Is it necessary to replace slide metal every time?

[amontyg]

I just replaced the seals in my front forks, but evidently damaged them on the way in with the piece of pipe I used to seat them. So it looks like I need to try this again. Will I need to replace the Teflon coated slide metals this time around as well? the manual says that they must be replaced every time the forks are dissembled. They are brand new, however, and unless they are damaged while taking the forks apart, I don't see a need to replace them. Is it possible to remove the seal without damaging the slide metals? If so what is the method? My bike is a 82 550lz. I removed the seal last time by using the inner tube like a slide hammer. I'm not sure if this will render the slide bushings unusable after removal or not.

[Suzuki_Don]

No I wouldn't replace the teflon coated metal slides as they slide on the inside bore of the lower leg and of course have no wear yet for obvious reasons. Remove the seals and then check the metal slides to check their condition and if they look OK then re-use them again. The only way they could get damaged would be when the seals are being pulled out.

[bwringer]

Agreed -- you don't have to replace them unless they're visibly worn or damaged. I think that part of the manual was written by lawyers.

On some bikes, the slide metals are not even available. One of the slides for my GS850G is not even listed on the fiche, but they're still all fine at 112,000 miles.