Knackered fork - suggestions?

[Mr Fro]

Last night I set about changing the fork seals on my ZX6r. All was going well until I started reassembling the second fork - I had it all back together and was about to screw the cap on to the damper rod when I noticed the adjuster rod had come adrift from the adjuster screw.

I had a closer look and noticed that the adjuster rod had sheered just inside the adjuster (~2mm inside).

This is a representation of the bit I mean although it's not my exact type of fork...

http://www.devilsoutcasts.com/userimages/pic5.jpg

The adjuster rod is crimped in place on the adjuster screw so there's no hope of buying just that part, it's either a new assembly at ~£300 or a second hand complete fork for ~£150 so basically, I'm knackered!

My first thought was to bung it all back together and hope for the best. My thinking was that the force of the fluid trying to bypass the business end of the adjuster would shift it out of the way and the broken end should still locate fine where it sheered. Most forks use a free floating adjuster rod anyway - as in the picture...

After a few beers and a night's kip I'm concerned that it may give me erratic rebound damping if it jiggles about - the last thing I need is for the bloody thing to pump down when I'm out and about.

I'm wondering now if I should try re-crimping, soldering or epoxying it in place. Soldering would be my first choice but (I think) it's aluminium to plated ali which will be a sod. Re-crimping scares me as a little bit too much pressure could mean I accidentally chop a few mm off the adjuster and I'll be totally boned. As for epoxy - I don't know that it'll get a good enough purchase on the plated part.

Decisions, decisions... Any suggestions wound be greatly received!

Cheers,

Fro

[Fozzie]

How did it shear in the first place?

Really hard to say what to do...

My instinct is to say you should use a very small drill and drill identical bores down the middle of the rod, tap them out and then use a stud you screw in and tighten it together again. But I don't know if the adjuster rod is thin enough or if a threaded stud small enough even exists without getting jiggy with a lathe.

Solder sounds like it would break again all too easily

What about just a new cartridge? Surely you don't need a full assembly?

[Tango]

Along the same lines as Fozzies suggestion, but use a Roll Pin instead.......drill into both ends of the rod and put a roll pin in to join them?....

[Mr Fro]

I've still got a gammy hand so must have knocked the cap when I was compressing the spring.

The cartridge (although from Kwak) is tres expensivo so no dice there.

The rod is pretty chunky - probably 3-4mm diameter so the drill-n-fix idea could well be a go-er. I'll go and have a rummage around in the engineers lair...

Thanks chaps!

[eastanglianbiker]

is this any good as you only need the internals http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-zx6r ... _592wt_958

[Mr Fro]

Cheers EAB, I might get that incase my "fix" doesn't work.

There was just enough of a nub left to pinch the adjuster rod back on the screw. It's not mega secure like the other one but we'll see how it goes...