fork legs reassembly

[baffle]

Hi people. Am slowly rebuilding a 1980 R65 after stripping down about 18 months back. Have put new steering bearings in but have found that fork legs do not easily go back into triple clamps/braces. One leg went back in OK, but the second not so. Got it through lower clamp and up to upper clamp but here there was not perfect alignment. Should there be or is there some tolerance here? With another pair of hands it was possible to get the leg started in the upper clamp without forcing anything, but getting leg up to the top is being difficult. How much force might be needed in putting the legs back into the clamps normally?
I have had frame blasted and power coated while it is in pieces: I had taken opportunity to knock out a slight buckle in one of the strengthening plates that beef up the front of the frame. I have had bike on road for a few years and had not had any handling issues.

thanks

[Barry]

Even if the yokes are perfectly aligned it's normal that you would need to spread the clamps just a little to get the stanchions back in easily.  I use some thin hardwood wedges.  Not sure if you have done this yet but if the top yoke and bearings have been disturbed you should not tighten up the steering assembly until the stanchions are back in place and checked for alignment.

There could be other reasons for your problem given that the buckled frame plate suggests the bike has had a front end shunt at some time. It's not likely the frame would have got bent without that also affecting the forks although of course the forks could have been replaced.

[baffle]

Thanks for reply. No hadn't tightened up steering til all was in place ok. Will try to open up top clamp cheers . Looks like someone went at it with a big chisel in the past. Stanch
ions seem ok so think accident damage sorted long ago.

[baffle]

Well having dug out the workshop manual and read the right bit I found that if I put the fork legs into the lower clamp and clamped up (with 190mm beyond top of lower brace), I could then push the top brace on from above very easily. It had to be pulled on a little to come down straight on the stem, but not a lot. So reassembly in this order - essentially pushing top clamp down onto legs rather than trying to force legs up through both clamps, made all the difference. Next time, read workshop manual first!