Integral fork bushings...where to get?

My 81 kz550D gpz uses bushings on the lower end of the fork tubes, but they don't have their own part number. They are part of the fork tube so you can't get them separately.

Who makes or sells generic split bushings?

The one I need is a simple cylinder with one split.
Also, it appears the base material is copper plated steel, but there is a zinc or lead colored coating on the wear surface. Anyone know exactly what Kawasaki used for the lower fork bushings? the upper fork bushings have a lighter zinc color than the lower ones. The superseding part is all copper for the upper bushing. I can get the upper, but I need the lowers.

Have you tried your local Bearing Shop? It is surprising what they can access. Usually much cheaper than Brand specific parts, like through Kawasaki. They would need the dimensions. They could get several materials probably.

Check with Race Tech, that's where I got the inner bushings for my ZX11


www.racetech.com/

Yes Lou, Race tech advertises bushings.

I called Forking By Frank, and the owner also said to check Racetech. I looked at their site, but they don't seem to list dimensions. For my bike it just says "call". So the consensus is: I'll have to call.

I was hoping it was like wheel bearings, where they are just some industry standard bearings. It would be nice to find a cheap source of standard bushings if possible. Is there any chance that lower bushing is coated with lead? It seems too dark to be zinc. Do they even use zinc as a coating? The uppers look to be zinc color, but mettalurgy is beyond me.


Retail on the upper bushings is like $25 now. WTF? They used to be like $4 just a couple years ago.

The upper bushings do have some markings, but the lowers have nothing. Both are steel with copper plate, and some other coating on top of that.


Here's the dimensions for the lower, just in case anyone wants to know:
O.D. 36.92mm ~ 36.95mm, nominal 37mm?
I.D. 33.92mm ~ 33.95mm, nominal 34mm?
Thickness 1.47mm ~ 1.49mm, nominal 1.5mm?
Height 19.70mm ~ 19.75mm.
The cut is approx .70mm wide.



Here's the other parts and seal driver.
You can see the upper bushing, (near the left side of the photo), is lighter in color than the lower.

Ok, the white metal is the part referred to as babbitt for Isaac Babbitt.
It can be lead, antimony, tin, or some combination of them or with copper.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_(metal)

www.asbbearings.com/catalog05.pdf
These guys will have it, one of the USA big suppliers.
Have a look at their site. www.asbbearings.com/index.html
You could replace with a lot less friction bushing if so desired.
But you really need the Bore and Shaft dimensions.

Yeah, I think I checked them, but didn't see anything close to 34mm ID, and pretty much no 37mm OD either.

The bore may be another problem. It seems looser where the forks come to rest. Up high or down low, the bore seems ever so tighter. Not sure I can do anything about that, but I figured a new bushing would take up some of the slop. There is actually quite a bit of play in the lower bushing.

No luck at Racetech. Since it doesn't appear to be a standard metric bearing sleeve, I guess it'll have to be custom made or maybe there is a close SAE substitute.

O.D. 36.92mm ~ 36.95mm, nominal 37mm?
I.D. 33.92mm ~ 33.95mm, nominal 34mm?
Thickness 1.47mm ~ 1.49mm, nominal 1.5mm?
Width 19.70mm ~ 19.75mm.
The cut is approx .70mm wide.

Give this place a try, www.pyramid-parts.com/ I've used them a couple times with good results.

Larry

Those look perfectly fine. If I would worry about bushings, I would worry about the top ones first. They can wipe out a set of seals real fast if they are bad.

Yes, that one looks ok, but I think it may be wearing thin. The copper is starting to show through the gray coating in spots.

I always replace the upper bushing when I do the seals, but the lowers have obviously never been replaced. I'm noticing a little more play on some of the forks versus others in the bottom end. (I have like 6 sets of forks, but some are bent or pitted beyond repair. Naturally, the pitted ones are straight, and the bent ones are clean.) Some will have a little wiggle room, but some have a lot and they click audibly when I apply side force, with no oil, of course.

I wonder how much a bearing company would charge to make a run of custom bearing sleeves. If I have to ask, probably means I can't afford it. :ohmy:

However, I wonder if a company can just re-apply the bearing coating onto the shell. That may be affordable.