Just wondering if a company came along with a new and improved design that might be better
As others have said, even the best quality seals will be ruined quickly if the fork tubes are nicked, corroded, bent, etc. so check them carefully for issues before installing new seals.
As far as a better design, one thing I've noticed about many aftermarket seals, is that the gator spring that applies pressure is not always the same size as the factory original, in most cases it is a bit larger in diameter, which doesn't push against the shaft (fork seal in this case) as much as it should. When new, this isn't necessarily an issue, but as the seal ages, the rubber shrinks, and that's when they stop pushing and start leaking.
So, before installation, I remove and compare the diameters of the new and old seal gator springs. If the replacement spring is a bit too big, I carefully unwind the ends, trim off 5mm or so (don't over do it, and always cut from the non-tapered end) and carefully wind the ends back together, thereby reducing the diameter and increasing the pressure of the seal on the shaft. I noticed a dramatic improvement in seal life once I started checking and trimming seal gator springs.
