Front Fork Diassembly Tool/Adapter

Steve452: Can you see the top of the damper on your bike? Does it kind of look like a squared off cap head? If so then you no doubt have need of the tool I had a friend make up for me. Since making up the tool I received no replies that anyone was interested in one so it kind of died on the vine. Also, the guy that made them has changed jobs and he is now in a "white collar" position. If you are interested I can get in touch with him and see if there is any possibility of him making one for you, but I don't know how quick you need it. The OEM tool number is 57001-176 and almost impossible to find. Let me know.....

Rick H.

Steve452,

Rick H and I collaborated on getting the tool made. We each had one made as a test. Ricks friend made his as repayment for past transactions between Rick and himself, so no cost or value was ever determined. I had a local machine shop make one for me. The cost was $150.00. I was kinda backdoored on cost. I was estimated about $75 and was called to pick it up. Then at pickup I was presented with the cost. Bottom line Ricks contact is no longer available, and mine is to costly. But there’s hope, I recently tripped across a guy with a machine shop basically in his garage at home. If you would like and we are all here to help each other, I can take my prototype to him and ask what his cost would be to duplicate it. Assuming that because all dimensions are already set. The duplicate cost should be less then my cost.

Pleas advise.

You can make a tool very simply with a piece if round aluminium bar and a lathe or a file if you have time! Instead of making a closed socket an open socket with two flats is all thats needed, drill and tap a bolt into the end and secure with locklite so you can grab it with your extension bars and ratchet. Here is a pic of two I have 15 mm af for yamaha rd350 and 12mm af for kawasaki z1 / kz900.
bar will need to be a shade under 25mm dia from memory, ignore the fancy stepped diameters, just playing around on lathe.

u.k. Dave wrote: You can make a tool very simply with a piece if round aluminium bar and a lathe or a file if you have time! Instead of making a closed socket an open socket with two flats is all thats needed, drill and tap a bolt into the end and secure with locklite so you can grab it with your extension bars and ratchet. Here is a pic of two I have 15 mm af for yamaha rd350 and 12mm af for kawasaki z1 / kz900.
bar will need to be a shade under 25mm dia from memory, ignore the fancy stepped diameters, just playing around on lathe.

Pics? Be sure to click Insert All and do not use the back button.

I think I follow your idea UK Dave, but need to see your pics. It could be an easier fab than what I had done, but I just followed the design of the Kawasaki tool.

Rick H.

Oh sorry, my picture didn't 'stick' will try again. By the way inside tube is 26mm so a 25mm dowel of ally or 1" will be fine, you may even get away with using hardwood, there is not much force required, but ensure you 'turn' at the allen key end of the fork tube using the holding tool just to hold.

How simple things can be. Thanks for sharing.

My offer still applies to Steve452.

Yes indeed! Much easier to fab up this tool than make an OEM looking socket! Just ANOTHER one of those why didn't I thimbk of that moments!! Thanks for posting your tools. Just make it slightly undersize on a lathe and cut the slot and tap in a bolt....Geeeezzz.

Rick H.