Fork Tube and Shock Body
Hard Anodizing

(aluminum only)

   

Most modern inverted forks come with the outer tubes hard anodized from the factory. Unfortunately, the coating on many of them is very thin. In fact, some wear through in less than 10 hours of riding. Inspecting the condition of the anodizing is a normal part of the rebuild process.

When the hard anodizing is worn out, the bushing rides on soft aluminum. The soft aluminum creates excessive friction. Additionally, the aluminum oxide contamination increases wear.

Some forks, particularly conventional right-side-up forks, come from the factory with no hard anodizing.

Vintage fork and shocks are usually not hard anodized. Some vintage forks do not even have bushings, worsening the problem. It is common for vintage shock bodies to be ruined due to lack of service. 

The hard anodizing we offer is very high quality, quite often lasting the life of the bike. This decreases both friction and wear and extends service life of the fluid.

NOTES

  • Anodizing is done immersed in a liquid and generally coats both the interior and exterior surfaces. If the color of the exterior surface is changed it is not legal in most Super Sport classes in road racing. It is possible to mask the exterior and eliminate the problem. NOTE: There is no guarantee on the masking.
  • Standard Hard Anodizing leaves black matte external finish.
  • Powder Coating is available in addition to hard anodizing for an extra charge.
  • External anodizing must be stripped to allow for powder coating.
  • Surfaces must be raw aluminum without any paint or clear coatings.
  • Turn around time is approximately 2-3 weeks depending on volume and the timing of the batches (we generally have a batch a week).                                                                                                                                        
  • Hard Anodized and Semi-Gloss Back Powder Coated Fork Slider