Using stock metal spacers (and cutting) for progressive and race tech springs?

[johnnymot1]

Have you guys that have installed race tech and/or progressive front fork springs used and cut the stock metal spacers vs using the supplied pvc pipe? They look like and feel like a better fit, and it looks like both springs (going in two different builds) are going to require the spacers for the proper fit/pre-load.

[WTF304]

I'd like to this aswell ... i have progressive front springs but haven't done them yet

[ex119x]

I usually use a piece of PVC. It is much easier to cut square and has plenty of strength when used in compression. Progressive usually includes a 6" piece with their springs.

[WTF304]

Yes they did and 2 washers also .... never done forks before so im a little hesitant. ... still thinking of letting a shop do them.

[ex119x]

Just go ahead and do it. They are very simple forks and it is a good job to do and get some confidence in your abilities. The big hint is to use an impact wrench to get the damper bolts out of the bottom of the fork leg.

[WTF304]

Yea but wouldn't an impact destroy the threads in the aluminum?  .... be alot safer to just wrench them out

[johnnymot1]

I had not problem removing the damper bolts on the legs. My issues have always been removing the top caps, so I start a week or so in advance with some variant of liquid wrench. Thankfully this set came off easily. Amazing the amount of sediment inside this set I just pulled apart, including in the bottom of the dampers.

I have the PVC spacers that came with the new springs as well, but I'm going to look at using the metal stock ones now. I'm sure they both work fine, but just a personal choice for me for now to see how they work. Excited to get these back together with new springs, fork oil (not ATF) in the 10-15w range, seals and tapered roller steering head bearings.

My only intimidation is putting the headlight wiring puzzle back together and making it "re-fit" back inside the headlight bucket, but I'll figure it out and have another FT beside it as a guide.

[johnnymot1]

I answered my own question. Progressive states you can use the PVC spacers or "shorten the stock spacers and use". With a tubing cutter, or cut off saw, it should be too hard getting a straight cut on the stock metal spacers.

On the subject of using an impact wrench on the bottom dampers. Low and behold, when working on a "parts fork" assembly today that I absolutely ruined the fork top caps on trying to get them off, one of the bottom damper bolts would not move. I stripped it, then drilled the head off because I don't have an impact. Otherwise I would have used it. The damper it threads into is steel of course, so no worries about stripping aluminum.

You know what the forks with the stuck top caps and stuck bottom bolt most likely had in common? Over torquing both.  The top capps were "burred" from over tightening, thus locking them into the tubes, and that bottom damper bolt was way, way over torqued. I assume a previous fork rebuild did the trick, thus reminding me torque values are set at minimum and maximum for a reason.

The progressive install is pretty straightforward, telling you to cut spacers for the FT500 at 5.5", but the Race Tech springs get a little more technical about pre load, static sag etc.....

[WTF304]

Engines .... brakes ..... carbs .... tires and wheels ..... electrical ..... exhaust .... cables and so on i can do. Forks I've never done and it's not that I'm not confident with doing them i just don't want to screw them up. guys who do these things all day have a better eye then i would for abnormal wear or service limits or a worn out part. I'm sure i could spot something but it would be nice to have that piece of mind .... and the experience is always a good thing.

What made me think to not do it myself was the installation paper. ... if you have this and this and this toss it but not that one kinda deal

[WTF304]

Just out of curiosity. ... does the bike stand ok on the center stand without the front end ? .... how did you guys keep the bike from falling over when pulling the front end ?

[johnnymot1]

For me it did not, but I'm using my Harbor Freight's finest, motorcycle/atv lift. I'm sure there's ways to secure it via the center stand, but of course I'd be very thorough there. I used this bikes triple clamps to loosen that second set of stubborn ft500 fork caps I'd mentioned, and I'm putting in new tapered head bearings while the forks/front end is off, so I needed the extra stability. I was amazed at how bad of shape the fork oil and head bearings were on this to be a "low mileage" bike. I can't wait to have the combo of new tapered head bearings, new oil and new springs on the front end.

I'm paranoid about a bike falling off the center stand, and like the stability the little harbor freight jack with the straps that go around the bike provide. I also had to lift the bike up further off the ground from just center stand height to pull each fork tube out of the clamps.

[J6G1Z]

I placed my FT Ascot on the center stand inside my shed with a wood floor. I then took a tie down strap & ran it through the rear wheel & secured the ends of the strap to the floor tight enough to lift the front wheel off the ground. Then I could remove the front wheel & forks.

Another way to do it, is to hang the bike from some rafters. Use 2 tie down straps running from the rafters to the handlebars & then lift up the front.

J.

[triguyracer]

many times you can loosen the bolt that holds the damper and lower fork leg together by turning the fork leg upside down and pushing down and compressing  the fork leg while while unthreading the bolt, works a lot of the time by compressing the fork leg you keep the inside damper from turning inside the fork leg allowing you to unscrew the bolt and not having to use a impact wrench.Works a lot of the time

[WTF304]

I have a bike/atv jack but i don't like the idea of the entire bike resting on the oil pan .... might even fit between the arms of the jack i don't know yet. I have the head pipe off any, had the head off cause i was chasing an oil leak. Since I'll have them off till I'm done with the engine I'll get an eye ball on it.

I'll leave the forks in till i get the caps off and then pull them, still don't like the plastic spacer idea so I'll have the guy down the road machine the old one's to progressives specs, Already had him fix a bolt that busted off in the head today ... damn good job.