How much force to install fork seals?

[HellionsMC]

Exactly how much force does it take to fully seat a set of fork seals into a fork leg?

I got my forks fully assembled, verified to make sure all components are oriented in the proper direction, but am getting a lot of resistance with the seals. I managed to get the fork seal on one unit fully seated to where I can install the spring clip and dust seal, but the other fork seal is not fully seating to where the groove for the spring clip is exposed.

I'm using a PVC pipe with an ID that is just larger than my 39mm tubes, and hitting the end of the pipe with a soft face hammer. I'm also using an extra metal spacer between the PVC pipe and the fork seal to protect the rubber seal from the impact of the blows.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.

[kenart]

You have to hit that pretty hard. I would use a cap on the PVC pipe and hit it with a hammer other than a soft face. I have a two piece slide hammer that goes around the tube and hits right on the seal. It is for 41 mm tubes though. As you know, the seal has to go deep enough for the clip to go in to the groove. Good luck.....

[HellionsMC]

Got my forks assembled, I found that applying oil to the inside of the fork leg (not just lower bushing), and seating the upper bushing first (also oiled), followed by the fork seal separately made all the difference. Not bad for a $2 driver. Thanks for the help.

[pushrod243]

yes sir lube is your friend