AJS & Matchless Owners Club

I wish to take my front forks off to install some headlight fork ears, could you help.

First, how do you remove these caps on the top of the forks?
Second, the frame is 1956 and registered in 1957, does anyone know which manual is best, the manual I downloaded goes up to 56 and the covers are not shown.

Thirdly, there is an extraction tool which helps remove the stanchions, two thread options, which thread and are these available through the club.

And any other advice would be welcome, many thanks Cliff.

Hi

Remove the plastic plugs from the centre of the fork cap nuts and you'll see a hexagonal hole for an Allen key.

Re-assembly tool depends on the diameter of the stanchions, 1 - 1/8" or 1 - 1/4", a 56 should be 1 - 1/4" but best to physically check before ordering.

Regards Mick

The end caps are domed so the forks are 1 1/4" the earlier fork end caps are hexagon nuts and the 2 are not interchangeable. Club spares will sell everything you need and there is even a dedicated tool category on the parts service home page.

Actually that not quite true, thinking about it the 55 forks are 1 1/4" and they have hex head end caps with domed covers. I should have remembered I've got a 55 twin!!!! Any way as the cap are domed they will be 1 1/4" .

With new stanchions in both sizes due in next week.

Cjay, it's not usually too much of a problem getting the stanchions to come out (apart from one very long thread the other year). Sometimes need a metal wedge gently tapped into the slot on the yoke, maybe warm it up a bit.

The tool is most important for re-assembly and drawing the stanchions up against the spring.

You can make a tool up (many have) with a length of threaded studding from the farmers merchants, corresponding nuts and larger washers (penny washer) and a cap bolt such as the one that you showed in your pic with the little plastic bung in; not much cost. I had two spare because I had to cut them parallel to get a large "C" spanner on when the allen key rounded off trying to undo them the first time I did the forks.

DO NOT use the cap bolts to draw the stanchions up, it's a fine thread and won't take the strain unless you are lucky. Wind them up with the tool as far and tight as possible and tighten the allen bolts on the bottom fork yoke to hold them up. The loosen the tool and see them slide back down if the allen bolts aren't tight!

It's all in the manuals you've been directed to.

Johnny B

Many thanks to all, that gives me such a good starting position, the manual often seems as though it's written in ye olde english, cheers, Cliff

Easier to read than old Gaelic though.

I wonder how many languages the manuals were produced in, I don't know, but maybe it would of helped export sales, I suppose the Japanese figured that one out!

Tha e breagha - although I'm only just at the start of Scottish Gaelic; lesson three of 64!

Tha e fuar.

Johnny B

Have now installed the new fork ears, thanks for all the advice, all went well, and I can see why it would be useful to have two tools, I ordered the tool from our spares department and was a fine service, it comes with two choices of thread and mine was the 1 1/4".

My only problem is that the fork ears are floppy, loose, I didn't match up the blank covers with the new ears so they could be shorter, but I am sure I have pulled the stanchions up to the stop. The old blanks had a cup for the base and the a metal top which settles on the top of them and then a rubber washer.

I don't wish to reassemble wheel and cables until I'm sure all the correct parts are present, should there be a top cup, it would seem sensible or is there movement in the steering head that finally clamps the parts together?

I didn't loosen the steering head but it could of moved when tapping out! I haven't drawn up the damper rods or attached the top nuts yet.

Any suggestions would help, thanks Cliff