Okay, I have done much research on this topic and there are hundreds of threads all over the internet but NONE of them give a fully detailed answer on how to swap F3 internals into your 91-93 damping rod F2 forks... They all leave questions un-answered.

So, after some more combing of "teh internets" I have found what works.

To keep your F2 wheel, fender, speedo and brakes you will need:

F3 upper fork tubes
F3 internals
F2 fork lower legs

The F3 upper fork tubes and internals will drop into the F2 Fork lowers.

Another option requiring modification, instead of direct installing is:

F3 internals
F2 upper fork tubes
F2 fork lower legs

The F2 upper fork tubes need modification, the F3 cartridge internals are larger in diameter than the F2 dampening rod internals.

There's a ring inside that needs to be removed and the tabs that hold the ring in place need to be ground down.

This information was provided by Ken Johnson.


If you are building a race bike and do not care about a speedometer, you will want:

Complete F3 front end: Fork uppers and lowers, wheel, rotors, calipers.

This offers better brakes and of course the F3 forks, but you will lose your speedometer.

So that is it, I will ask to have this thread made into a "Sticky" so it will no longer pop up every 3 weeks.

Cheers mates,
Hersh.

 

why change them? what would be the benefit?

My nephews f2.. had an f3 wheel on it...
how much different can they be?

 

F2 forks are dampening rod style, F3 forks are cartridge style.

The F3 forks offer preload and dampening adjustment, and just plain newer technology.

I've found out what works and will now update my original post.

 

94 f2s have cartridge forks.

 

Yes they do.

91-93 do not have cartridge forks.

 

I think that bears asking the question, what is the functional difference between the 94 F2 fork and the F3 fork? Also, are any component, be it internal or the exterior of the fork housing interchangeable between the 94 and the F3?
I think that the front wheel sizes are different between the F2 and F3 correct? That being the case, if a person with a pre-94 bike would have a direct swap with a 94 set of forks whereas F3 forks would require either a front wheel from an F3 or custom spacers, correct?

None of this really makes much difference to me, as I have a 94 F2, but I think that maybe there should be a little more information early on in the thread before it gets too long and difficult to manage.
Also Hershey, if you can get something like this stickied, surely we could get a stickied thread about all the potential performance mods for an F2 so people stop asking, probably throw in a CCT sticky thread as well for good measure?

 

You cannot put an F3 wheel on an F2. F3 rotors are much larger and you cannot swap the F2 rotors on a F3 wheel. Or vica-versa. Why even mess with using F3 iternals in F2 forks? F3 anf F4 stuff is easy to come by and you get the much better brakes.

 

Yeah, Im thinking of doing this sometime next year to my f-2, and I saw a guy with the digital speedometer which looked real nice.

 

The cartridge needle in the F3s are different than the f2 cartridge needles,yielding more adjustablility.The fork tube uppers/sliders are identical.

94 F2 forks are a direct swap on all 91-93 F2 models.I have 94 forks on my 91 streetbike.

F3 wheel will not directly bolt-up to F2 fork lowers.Wheel spacing ,fender and calipers are the issue there.

 

Will the F4 and F4i upper tubes and internals work in the F2 lowers just like the F3 stuff? They are easy to find and cheap...

Thanks