RB Designs: Fork conversion help!
Posted: 06:31 pm Apr 23 2009
http://www.rb-designs.com/KDX-KX-Stem-Swap.htm
When I got my KX125 front end last month, I was apprehensive about the stem pressing, spacer and shim stock issues. I dont have access to a press and really didnt know any good machinists around town who I could trust to help me out. After talking with my brother who is a millwright, he suggested contacting Ron to see if he would be willing to take on the task.
I e-mailed Ron, and sure enough he said he would love to help out. I took my KX stem w/ bottom T-clamp along with my KDX stem and T-clamp out to his shop.
Ron initially ran into an issue with fitting the KDX bottom bearing on the KDX stem once pressed into the KX bottom T-clamp. I know others have used heat and cold along with brute force to get it to seat onto the KX T-clamp. Ron, being the perfectionist that he is, decided to mill the stem down for so the bearing would seat. It worked perfectly of course.
Next, came the spacer issue, but since I had 2 KDX stem lock nuts, they worked perfectly to raise the upper T-clamp for bar clearance and the ability to raise the forks in the tubes if needed.
(Ron was willing to machine a spacer for this if needed and would even have made a sleeve with spacer!)
Finally came the issue of using shim stock to fill the space between the KDX stem and upper T-clamp. Ron, suggested there was a much better way than using shim stock and he made me a nice sleeve to take up the space. It also fit perfectly and looks great!
Ron said he would do the same work for other KDX'ers who wanted a custom fit setup!
So, if you are considering doing the fork swap and want your stuff to fit perfectly, contact Ron. Not only will you get top of the line, percision work, but the best customer service around!
Hopefully this can become a sticky for others to use when they are considering doing the fork swap.
Thanks Ron for all of your help!
Here is pic of the stem seated perfectly to the KX bottom T-clamp along with the custom sleeve fitted for the upper T-clamp.
[/b]
When I got my KX125 front end last month, I was apprehensive about the stem pressing, spacer and shim stock issues. I dont have access to a press and really didnt know any good machinists around town who I could trust to help me out. After talking with my brother who is a millwright, he suggested contacting Ron to see if he would be willing to take on the task.
I e-mailed Ron, and sure enough he said he would love to help out. I took my KX stem w/ bottom T-clamp along with my KDX stem and T-clamp out to his shop.
Ron initially ran into an issue with fitting the KDX bottom bearing on the KDX stem once pressed into the KX bottom T-clamp. I know others have used heat and cold along with brute force to get it to seat onto the KX T-clamp. Ron, being the perfectionist that he is, decided to mill the stem down for so the bearing would seat. It worked perfectly of course.
Next, came the spacer issue, but since I had 2 KDX stem lock nuts, they worked perfectly to raise the upper T-clamp for bar clearance and the ability to raise the forks in the tubes if needed.
(Ron was willing to machine a spacer for this if needed and would even have made a sleeve with spacer!)
Finally came the issue of using shim stock to fill the space between the KDX stem and upper T-clamp. Ron, suggested there was a much better way than using shim stock and he made me a nice sleeve to take up the space. It also fit perfectly and looks great!
Ron said he would do the same work for other KDX'ers who wanted a custom fit setup!
So, if you are considering doing the fork swap and want your stuff to fit perfectly, contact Ron. Not only will you get top of the line, percision work, but the best customer service around!
Hopefully this can become a sticky for others to use when they are considering doing the fork swap.
Thanks Ron for all of your help!
Here is pic of the stem seated perfectly to the KX bottom T-clamp along with the custom sleeve fitted for the upper T-clamp.
[/b]