For fork's sake!

[Harry Muff]

Following on from the "where can I get a front end stand from" thread, after which EvilChicken kindly lent me his one, I attempted to change my fork oil today...

What's that? Easy job? Yeah right! Not on my bike it wasn't!

Got the bike apart alright, forks out. Lovely jubbly so far.

Then it comes time to measure the air gap. 105mm. Haynes book says it should be 86mm. Whatever; I'm happy with the handling so that's what I'll set it to with fresh oil.

Now it's time to put it back together...

Now this is the third bike I've changed fork oil on and the first with USDs. Still, not really a problem.

However... trying to get the spring compressed enough to screw the top cap on? Absolutely fucking impossible!

I did it all in the right order according to the book and photos and the way it came apart in the first place. The book says to use a washer with a cutaway slot to hold the spring and spacer back while I screw the top on. No chance! Not in a million years!

Then I say bollocks to it and use brute force to push the spacer down and quickly put the nut on. I just managed. Although with vocal assistance (swearing). Not so impossible after all I think...

Not quite. The second one, although the spring measures exactly the same length as the other one, seems a lot stiffer and will NOT go down enough to get the spacer down enough to pop the nut on. Nowhere near. Not even with two of use using our body weights to get it down.

Bugger.

Now, the springs are definitely the right ones. They were definitely seating at the bottom of the fork. All the preload was wound off prior to dismantling.

What is it?!! What do I have to do?!! The spacer just seems too long although I'm sure it's the one it came out the factory with.

Anyone?

Yours stumped.

Harry.

P.s. here's a couple of snaps to see what I'm working with: CBR1000RR 2006

The picture on the right is with the damping rod at the top.

[Harry Muff]

Failing that, can anyone tell me where I can take them to get them revalved and sorted while I wait?

Pretty please?

[chrisexup]

is the spring tapered? Try fitting it the other way up.........

[Harry Muff]

is the spring tapered? Try fitting it the other way up.........

IIt has to be tapered end at the top.

[Taqman]

My B1 has a similar set up -

Are there two holes opposite each other in the white preload spacer?

Normally you fit a collar around the white tube and attach a pair of 'handles' which thread into the collar and protrude into the holes

You then lean on these HARD as an assistant pulls up on the fork cap you should then be able to expose the lock nut at the base of the damper assembly - this is where the slotted holder fits. you then take off the fork cap and damper adjuster assembly as a unit - not separated as yours are.

The other thing you need is an internally threaded damper rod puller - as the damper rod WILL sink down inside the tube forks and be an utter bastard during reassembly.

When I did mine I made a compressing collar from a pair of munton rings (plumbing pipework supports) and some longish bolts

I then treaded a ratchet strap through the splindle hole and hooked one hook on each bolt - with the fork leg clamped in my workmate there was just enough clearance for the strap to fit. I then used the ratchet to pull down the springs - the handles (bolts) have to go all the way down to the top of the tubes so the damper holding collar can be fitted.

The fork cap with it's damper assembly can then be refitted and the collar removed, then release the spring compressor strap (carefully as it will want to go with a bit of a bang) - then remove the gubbins and refitt the outer tube to the fork cap.

This is for Kwack Kayaba forks - the principle should be the same but you probably have Showas so there may be some detail differences

Hope this helps

Taq

[Harry Muff]

Thanks mate. It does sound as though like they are similar. I'll have a go at rigging up something similar to go in those holes and pull it down.

And, yeah, that damper rod is an utter cunt! I'm thinking of using a pair of needle nose pliers to fish it out and hold it to buy extra time.

[Taqman]

Thanks mate. It does sound as though like they are similar. I'll have a go at rigging up something similar to go in those holes and pull it down.

And, yeah, that damper rod is an utter cunt! I'm thinking of using a pair of needle nose pliers to fish it out and hold it to buy extra time.

Mind the threads on the damper rod - they are quite fine and the tube is quite soft metal.

One thing you can do which might help a bit. - remove the damper adjuster - but make sure the lock nut doesn't move - measure the amount of exposed thread above the lock nut and write it down somewhere.

Now undo the lock nut untill it is near the top of the threads - this will protect them a bit when you go for it with the pliers - also it means that the rod doesn't have to be raised quite so far to fit the collar. - once the colllar is on the nut can be returned to its correct position and the damper assembly refitted.

[Harry Muff]

DEFEATED...

Tried everything. The strength of right side spring is not of this earth. Fuck knows why it is so strong. The left side spring, while measuring exactly the same length, was much softer and went in with much less of a fight. What the fuck did they do to the forks?

Unfortunately, the tops of the damper rod threads did get a bit chewed, but they still accept the top nuts.

So I'm going to call MCT Tuesday morning and see if they'll do a rush revalve and service. Not to mention two matching springs!

I need my bike to go to work and this is going to fuck me up. Oh well...

Cheers anyway Tagman for your help. In the end, I think someone just fucked up when they were putting them together and put a dodgy spring in.

I'm looking forward to having revalved forks though.

[billysbones]

They look very similar to mine that I've just replaced seals on. (SP1).

I would imagine that the trouble you are having relates to the fact that you have put too much oil into it. I'm No expert, though.

I would try and remove exactly the right amount of oil and try again. Oh, and the tapered end of the spring definitely goes to the top.

[Harry Muff]

They look very similar to mine that I've just replaced seals on. (SP1).

I would imagine that the trouble you are having relates to the fact that you have put too much oil into it. I'm No expert, though.

I would try and remove exactly the right amount of oil and try again. Oh, and the tapered end of the spring definitely goes to the top.

They probably are similar forks. I put the spring in tapered end up and it was definitely sitting on the bottom. I even tried it without oil and it is simply a case of a spring that would have Superman scratching his head.

3 days I've been trying and I'm defeated. First time in 12 years of bikes.

Cheers anyway mate.

[Taqman]

Definitely sounds odd having two different strength springs

I wonder if they'd been off before you had them and were sent somewhere to be ugraded and got mixed up with some others at the workshop - someone else has a mismatched set....

[Harry Muff]

Definitely sounds odd having two different strength springs

I wonder if they'd been off before you had them and were sent somewhere to be ugraded and got mixed up with some others at the workshop - someone else has a mismatched set....

To be honest, I did wonder about that as the springs seem to have constant spacing between the coils rather than the usual bunched up at the botom and spaced out at the top arrangement. Technical talk eh? lol.

Another thing was the air gap. 105mm in each as averse to 86mm.

However, the settings on ALL the adjusters are factory spec. Well, they were until I wound the rebound all the way in bar a 1/4 turn. They were like pogo sticks. Fuck knows why they come like that nowadays.

I still think someone may have been at them though.

[chrisexup]

i wanted to swap the 1.00kg/mm RSV Showa fork springs for 0.95 kg/mm ones and had to have a tool made to undo that top nut.

Whereabouts are you? I'm in South Cheshire, if you want to borrow it you're welcome.

[Harry Muff]

i wanted to swap the 1.00kg/mm RSV Showa fork springs for 0.95 kg/mm ones and had to have a tool made to undo that top nut.

Whereabouts are you? I'm in South Cheshire, if you want to borrow it you're welcome.

Thanks for the offer mate. The top nut was ok though. It was just that I couldn't compress the spring enough to get the top nut on and screwed down. I've got some phone calls to make on Tuesday. I've decided to go the whole hog and get the forks resprung and revalved.

Only question is which firm to use. MCT is my first choice.

Cheers again mate.

[chrisexup]

Sorry, i didn't put that very well. The tool helped me to undo the top nut cos i could get both hands on them bars and push down on the spacer to compress the spring whilst A.N.Other pushed a locking plate in so the nut could be 'got at'

like 1:40 into video 1 here -

He is doing ducati forks but may apply to others i.e. buell xb's

taking them apart

part 1

part 2

putting them back together

part 1

part 2

[suspensionsmith]

Funny about the springs feeling different.

ok so lengths are same.

Try counting tha number of coils from end to end to see if they are the same and measure the wire diameter of the springs,that will tell you if they are same basic rate.

Oh and outer diameter as well,could the spring be binding because its outer dia is too large.