Dismantling rear shockes

[bikingbagga]

I'm assuming yiu need to compress the spring?

Anyone got a procedure & some pics

[pjmcburney]

I'm assuming yiu need to compress the spring?

Anyone got a procedure & some pics

Hey Robert,


I did this just recently.

I used a bearing press to provide the necessary spring compression force and a bearing remover (one of those bizzos for 'pulling' bearings off shafts with the two threaded rods on each side and a pair of concave 'jaws') for the spring coils to bear against.

Now it's tricky and potentially dangerous - wear eye/face protection and/or stand well back, or get an apprentice to do it... (therein endeth the disclaimer).

So... put the bearing remover in between the spring coils with the concave part bearing against the spring itself and tighten it up snug.
You'll need to be able to tilt the table of the press at this stage, approx the same angle as the coils of the spring - this is because the bearing remover will lay flat against the spring wire, but the wire (duhh) is 'coiled' requiring the remover to be at an angle relative to the shock itself.

Place the whole thing upside down (because you're pushing the bottom of the shock to compress the spring) in the press and wind the press down slowly and carefully compressing the spring just enough to unhook the retaining collar at the top.
You might need to place a piece of rubber or such like between the shock and the press ram-end-thingy so it doesn't slide out violently and lop your arm off.

Then, release everything slowly being careful not to allow the shock to fall off the press table onto your foot when all the pressure comes off it.

Voila!


Cheers
Paul

[Suzsmokeyallan]

What model of rear shocks are you dismantling???

[bikingbagga]

I have a GT250M & a T500M I plan on dismantling

[Suzsmokeyallan]

If the shock has a slip collar you need to compress the spring just enough so this collar can move down and across therefore letting the collar come off and then the spring can come out.
If it has a top cover then you need to compress it just enough as shown in the middle photo so the nut is exposed, which you hold and then turn the top eye to remove it from the shaft.
Always put the spring on its softest setting and dont compress the spring more than you have to, its pointless doing so.
Heres a set of Buffalo rear shocks disassembled that have the top cover design, here you can see the nut just on the top of the shock shaft that the upper eye tightens against to lock it in place.

[oldjapanesebikes]

I may have to give this a try - all I ever see for sale are the 'tall cap' copies of the original shocks. I have never see 'short cap' copies as was used on some of the earlier models. This might allow me to buy tall cap copies of the originals, take apart my short cap ones, get the caps re-chromed and then use the re-chromed short caps with the new after market copies .... maybe ?

Worth checking out anyway .