Are they hard to install when just in one clamp?  Or only when going through the upper and lower clamps?

If it's when going through both, make sure top clamp is loose so it can rotate on top of steering stem.  If that doesn't work and tubes are straight, might have bent triple clamps. 

Hi Hackman101, been reading your thread re: fork issues and wondered if the problem might be with your triple-tree upper yoke alignment. I think you mentioned earlier your stanchions are straight and true, so that being the case the problem has to be with the alignment of the lower to upper receiving 'holes'.  Assuming everything on your bike is original i.e. so hole diameters are correct and overall triple-tree plus top yoke are all matching etc. then it must be an alignment issue.  Have you considered relaxing off the retaining steering head clamp bolts on the upper yolk so it can move slightly relative to the triple-tree steering head. Then as you slide the stanchions back up through the lower holes and upwards into the top yoke holes, the top yoke can 'float' a little to receive each stanchion.  Remember to retighten everything at the end. Good luck with it all, Andy .

Just seen Mark T's earlier reply to mine suggesting similar idea, so at this point I'll butt out

mine was hard to install because i was trying to force the tube through the oring that goes on top of the turn signal mount, and the headlight ear tube, and the oring wasnt in the right spot, so i brute forced it right through it and the oring which was in great shape previous, was in 2 pieces the next time i took the tube out. I guess you just gotta make sure evertyhing is aligned and it should go in like butter.

Any Orings or stuff like that just apply a squirt of oil & things slide through good.
Easiest test to view bent forks [& i guess you have the springs in now] is just gab the axle area carefully in the bench vice then turn the top fork nut with a socket & speed handle & you'll see straight away. save taking the springs out & making a mess now she's oiled up. I wouldn't stress about a slight bend so long as they're both pointing straight forward or straight back. I set them back rather than forward as likely got bent from 50 years of MX hard landings. Now i'm not sure if i'm on the right post--thinking MX250. Never mind i'll leave it as i've written now & teach you my bad habbits lol.