Steel fork yoke modifying for smaller fork diameter

[MilesNurserie...]

Can anyone advise please?

I have a Suzuki GT550 with 32mm diameter forks. These were one year only. The top and bottom yokes are nearly impossible to find now.

Yokes for 34mm forks are common. Is it an option to cut away material (steel) either side of the slot that the pinch bolt goes through so as the clamp will work on the smaller fork leg? Or is it not a safe option?

I am only interested in the engineering and safety side of this please.

Thanks in advance

[Nobby the Bastard]

It sounds a completely idiotic idea to me.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[MarJay]

How to break your yoke in one easy lesson. It would be easier to create a sleeve to put into the top yoke, or better yet swap an entire front end. Larger diameter forks would be better anyway.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[stinkwheel]

You'd probably be safer to shim it. You're only looking at a 1mm thick shim.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Evil Hans]

If you do it that way, it'll clamp it up but it won't actually be gripping it around the whole circumference as the hole will still have the wrong radius for the fork. Sounds like a terrible idea.

Shim it.
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[virus]

The proper way to do it would be to replace the yoke set to match, id be suprised if they stems were that different in length and headstock bearing sizes if its 2 old Zooks of the same model (youd have to check though)

Otherwise I would always be going for a shim over filling the land out of the yoke to clamp, this join is responsible for holding up the entire front end, its not just done slightly oversize exhaust clamp.

Buy yokes to suit or some shim steel from an engineering supplier.

Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Robby]

Can you fit the whole front end from a bike with 34mm forks?

Even with shimming (which I don't particularly like) you may end up with the other end of the forks being in the wrong position. You're working off the assumption that the yoke is the same with the same hole centres, just cut one mm bigger.

It's a job for very careful measuring. Then, if the part will work, the right way to do it would be for an engineering shop to build up the hole with weld then bore it to 32mm.

A whole front end swap is probably cheaper.

[WD Forte]

[Islander]

If you are going to consider shimming the gap, it might be worth using some Loctite bearing retainer between the shim and the stanchion. Once it's fully cured its amazingly strong stuff and should ensure that the shim doesn't move.