First I trimmed the end of the 2x4 to approx. 20 degree angle. Then I "bolted" the long tongue of the hinge to it with 3" lag screws, seems robust enough, but could use bolts.
I ended up mounting the short side of the hinge to a scrap piece of 1/2" plywood, then attached it to the wall with several 1-5/8" deck screws.
In planning the height, I put a piece of scrap 1/2" plywood in my drain pan to prevent cracking my pan and as a rest for the bottom leg of the fork.
Height of FJR fork measured 33" to fork cap. I found a 1-1/4" plumbing drain fitting would fit over the top cap nut, and the height would be sufficient to clear the rebound and preload adjusters. It is 1-3/4" high. Total then is 35-1/4"...
But for that initial setup, one has to remember the 2x4 will be travelling in an arc, thus should incorporate some "preload"... plus the plumbing fitting will tilt a bit as you press....
So final height of my 2x4 at the bottom edge is 35", which is about 1/4" of "preload". I show this as the orange dotted line on the drawing, i.e., 2x4 is at a slight angle upward.....
If you add 3.5" for 2x4 width, then the top edge of it (and hinge) are 38" off the floor.... This will vary if you use thinner or thicker wood in your drain pan...
I first unscrew the fork top cap out and fill the fork tube to about 1/2" from the top... less oil will mean you'll need more stroke to push the seal out, so fill accordingly and reinstall the fork cap. To assist, it's advisable to back off the preload completely, especially if you have aftermarket springs. After you put the top cap back on, ensure your rebound knob has adequate recess into the plumbing fitting, and allow a little extra... i.e., underflush 3/8" or more.
Don't forget to remove the fork protectors, dust seal and the wire retaining ring for the seal.......
I placed the fork about 5.5" away from the wall, on the plywood piece in the drain pan, plumbing fitting on top, raised the 2x4 on a slight angle (see dotted red line in the drawing). I pressed down likely a good inch, and it didn't take that much force to get the seal to rise out of the fork... and when that happens, there is a bit of oil spillage... no gushers, it was all under control.
Bonus, the 2x4 can be hinged up and stored against the wall out of the way for next time... need a wire or hook to hold it there.
I'm sure there can be a number of improvements....
Update - rebuilt the forks on my former Root Beer FJR, it has upgraded Traxxion fork springs 1.1 spring rate. When compressing the first fork, the springs allowed compression to a point where the seal popped out on one side, then of course, it starts oozing oil. Loss of oil means loss of hydraulic pressure, so could not compress enough to finish the job..... so, recommendation is back off the preload fully if you have OEM or lesser spring rate springs, or in this case, take the extra steps of removing the spacers (and springs if you like). This will allow more stroke.
IF not obvious, when you first fill the fork with oil, fill it as much as possible (within half inch of the top)...... some may ooze out as you replace the top fork cap.
In this case, the seal was popped up enough on one side to pry it out later, but you need a sharp awl to pierce the metal carrier in the seal. Be careful not to damage the fork tubes...
Further, when forks drained and attempting to slide hammer the bushings out, I did NOT heat up the upper part of the lower fork tube, hoping with the seal gone it would be simpler. A little odd, but the inner fork tube came right out, leaving all three bushings inside the fork. This just confirms my theory that the upper bushings are too much of an interference fit, and that heat is necessary. When I did the second fork, I heated the lower fork and the bushings came out on second attempt at slide hammering..... confirming also that this is much better now that the seal was removed prior.....
I'll make notes on the second set of Gen3 forks upcoming soon.......... OEM springs in those, so not expecting issues.
