about the condition of the forks - I made it clear that I don't want to buy used if I am going to get something worn out. He assured me that the forks would be in good condition. I believed him. The forks are here. One has a small chip in it where the oil seals ride. The other has a quarter-inch square of vanishing chrome - ie, you can see the steel starting to show through the chrome, again where the oil seals ride. Both tubes have other very small blemishes in the oil seal area. They guy denies that they are worn out, but I fear that if I put my new oil seal on the tube with the chip it will be leaking before my next state inspection, and that use will cause the vanishing chrome on the other tube to finish vanishing. However, my experience with this is limited - I am not a mechanic. They guy positively will not refund my money, but he has agreed to send me different tubes IF I pay to ship these back to him and IF he decides they are too warn out to use. (To me it seems as though he has changed his song from �there good� to �there good enough to use,� but I'll let that go.) I am definitely afraid that this senior fellow will get my tubes and either not see the problems (week vision, perhaps) or will say �hey, what did you want for used parts?� So my question is: how bad to tubes have to be to be considered worn out? Should I just install these and see how long they last? Or will that chip eat my oil seal right up, and will that chrome vanish? Man, I wish I had just sprung for new tubes. Once again my stinginess comes back to haunt me. |