lovebill1951
XS650 Enthusiast
How can I take this shock apart for cleaning? Is it easy to do? Special tools?
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'78 rear shock dissembly
- Thread starter lovebill1951
- Start date
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- how to suspension
How can I take this shock apart for cleaning? Is it easy to do? Special tools?
About all you can do is remove the spring, the shock itself is a sealed unit. You'll need to rig up some sort of spring compressor so you can depress the spring and remove it's retaining collar. There are many home-made methods for doing this, Google it and I'm sure you'll get some ideas. I disassemble quite a few shocks so I made up some special fittings for my HF press. The 1st is for use on shocks with spring covers or shrouds. It has 2 plates with half moon cut-outs to rest on the spring cover edges. The rear plate is adjustable via an attached screw so the tool will fit different diameter covers .....
The second is for open spring shocks and has 2 V notched strips of strap steel that fit into the spring coils, the V cuts bearing against the shock rod. One strap is welded to the tool, the other slides in and out .....
The second is for open spring shocks and has 2 V notched strips of strap steel that fit into the spring coils, the V cuts bearing against the shock rod. One strap is welded to the tool, the other slides in and out .....
lovebill1951
XS650 Enthusiast
Thanks. I might be able to try something with that info. I just want to clean them up for now. They are really dirty, crusty, rusty.
TwoJugs
Excess XS
I used a 2" galvanized pipe T and end cap from home depot. It fit just right in my drill press. This is a very touchy job though and I would recommend some protection and a second set of hands to help hold the shock inline when compressing. Squeeze it down and use an O ring pick to pull out the C clip then slowly release pressure. Opposite to assemble, I left off the hoods and reflectors. It did grab my hand good once but a little super glue and paper towels kept me going.
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lovebill1951
XS650 Enthusiast
TwoJugs, that's super amazing!!!!!! Now, 5twins method is quite good but you are the innovater. I do appreciate 5twins answer and he did show me what I needed to know. But this thread is like the US Government $$$ vs Joe Garage. 5twins has a hydraulic press and custom welded and painted parts vs using the wrong equipment ( that's a drill press not a..... well a press is a press ) and the wrong parts ( everytime I'm in Home Depot, Lowe's, or the plumbing store I see guys looking at plumbing parts while carring a motorcycle shock absorber ) to get the job done. I like the on the job injury, that's more my style. From what I see on the news you should be able to get a lawyer and sue the drill press manufactor, the plumbing part manufactor and importer, and Home Depot. I do realize that 5twins might have a shop and do this job frequently.
Thanks again to both of you.
Thanks again to both of you.
I jack up the back of my truck and use chunks of broken leaf springs.
Safety first.
Safety first.
TwoJugs
Excess XS
Thats what happens when you play the same song on the piano over and over for 40 years.
lovebill1951
XS650 Enthusiast
No bugger is safe from gggGary.
There are pics of a simple hand operated lever type tool here .....
http://www.thisoldtractor.com/gtbender/loopframe_shocks.htm
I've been meaning to build one, just haven't yet.
http://www.thisoldtractor.com/gtbender/loopframe_shocks.htm
I've been meaning to build one, just haven't yet.
lovebill1951
XS650 Enthusiast
I went with TwoJugs. Lowe's didn't have a 2" steel so I went with a PVC and wondered if it would be strong enough. Anyway it worked. I stuck the shock back in the press for this pic although the shock is dissambled. As I started playing with the set up on the drill press I found the drill table came off to reveal a surprize shock mount.
Tomterrific
XS650 Junkie
This is a description of a shock spring tool I made on the spot with common garage junk. I have used this same tool twice to pull shocks apart. I think shocks look much better without the half shroud commonly found on the top of the shock, so I took it off.
First, you will need a floor jack. A floor jack is the common hydraulic jack that you shove under a car and pump the handle. It has a pad that lifts the car and a frame with wheels that rolls on the floor.
Second, you will need chain. Just a short length about 3 or 4 feet long. The chain is stretched out perpendicular under the jack. Let the chain lay on the floor stretched out under the jack.
Third, you need some hooks to hook the chain to the springs of the shock. I used steel hooks off a rubber truckers bungy. These are the cheap ones. You can also get small S hooks at teh hardware store. The only requiremnets are that the hooks are small enough to fit the spring coil and not stretch out under pressure.
So you have the jack, chain and hooks.
Place the shock upright on the jack pad.
Hook one side of the chain to the spring getting it as far up as possible. Do the same to the other side.
Holding on the shock to keep it upright and steady, pump the jack.
As the jack is raised the chain is under the frame of the jack and, since the chain is hooked to the spring, keeps the spring from rising with the body of the shock. The spring is compressed and the top of the shock is loose. Remove the keepers at the top of the spring and the jack can be released and the shock reduced to its individual parts for cleaning and repair. Do the exact same procedure to reinsert the spring keepers and assemble the shock.
Hints and warnings:
Use heavy gloves and eye protection to keep from being badly injured. I wore my full face helmet the first time I did this. Springs store a bunch of energy.
Make sure the chain runs directly under the shock so when the jack is raised the shock is not pulled to the side. Holding the top of the shock is to keep it balanced not to force it to stay upright. My shock would stay up on its own with the spring compressed but it was precarious which is why I wore the helmet.
Fold a rag and place it on the jack pad to protect the paint on the bottom shock eye.
Springs are sometimes too stiff for lighter riders. The spring preload maybe reduced if the lowest setting on the adjustment ring is ground deeper with a Dremel stone. Keep the same ramp angles and it should work okay. I plan to do this the next time I mess with my stiff shocks.
Tom Graham
First, you will need a floor jack. A floor jack is the common hydraulic jack that you shove under a car and pump the handle. It has a pad that lifts the car and a frame with wheels that rolls on the floor.
Second, you will need chain. Just a short length about 3 or 4 feet long. The chain is stretched out perpendicular under the jack. Let the chain lay on the floor stretched out under the jack.
Third, you need some hooks to hook the chain to the springs of the shock. I used steel hooks off a rubber truckers bungy. These are the cheap ones. You can also get small S hooks at teh hardware store. The only requiremnets are that the hooks are small enough to fit the spring coil and not stretch out under pressure.
So you have the jack, chain and hooks.
Place the shock upright on the jack pad.
Hook one side of the chain to the spring getting it as far up as possible. Do the same to the other side.
Holding on the shock to keep it upright and steady, pump the jack.
As the jack is raised the chain is under the frame of the jack and, since the chain is hooked to the spring, keeps the spring from rising with the body of the shock. The spring is compressed and the top of the shock is loose. Remove the keepers at the top of the spring and the jack can be released and the shock reduced to its individual parts for cleaning and repair. Do the exact same procedure to reinsert the spring keepers and assemble the shock.
Hints and warnings:
Use heavy gloves and eye protection to keep from being badly injured. I wore my full face helmet the first time I did this. Springs store a bunch of energy.
Make sure the chain runs directly under the shock so when the jack is raised the shock is not pulled to the side. Holding the top of the shock is to keep it balanced not to force it to stay upright. My shock would stay up on its own with the spring compressed but it was precarious which is why I wore the helmet.
Fold a rag and place it on the jack pad to protect the paint on the bottom shock eye.
Springs are sometimes too stiff for lighter riders. The spring preload maybe reduced if the lowest setting on the adjustment ring is ground deeper with a Dremel stone. Keep the same ramp angles and it should work okay. I plan to do this the next time I mess with my stiff shocks.
Tom Graham
The steel and PVC tee fittings are a good start I might get a long eye bolt, open the eye enough to slip in the upper shock mount. Put the tee on, a piece of wood, steel or whatever on the a washer and nut. Tighten the nut to pull the sock mount up and push the spring down. Get the lock collar out, unscrew the nut.
This is a much more controlled than the drill press.
This is a much more controlled than the drill press.
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