AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Hi there, has anybody had to re-stud (securing wheel spindle caps) the bottom of the forks - drilling out and Helicoiling has been suggested. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. A previous owner messed up the holes by forcing in bolts of the wrong size.
John

Hi

Helicoil inserts would be my preferred option provided the PO hasn't b******d the holes beyond that.

A pillar drill with a tilting table is also recommended if you're going down this route.

Regards Mick

Thanks Mick, looks like the most practical solution. Actually the PO (read bozo) has b******d one hole, so that'll be a bit of a challenge ... hey ho.

I've had the same problem, but hopefully not the same PO. One hole was was very damaged and it looked as if a PO had glued the stud in the hole with predictable results. I made up a stud that was one size larger for the internal portion ( maybe 5/16 instead of a 1/4 but I'm too lazy to go to the workshop and check) and normal size for the external part. I then helicoiled the new larger stud into the fork leg. I managed to get the helicoil in straight without a pillar drill but I was maybe lucky.

Sadly, while this fix worked in giving a strong stud, the larger helicoil I used must have broken through into the internal reservoir as oil would weep out down the new stud. After putting up with it for a while, I gave in and bought new fork sliders.

It turned out for the best as, when dismantling the forks, I found that a PO had presumably had a front ender in the past that had snapped or severely bent the stanchions as they were welded together in a rough approximation of straightness!