So I bought some forks off of ebay a while back, and as I was rebuilding my bike, just noticed yesterday that they are slightly bent. Such as when you roll them across a table, there is about a 16th or so of an inch of a gap showing. What would you guys recommend to do? Trash the forks? Are they fixable at all? Any help would be great. Thanks

 

i would say fix i but the sleeves are 200 a peice.. you can probably pick up one non bent fork off ebay cheap...

sell the set and still make some money possibly..

 

Yeah I was thinkin about pickin up another set off ebay... I'll just make sure they test this time to find if it's completely straight this time. What are the consequences of having slightly bent forks like i got?

 

im sure you can find a new slider somewhere for cheap. it will need replaced for sure, if it does install correctly, you'll notice it in handling and it will probably blow seals pretty quick

 

Nice south mountain pic.
There are places that repair bent forks. You should call for a general quote over the phone and compare to prices for a single good fork before you decide.

 

Ok thanks for the help guys. I noticed if I turn the bend so they are both facing inwards, that when I put the wheel in it straightens it out. I took it for my first ride by the way and I was in love. But that probably in the long run won't be a good idea right?

 

this is my way to tell if they need replacement or not- find a way to support the bike w/ the front wheel off the ground. loosen the upper and lower triple clamps for one side and try to rotate the fork tube around 360 degrees. repeat for the other side(after you tighten the first side back up). if you cant roate it fully, replace the slider.

 

Ok I did this and while I was rotating I could see the wheel slightly going in and out, very slightly. But I was able to do it. I have the forks set up so they appear perfectly straight right now since the bend is inward, and the wheel kicks it out. Guess I'll just hope for the best.

 

There are also specifications in the service manual for checking fork tubes

 

i would go w/ it if you feel comfortable w/ the handling. if you start blowing seals i would replace the slider. but you should be good.