Pattern Fork seals and bushes

Nixon · Brolly Dolly Joined: 23 Jun 2007 Karma :

Has anyone got any horror stories with pattern fork seals? Is it worth spending more to get genuine? Its about half the price, £30 for pattern £60 for genuine Confused

Ta

Deckx · Nearly there... Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Karma :

They're just bits of rubber at the end of the day.. last time i got a seal changed here in Thailand the owner said he got it locally from a place that made piston type rams/actuators..

BTW , check first, the leak isn't from a corroded fork leg as it will fuck up the new seal.... all it takes is a few tiny spots Confused

tatters · Exxon Valdez Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Karma :

Always buy original oil seals if you can get them, pattern ones are normaly of a poor quailty and inferrera rubber.

pattern dust seals and bushes are fine.
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Robby · Dirty Old Man Joined: 16 May 2002 Karma :

60 quid for genuine fork seals, or for the whole oil seals, dust seals and bushes kit?

I always get genuine fork seals. Used to use pattern ones, and I have never had a set of pattern seals last more than 500 miles without leaking.

When you have them stripped, make sure any surface corrosion on the fork legs is rubbed back with a finishing pad. Fork seals rarely go just due to age, usually some corrosion on the fork leg has caused them to go - likely from the bike standing for 6 months or more and a very small amount of corrosion developing.

Pattern bushes and dust seals, although to be honest I have never had a set of bushes so worn that they needed replacing. They're only likely to wear that badly if the bike has done over 100,000 miles or has been run for a while with no oil in the forks.