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Stock Fork Springs
- Thread starter mike_s
- Start date
Mike, I have a set that I took out of my 2003 when the bike was new. {I installed Progressives}
We can work something out, and/or would you be interested in a swap?
Ride safe, Ted
PS: I agree with Works4Me, {before changing springs} you need to check your fluid level and the preload on your forks.
We can work something out, and/or would you be interested in a swap?
Ride safe, Ted
PS: I agree with Works4Me, {before changing springs} you need to check your fluid level and the preload on your forks.
Michael_Seubert_WI said:
A couple.questions,
How did you come to the conclusion the springs are aftermarket? Are there other spacers and such not shown in the FSM that you are seeing?
When you changed fork oil, what did you use, and how did you check level, forks compressed, without springs, or extended, without springs, and what level did you set it to?
Pre 94 and post 94 differ in method... and measurment.
What oil level dimension did you use?
Ride safe, Ted
Ride safe, Ted
jb_cb900
Street Cruiser
"I had the bike on the center stand and the front wheel on the ground."
If the bike was sitting level, that's fully extended, not compressed. You're way overfilled. If you want to check the level on the bike you'll have to support the bike under the engine to get the front wheel off the ground, remove both springs and raise the front wheel to compress the forks.
If the bike was sitting level, that's fully extended, not compressed. You're way overfilled. If you want to check the level on the bike you'll have to support the bike under the engine to get the front wheel off the ground, remove both springs and raise the front wheel to compress the forks.
Yeah, likely they were not close to being compressed if you didn't lift that wheel... its pretty heavy, and takes effort... easiest way to acomlish it is using a tie down wratchet strap thru the wheel and attached to the bars, or up thru the front attached to the top tripple tree clamp..
I have to think when you first serviced them you had the forks pulled out, otherwise you couldn't have poured out and flushed them from the original oil..
Its much easier with them removed to fill them correctly....
You can remove what you overfilled, by using a piece of clear plastic tube attached to a turkey baster, cheap at dollar store, I keep a couple around for just those purposes... cut the tube a bit longer than the fluid level required, then mark it measuring from the end to the desired level, stick it in the fork, and suck the extra out till it won't pick up more at the desired dimension... pretty simple.
Now those springs, I have no idea what they are, or are for, but most straight weight springs are shorter than stockers, and use a spacer tube...did they install without great effort to get the caps back on? Without measuring the springs wire diameter, and pitch spacing, its diddicult to say when they go "solid", but with the free length, wire diameter and pitch spacing on coils, it can be calculated.. also straight wound springs are usually installed with a modified damper cartridge, to allow them to rebound correctly, id be curious as to what that part in your forks is really. If its OEM stock, you may need to blend your oil weights to find one that dampens correctly
Good luck.
I have to think when you first serviced them you had the forks pulled out, otherwise you couldn't have poured out and flushed them from the original oil..
Its much easier with them removed to fill them correctly....
You can remove what you overfilled, by using a piece of clear plastic tube attached to a turkey baster, cheap at dollar store, I keep a couple around for just those purposes... cut the tube a bit longer than the fluid level required, then mark it measuring from the end to the desired level, stick it in the fork, and suck the extra out till it won't pick up more at the desired dimension... pretty simple.
Now those springs, I have no idea what they are, or are for, but most straight weight springs are shorter than stockers, and use a spacer tube...did they install without great effort to get the caps back on? Without measuring the springs wire diameter, and pitch spacing, its diddicult to say when they go "solid", but with the free length, wire diameter and pitch spacing on coils, it can be calculated.. also straight wound springs are usually installed with a modified damper cartridge, to allow them to rebound correctly, id be curious as to what that part in your forks is really. If its OEM stock, you may need to blend your oil weights to find one that dampens correctly
Good luck.
Michael_Seubert_WI said:
Mike, we may be overthinking this.
You didn't say why you changed the oil. If you just decided it was time to do a change, lets discuss..
**
Why did you change the oil?
Did the bike feel ok before you changed the oil?
If yes,,,, fill the forks to the correct level and give it another try.
Ride safe, Ted
) ) ) ) )Q:
How many psychotherapists does it take to change the fork oil?
A:
One.
But the fork oil has to be willing to change...
) ) ) )http://youtu.be/IzowSs9mNOM
I changed the fork oil because it hadn't been changed in the three years that I owned it. I added 325 ml of 15 weight fork oil to each fork, then sucked out about 5 ml to bring the oil height to 170 mm (per the factory service manual). I put the preload at four lines, which is the same as before the change. There was no spacer. I'm pretty sure that the springs aren't sonic springs because they are too long to get a 6.25" spacer in the fork. Maybe they are Race Tech springs?
Mike
Mike
Looking at a Clymer manual as I have it handy.
{If you got most of the oil out originally} Your numbers seem fine.
My Clymer sez 388 Ml if dry / 330 Ml if doing an oil change.
NOTE: On my 03, I preferred the level at 6 1/2". You used the std 6.73".
{With the bike on the center stand}
As the springs were removed the front end should have dropped. {do to the natural [weight forward] balance of the bike.
But the front end may have not gone all the way down.
If it didn't bottom out, and if you didn't get all the oil out, you may have too much oil.
Easiest way to confirm is to re-set your oil level.
But {As MOB sed earlier} / {if the internals of your forks were modified} you may just have a viscosity problem.
Ride safe, Ted
{If you got most of the oil out originally} Your numbers seem fine.
My Clymer sez 388 Ml if dry / 330 Ml if doing an oil change.
NOTE: On my 03, I preferred the level at 6 1/2". You used the std 6.73".
{With the bike on the center stand}
As the springs were removed the front end should have dropped. {do to the natural [weight forward] balance of the bike.
But the front end may have not gone all the way down.
If it didn't bottom out, and if you didn't get all the oil out, you may have too much oil.
Easiest way to confirm is to re-set your oil level.
But {As MOB sed earlier} / {if the internals of your forks were modified} you may just have a viscosity problem.
Ride safe, Ted
The FSM does not say that I could find. The exploded diagrams both in the book & online don't indicate. But the Clymer manual (M409-2), page 341 shows a picture where the stock washer is being reinstalled and it looks like the tightly wound portion is up in that pic and the one directly above.Michael_Seubert_WI said:
I suspect it makes no difference whatsoever.
I always installed them with the tightly wound down.
My thought was that the smaller stutter bumps would compress them a tiny bit easier without having to lift the entire spring.
Ride safe, Ted
I always installed them with the tightly wound down.
My thought was that the smaller stutter bumps would compress them a tiny bit easier without having to lift the entire spring.
Ride safe, Ted
Those factory springs will give the front end a lot of dive when braking. Keep this in mind,
because the front end will be a lot different. You might want to look into the cut spring mod
to help with the dive. On a bright note, the factory front end is very comfortable when cruising,
especially on bumpy urban type roads. I didn't care for the instability when braking into turns,
so I went with Sonics.
because the front end will be a lot different. You might want to look into the cut spring mod
to help with the dive. On a bright note, the factory front end is very comfortable when cruising,
especially on bumpy urban type roads. I didn't care for the instability when braking into turns,
so I went with Sonics.