Shims for Fork Bushes

[Mike.Morgan]

Just ready to build my Huntmaster forks, but when I stripped them down there were no shims fitted on the top bush.

Does anyone have any advice on fitting these and choosing the right sizes??

[allan.simpson]

They're all the one size. Do you want a couple?

[Simon.Gardiner]

I've only seen one size on Ariels but the early BSA teles are the same and SRM (http://www.srmclassicbikes.com) sell a shim kit for those (in their 'shop', BSA pre-unit twins, frame+chassis, fork parts )
Whether they're needed depends on the thickness (or thin-ness) of the flange of the top bush. I don't know how critical it is if they're slightly loose, I suspect the worst would be a bit of noise (clicking?). But if they're too tight you won't get the circlips in properly!
As for advice on fitting and sizing, I guess you'd have to assemble just the bush and the circlip in the leg and see what size feeler guage you could get between them.
However when I replaced mine I decided that the original bushes must have been fine, compared the thicknesses of the all the top flanges and worked from that (probably a bit lazy, but I had kept a note of which original bushes came from which fork leg, and getting the circlips in and out was being a real pain).

[Mike.Morgan]

Drags sent me a set with four different sizes, these seem to be the same as the kit which SRM have.

I put the forks together today, using new stanchions and bushes. There was no sign of wear inside either of fork legs, but I had to use a different sized shims in each leg to get the circlips in place.

Thanks for the info, (and the offer Allan), its starting to look more like a bike now!!