Fork issues. NEED HELP. Kz440 ltd

So I was attempting to disassemble my forks and the bottom Allen bolt was in so tight that it stripped when I tried to undo it.

I shot it with some PB blaster and tried to extract it with a screw extractor from Harbor Frieght.

......it's snapped in 5 seconds.

Now I have a broken bit stuck in the screw that was stuck in the hard to reach location at the bottom of the fork lower.

I tried to drill another pilot hole in the extractor but it's hardened steel and wore down my bit immediately. Ugh.

The extractor broke off at an angle.

Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.


Also..... turns out my upper fork tubes are slightly bent. I was gonna try to find a machine shop that could possibly straighten them but now with this bolt fiasco I'm not sure if I need to cut my losses and just get a replacement set.

I'm on an extremely tight budget for this build and a new (used) set of forks would put me way over what my budget will allow

Any advice? You guys are always such a great resource!!!

I would bet real money that the screw was not stripped. What almost always happens when trying to remove that screw is that the damper rod inside the fork begins to turn. To finish removal at that point, you need a tool to stop the rod from turning. On some forks, a pointy broomstick will do. The best way to get the screw out is to use an impact wrench.
As you see, screw extractors can be far more trouble than the are worth. That broken off piece is harder than any drill bits you are likely to have. At this point, I would take it to a reputable machine shop for extraction, or start looking for replacements. I have never had to straighten fork tubes, but my guess is that you can find a decent set of replacement forks for less than getting the ones you have back on the road. As much as I hate not fixing a thing, there are times when replacement really is the better option.

It wasn't the threads on the bolt that stripped it was the hole in the top. It turned from a hex into a nice round hole. The bolt wouldn't budge at all. Even after on blaster.

I see where you were going though with the rotation of the inner cylinder. That was the first thing i thought on the other fork tube when it started spinning but I wedged a pvc pipe down there and got it to free up reletively easily.

This one is a different story though....

I've seen forks on eBay for about $30 for each side (for rusty ones) up to $120 for a decent looking set.
Still a bit high for my budget though.....

Are the forks interchangeable between the kz440 ltd and other kz440 models? Or do I need to search for specifically LTD forks?

You'll probably need 440 Ltd forks, but check the diagrams at Partzilla. Good thing is that there were more Ltds than standard models.

Did you use a good allen wrench? It's best to do the job with a good quality hardened socket or brake caliper socket. Heat also helps, using a propane torch.

I don't trust the pb blaster wow-bang-buy-me labeling. It didn't do as good as Liquid Wrench penetrating spray lubricant in a test that's floating around the internet. Kroil is supposed to be best. There is now a wd40-penetrant that they claim is better than pb blaster. They don't compare it to LW, so the LW is probably better. Whatever product is used, you have to give it time to work, overnight or longer. I've had good luck with LW. Also, their silicone spray lubricant is a good product. I use it to clean just about everything on the motorcycle.

I found a good deal on some '81 forks on ebay, rebuilt em, and installed em Also, with a bit of polishing, they look brand new now!!!