Hi,
When I disassembled the forks there was a shim (31 42 1 458 327) on each seal below the fork cup.
Is that the correct order? Seal, shim, cup? Or is it shim, seal, cup? Are the shims even necessary?

Also, there's no circlip in the top near where the seal goes on an '85, right?Thanks

From Real OEM.https://www.realoem.com/bmw/images/diag_2ss.png?ezimgfmt=rs:640x452/rscb2/ng:webp/ngcb2

You can check the factory manual in the forum tech page for information on forks.

https://www.kforum-tech.com/Manuals/BMW%20Manual%20K75-K100%202-Valve.pdf

The problem I have with the forks on these bikes is that there were so many variations over the years it's hard to keep track of what is what. 

To answer your questions, I would expect the shim to be installed after the seals, which would put it on top of them.  I say this because it's purpose is probably to take up the gap between the top of the seals and the circlip that holds them in the slider. 

Having said that, does your slider have a groove for a circlip?  There are part drawings that don't show a circlip.  Without a circlip, I'm not sure what the purpose of a shim would be.  Maybe someone with the same forks will chime in.

As the man says. However, you may find that once the shim is in place, you can't get the circlip back on because the groove is partly covered (depends on the seal). If that's the case, put the shims somewhere safe where you can't find them next time you want them Again, as the man says, some forks don't have the ciclip and so the shim isn't needed. Neither of my two current K's (LFB and Kostenlot) have a circlip in the forks, but Brick2 did have one.

Martin it's not that shim (#11), it's a shim that's grouped with the fork seals on MaxBMW (https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51752&rnd=09082020)

Based on their fiche the circlip near the seals came in in 1987. My forks have no indent for a circlip near seals.

I guess I'll put shims on top of seals like I found them.

clappy wrote:


Also, there's no circlip in the top near where the seal goes on an '85, right?
Thanks

My 1985 K100RS doesn’t have a circlip or a shim. I’m not sure what purpose a shim would serve just sitting on top of the fork seal with nothing to hold it in place. Mind you it won’t go anywhere once you slide the cup down the stanchion and onto the slider.