Sticky Forks ->'02 CR250

[jimt_yz400]

I have this strange problem that I haven't been able to figure out.
I hope that someone has run into this or has some advice.
The other day I jumped on my sons CR250 to help out of a situation and I noticed that the forks were very stiff, I mean really stiff. I took them apart and I replaced the leaking fork seal and all bushings. I changed the cartridge fluid and outside chamber fliud.
I did notice that one of the fork upper leg did not want slide down on the down tube as easy as the other (this is w/o and cartridege, oil or anything else). I then had the down tubes checked for trueness and they were verified that there were fine. I even had a suspension tuner polish everything for me.
Ok, when the forks are installed on the bike they are very stiff, definitley some binding going on. I have loosened the clamp bolts and the axel but to no avail. Even with .38 springs in them they are stiffer than my bike (same bike and year) with .42's.

I have torn these things apart about a dozen times and I have brought them to a tuner but when they are on the bike something is wrong. They feel only OK off the bike but not as buttery smooth as other forks I have worked on.

Any ideas?
I'm thinking of buying an entire new set from Service Honda the $1100 but I would rather try to fix these things!!
Thx!!

 

[DEANSFASTWAY]

Maybe the triple clamps are bent.

 

[jimt_yz400]

Do you mean that they are not aligned? The forks seem to slide up into them very easily.

 

[bedell99]

I know this is a time consuming fix try running your son's suspension in your bike and see if it is still binding. If it is still binding you at least deducted that it is NOT the triple clamps. The logical explaination though is either a bent fork(that includes the inner cartridge) or misaligned triple clamps. Good luck.

Erik

 

[mort]

I had a similar problem. The fork got stichy when i change my fork seals.
We solve my problems with a new upper and lower fork bushings.
Give it a try, before yoy buy new forks.
/mort

 

[dbrace]

I am having the same problem with an 03 yz250f. The bike was crashed and thats when it happened. Off the bike the forks feel fine, on the bike with axle centred etc they stick. I have pulled the forks apart,they are perfect and tru. I put a different set of forks on the bike, using the same axle and everything, problem solved. This is driving me crazy. I was starting to think the bottom of the forks where the axle runs thru was bent but i guess that would have bent the axle as well but it hasn't. Any ideas? PLEASE.

 

[jimt_yz400]

I found the problem. I replaced the the forks/wheel assy with a set off of my other CR250 and this worked fine. So, it would have to be the triple clamp(s)/or steering stem. I found a CR450 lower clamp and pressed the old stem and the stiction seems to have gone away.
They still are a little stiff though this might be from the new bushings/seals.
It looks like there was something wrong with the lower clamp.