But thes are 98 forks! externally 2 faint grooves machined around the outside lower forkleg just below the seal,a 97 doesnt have this.
Top cap has a raised slot on an octaganal cap,the 97 has only an octagon.
The fork seals are the same but the upper bush in the aluminum half just below the seal is a thinner wall bush than a 97.A 97 bush wont fit in a 98 leg and a 98 will fall into a 97.
The chrome dampening rod is 10 mm in diameter on a 98 and 12mm diameter on a 97'
The spring collar{what the sping sits on } is plastic with aluminium sleeve at the the 97 has thin walled alluminium {which can crush/ collapse under heavy bottoming}
The lower rebound adjuster base nut is a smaller diameter than a 97.
98's work just that little bit better and have a quick change high speed valve, to access hold the octaganal nut with a big shifter and use a smaller shifter to unscrew that raised slot,pull hard as suction holds it in and you can put a racetech gold vavle on but you dont have to bother pulling the mid valve apart and do not use the mid checkvalve supplied by racetech.I suggest single stage valving as its more predictable through the entire stroke.
Ive used 97 lower legs on 98 internals on a 2015 wr 250
Best advice ever low stiction skf seals on these forks]
will post some pics if i can work it out.lol