Murray Missile 

I acquired a couple clapped out TREK mountain bikes from a co-worker, one is pretty much parts only but the other might be made road worthy again. It's about a 2005 820 and it's only "major" mechanical issue is the fork, it actually feels good but the right lower leg has a sheet metal sleeve sticking out of it about 2 inches. Is this a liner to protect the inside of the aluminum leg? If so, is it a big deal to put it back into position with the fork disassembled and once in position what keeps it there? I don't have much in this bike but I also don't want to put much into it beyond consumables so a fork replacement really isn't part of the plan, I can part it out and easily double my money, probably triple it but it's all easy and cheap stuff if I can fix the fork easily. I have no reservations about a fork disassembly, clean and reassembly. The other TREK is a 2014 Cali 29 inch disc brake women's MTB missing the front wheel and brake rotor and the RD is mangled almost beyond recognition, the fork on it is good but unfortunately it won't work on the 820.

cobba

Post a photo.

It might be a bushing.

Murray Missile 

I'll get one later this morning, if it is a bushing it's a pretty crappy one but then it isn't a really great fork to begin with. I have some "Honey Do's" to take care of then I may o ahead and dismantle the fork, haven't got anything to lose. If the fork is toast I can still part the bike out and probably make more than I would fixing it but it's more satisfying for me to fix things. If it was about the money I sure wouldn't be working on old bicycles!

Murray Missile 

The sleeve is plastic not sheet metal and it is about 6 inches long, no bushings,just the plastic sleeve. Pulled it apart and drained the swamp water out of it then removed as much of the muck as I could. Hosed out the sliders with a pressure washer and got must of the slime out then cleaned the rust from the area the plastic sleeve fit into and drove it back into place. As tight as it fit I don't see how it came out to begin with. Cleaned the rust off the upper stanchions, cleaned the boots which were in perfect condition, greased the hell out of everything then put it back together. Works as good as any other cheap fork, better than most. Now for the rest of the bike which is turning out to not be nearly as bad as it looked.


Took a pic in case somebody with the same issue runs across this someday.

kirkor

I'm working on a similar fork and while both plastic sleeves are in place, one is lower than the other slightly, but the main thing is, I took the boots off to clean them and now I can't get the boots back on. Is the lower portion of the boot meant to go between the plastic sleeve and the outer tube? It seems like too tight a fit.
Or, are the plastic sleeves meant to sit low enough to allow for the lower boot portion to rest just inside the outer tube?