# Dirt bike fork question **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [March 10, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277 "2009-03-10T21:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![travisn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/travisn/32/5046_2.png) [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/1 "2009-03-10T21:14:28Z")
So I had my bike all apart over the past 2 weeks and went to put the front end back together. The forks are even in the triples but the lower ends are off by about a half inch: ![http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/7743/009mzn.jpg](http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/7743/009mzn.jpg) I was able to get the axle back in, but something has to be wrong. I was told they were probably rebuilt incorrectly. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Kramer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kramer](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Kramer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/2 "2009-03-10T21:16:06Z")
im amazed that axle went in there…lol ---
**Author:** ![blackout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@blackout](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/blackout)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/3 "2009-03-10T21:48:16Z")
are the springs adjustable? ---
**Author:** ![K.A.T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@K.A.T](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/K.A.T)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/4 "2009-03-10T22:09:29Z")
you might be right about them being rebuilt incorrectly, I just rebuilt mine over the weekend, there are a lot things that can go wrong if someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. looking at these it looks like either one of your springs is hung up inside the outter, or someone didn’t put enough fluid in the Right side( as pictured) causing the fork to stick and not recompressfully. or one of the outter tubes is bent and its hanging up causing it to stick like that, have them rebuild by a shop who can mircometer the tubes and tell if they are bent. ---
**Author:** ![FASTMOFO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de053/32.png) [@FASTMOFO](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/FASTMOFO)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/5 "2009-03-10T22:14:28Z")
> [@strokingnova](#): > > im amazed that axle went in there…lol I wouldnt be too amazed. It is a shock and Im sure the axle went in perfectly straight when you compress the one shock a little bit. Have you tried to pump up and down on each shock? then while they are bolted into the tripples pull them so they are fully extended. See if they extend the same length. And see if the one is retracting more than the other if they do extend equally. Did you ride the bike before taking anything apart? Id bet it rides fine when all bolted up. ---
**Author:** ![frofan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de053/32.png) [@frofan](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frofan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/6 "2009-03-11T03:04:45Z")
I would definitely take them both apart and try again. ---
**Author:** ![KuntryQuestTSi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/kuntryquesttsi/32/5010_2.png) [@KuntryQuestTSi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KuntryQuestTSi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/7 "2009-03-11T04:42:07Z")
rebuilt wrong, or something is shot ---
**Author:** ![travisn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/travisn/32/5046_2.png) [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/8 "2009-03-11T05:49:34Z")
I tried to compress them by hand but could only get them to go in an inch or so, and when its all together the shocks seem to compress alright. I didnt really ride the bike before taking it apart, but I only unbolted them from the triples, I didnt take them apart. ---
**Author:** ![Kramer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kramer](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Kramer)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/9 "2009-03-11T06:55:05Z")
> [@FASTMOFO](#): > > I wouldnt be too amazed. It is a shock and Im sure the axle went in perfectly straight when you compress the one shock a little bit. > > Have you tried to pump up and down on each shock? then while they are bolted into the tripples pull them so they are fully extended. See if they extend the same length. And see if the one is retracting more than the other if they do extend equally. > > Did you ride the bike before taking anything apart? Id bet it rides fine when all bolted up. true didn’t really think of it that way ---
**Author:** ![travisn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/travisn/32/5046_2.png) [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/10 "2009-03-11T13:01:18Z")
I tried to pull the shorter one and it didnt move much. Of course that was with it balancing on the stand, I couldnt really pull on it, but I wouldnt think it should need too much force. It went back together fairly easy. I didnt mess up the threads on the axle or anything. ---
**Author:** ![FASTMOFO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de053/32.png) [@FASTMOFO](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/FASTMOFO)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/11 "2009-03-11T17:53:11Z")
yea its not as easy to move them by hand like that. Was worth a try tho. Just ride it, if it feels like shit you’ll know why but Im guessing you wont be noticing a thing. post up how it goes ---
**Author:** ![almostBrett](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/almostbrett/32/5249_2.png) [@almostBrett](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/almostBrett)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/12 "2009-03-11T17:56:20Z")
rebuilt wrong… raise the right fork half an inch in your triple clamp:gotme: ---
**Author:** ![travisn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/travisn/32/5046_2.png) [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dirt-bike-fork-question/64277/13 "2009-03-11T18:59:09Z")
> [@almostBrett](#): > > raise the right fork half an inch in your triple clamp:gotme: that would really mess up the steering geometry… lol. not really sure how, it would probably want to turn one direction all the time. haha, maybe if I am circle tracking it.