AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Does anyone know if the bottom aluminium fork sliders are the same for 1 1/8 and 1 and 1/4 forks?

While mending a front wheel puncture, I noticed that one of the bottom studs was loose. No worries, I thought.... at worst, I'll need to helicoil and make a new stud. However, when I investigated, I found that the stud must have been pulled out or snapped by the PO and then the cavity filled with what looked like araldite. This has all dropped out leaving a crater too big for a thread repair so it's new sliders.

New sliders are available, but the part number quoted is 022794 which, I think, is for the later forks. My bike has a 1952 swinging arm frame and 1 1/8 forks.

Hi

Give Steve at AMC Classic Spares a ring, he helped me source second hand fork components.

Regards Mick

oldandsmelly wrote:Does anyone know if the bottom aluminium fork sliders are the same for 1 1/8 and 1 and 1/4 forks?

While mending a front wheel puncture, I noticed that one of the bottom studs was loose. No worries, I thought.... at worst, I'll need to helicoil and make a new stud. However, when I investigated, I found that the stud must have been pulled out or snapped by the PO and then the cavity filled with what looked like araldite. This has all dropped out leaving a crater too big for a thread repair so it's new sliders.

New sliders are available, but the part number quoted is 022794 which, I think, is for the later forks. My bike has a 1952 swinging arm frame and 1 1/8 forks.

They'll fit but the difference is at the lower end. Your's will have square shouldered end caps and the later type will have the rounded profiles.

A good welder could fill it letting you retap or helicoil. Should work out cheaper. Just mind and make sure the hole is spotless before welding.

The 1 1/8 and 1 1/4 sliders are very different and not as far as I know interchangeable. Repair is probably your best option, or one from Steve at AMC spares. Andy

Andy51 wrote:The 1 1/8 and 1 1/4 sliders are very different and not as far as I know interchangeable. Repair is probably your best option, or one from Steve at AMC spares. Andy

You can chop and change the bits Andy, I've done it and got a bike like it already when I couldn't get a suitable replacement, but the ends and caps don't blend in with each other, it's a cosmetic thing.
Best thing is to change as a pair.

Is there enough material around the enlarged hole to enable you to make a shouldered stud, then you could retap the hole to suit, just an idea providing it would'nt weaken the area.

I've decided to try the shouldered stud route before I rip into the fork rebuild. I've helicoiled the hole to 3/8 cycle thread and will turn down a corresponding stud to 5/16 and then see how that works. The helicoil went in well and a 3/8 cycle thread bolt feels firm in the hole, so fingers crossed....

Hi Bruce

Hope your repair works, sounds like a result

Don't know if you're aware but the thread in the slider was originally BSF, a more coarse thread - go easy when torqueing up the cap on the repaired stud and make sure the shoulder is below, or at least flush with, the face of the slider.

Regards Mick

Hi Mick

I did know about the stud being BSF on the internal thread but when I went to my box of helicoils, I found I had just about everything except 3/8 BSF!

I'm hoping that the difference between 22 and 26 TPI won't affect things too much... time will tell.

cheers
Bruce