HELP!!!! Bonanza forks

6doggie3

Well-Known Member
#1
Need some ideas for straightening some forks bent between the triple trees.
They are welded to the fork mounting bolt and nut with part of the upper tree missing!
I don't want to try grinding down the welds and losing more material?
 

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#2
I think I remember in of Markus's threads he had to add to his forks up there with some weld then grind it down. Check out his build threads. Can't remember which one it was. Maybe Mickey bike build.
 
#3
You're going to have to grind it to straighten it. A dremel cutting wheel would probably work, assuming you cant get the cutting wheel of an angle grinder or a hack saw blade in there.
 
#4
Wow...there's no way to even take the forks off... what were they thinking?

I would remove the bars and clamps...grind the weld from around the bolt, and add a new piece in there/(Use the bottom plate to outline your template.

Fix it right, it's a Bonanza.
 
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markus

Well-Known Member
#6
The top has to be rebuilt/welded so I would not sweat grind marks or anything like that. The nut on the bottom came welded on factory so I would use a 3" cut off tool and try cut the weld beads from around the bolt head (with the bars/clamps off like KK said) and try unscrewing the bolt out first before anything else.
 

markus

Well-Known Member
#8
a shop press (bigger the better), but it will take some thought and maybe make up some spacers out of some tubing the next size up sliced down the middle to lay over the fork tubing. You want the ram to be right where the bottom of the fork plate is so if you can make a little spacer of tubing to slip between opening in the plate and the tubing that would be good as well as a sliced piece of tubing past the plate so the ram tube or press plate has something to sit on and will not pinch or ding the tubing or fork plate. I use pieces of 2x4 on the underside for the fork to sit on alot as it will give and form to the tubing and not usually cause any damage but there is a lot of creaking and cracking going on and you need to watch as you go. you gotta be careful with the internal spring forks since the inside has to have a smooth run.
 
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