LCGB Forums

Hi, I'm new to the forum and am working on a D125 stripping it down ready for a total repaint. Am stuck trying to remove front fork and steering tube from frame. Have removed top cone set and balls after which steering tube and forks drop down the frame tube easy enough (to give access to remove the lower set of balls) but at about 90% of its travel it stops and wont come out. If I rotate it through 360 degrees it still will not drop out. It appears that the lower bearing cone (fitted up inside the bottom end of the frame tube) might be stopping its removal. So, does this cone have to be removed so that the steering tube can come out. At the moment I can't see a way to remove the cone. It is covered by circular cover which is free to rotate but limits access to the cone. Would welcome any comments/help on how to remove the lower cone without damaging it's cover or the frame tube.

It sounds like the steering stop plate which is welded to the fork stem near the top is burred and this won't pass through the bottom cone. The safest way to get the forks out is to knock the cone out using a hammer and drift on the outside of the cone. This WILL damage the dust cover but they are cheaply replaced. The cone is only about 15mm long so it should come out quite easily.

Thanks Rob, I'll have a go at it in the next couple of days and let you know how things went.

Have now got the bottom cone out and it is indeed the welded steering plate stop which was stopping the fork tube being removed from the frame tube by catching on the bottom cone. Will lightly dress this stop plate to allow cone removal from fork tube.