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You can do it...but for gods sake, get the right tools!

I had the honor of doing my fork seals for the first time last month. One ride on the new seals and they were leaking like my kids snotty nose on the first day of school.

Upon reflection, I'm sure it was probably due to the homemade pvc fork seal driver I used. I probably didn't seat them good enough, or tore the crap out of them trying to get them in.

Low and behold, I got a new set of seals, a seal bullet, and a real-deal fork seal driver. I went through the drill again which was much easier, and so far, no leaks!

Moral of the story: ALWAYS GET THE RIGHT TOOLS...Don't be cheap!

Pretty good advice. I will say, however, that it is not ABSOLUTELY essential to purchase a seal driver.

May sound funny, but I fabricated my own from an old BMX axle peg (the kind a kid would stand on on the back of his bike) that has worked wonderfully for me and several buddies. I cut it in half, ground down the edge, and using a vise - adjusted the circumference.

having said that, it is for sure essential to have "a" good tool to press the seals. Otherwise, you will redoing the project.

I guess we all live and learn.

I`ve found that any time you put the seals on the lower fork tube without any protection they will always tear. I`ve always used a plastic bag and then sild the seals over that.

I agree having the proper tools is the best way to go. However, I was too cheap to get the seal driver and did the pvc pipe method. It worked perfectly. I also slid the washer down on top of the seal and pounded rather than pound directly on the seal.