[LowLife1220]

i pulled my small springs out of the front forks today with the intent to either put in a preload spacer or, like Stitch suggested, replace the entire spring with a piece of pipe. with the pipe i couldnt get the cap on and i my saw blades are dull as hell. the spacer got jammed in the underside of the cap. so instead of getting new blades or more steel pipe, i rummaged thru my toolbox and came across two short 1/2 inch ratchet extensions and 2 matching sockets. put them together and fit them in. fit like a champ. i gotta replace the air line hose cuz the threads are shot. without any air and standard atf in the forks i got minimal sag under weight. so my question is... should i bother redoing it with something other than scrap tools?

 

[Blindstitch]

If the tools work I don't see a reason why not to use them.



Just to clarify for anyone reading it wrong. He only replaces the small spring that's about 4 inches long and sits on the top most section of the forks.



The reason why I suggested it is because someone else here had done it and showed pictures. Or maybe it was one of the other cx forums.



The progressive springs replacements use a long spring and piece of pvc to create the same effect.

 

[LowLife1220]

i was originally going to use pvc but was convinced it wasnt strong enough. i never realized thats what you get with progressive springs. i have yet to find a problem with how i have done this. if one comes up i can get pvc at work or ye olde hardware store. my biggest concern was the sock and extension aren't tubular so the air in the forks doesnt have the same route to take. looking at it more closely there is plenty of room for the air to travel around the socket. i'm not going to post any pictures of it because it was a p.i.t.a. to get back together.

 

[Blindstitch]

You need one of these. Another member made it to get those stubborn caps back on.

 

[cdyoung1985]

What I read was that you should take the spring out, take the cap, put it on to wear the threads line up, and mark it so you know right where the threads start biting that way when you put the spacer in, and the spring back in, you know almost exactly where you want the cap positioned, and they usually only used 1-2" pvc, the thread can be found Here and they talk a bit more about it here too the 2nd one is where they say put the cap on without spring, but explain better than I am in my half sleep.....

 

[exploring/carolina]

Recieved one PVC spacer for each fork, .62" long

made out of common 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC pipe,

included with a new Progressive Spring set,

part number 11-1109 that replaces both original

springs with one Progressive spring per fork.



Will be installing in my 1980 CX500D today.



http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pvc-cpvc-pipes-dimensions-d_795.html



http://www.progressivesuspension.com/pdfs/7100-105.pdf

 

[gopher]

I have one just like that and it works very well.

 

[LowLife1220]

i tried marking the threads on the cap so they would line up. it didn't make a difference. I tried so many times to put the caps on i have a bruise in the shape of the tower on the cap on the palm of my hand. i was thinking of taking 2 pieces of pipe one with inner threading and 1 with outer and making something adjustable but like Stitch said. if its working why change it. its not like it can be seen and it does what its supposed to.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

i was thinking of taking 2 pieces of pipe one with inner threading and 1 with outer and making something adjustable...

I think you'd have trouble installing the cap without changing your adjustment.



R

 

[LowLife1220]

one of the factors i have been thinking about that is keeping me from just doing this. i was thinking of getting some old caps from some old forks and modifying them to make it where the cap can be adjusted to do this. maybe one day i'll try something like this but for now i just want the suspension to be firm enough to where i don't sag to the stops every time i move

 

[Blindstitch]

Remember the caps on the gl are 35mm.

 

[LowLife1220]

i was going to use a definete gl cap. or if this holds up really well i'll try it on a later bike build

 

[LowLife1220]

i've spent the last hour drawing it out and i have an idea of how i'm going to build this. i think i got all the scrap i need here at the shop. i'm going to make a set if i get some spare time. who knows maybe i can sell em if they work good.

 

[LowLife1220]

spent a few hours dicking around with some scrap tubing and washers. made 2 really stout preload struts. i left them without and final attachment nuts so i can just test fit them. when i got home i realized i used the wrong size piece of steel tubing. so they are too big. i'll make some new ones this weekend when i have a welder in the garage. for now these are going to make wonderful new foot pegs. just gotta polish them and put mounting hardware on. nothing wasted

 

[81custom]

Guys,



here is a little innovation from Australia, which might be helpful - have not done it on mine as yet - but does seem quite effective - and totally adjustable for each rider, and easy to make adjustment as well..



cheers



http://australiancx.asn.au/forum/index.php?topic=6707.0;highlight=preload

 

[LowLife1220]

that is basically the exact same thing i am making. i was going to mill some new caps to get rid of the high tower as well but that would have just been a cosmetic choice. i wish they had posted some pictures so i could check my idea with theirs. doesnt seem as cool as it did before i found out someone else already thought of it. at least i have some cool foot pegs now.

 

[81custom]

lowlife,



can you see the photos -if not I will copy and paste them here



cheers

 

[Blindstitch]

Now those are interesting solutions. I had thought about similar but didn't go through with it.



I don't think the non air cx caps are that thick since I have seen pictures of people drilling the caps and adding standard tire valves to make them air caps.

 

[LowLife1220]

yeah, i can't see any pictures. i still might make mine the way i'm thinking of. i was going to make a bunch of them and see if i could sell a few for some extra chopping money. when i got home last night and started working on it i found my lower drain bolts on the forks were stripped and leaking. even after i picked up the front end and drained the air out it sprayed everywhere when i pulled the bolt off. replaced it with a larger one. now it doesnt leak and holds air. the spacers i made yesterday were out of 1" 1/2" tubing. thats the outter diameter of the forks not the inner. i'll make a pair out of 1" today and try again. it should be pretty cool. the big ones i made yesterday are gonna make sweet foot pegs. they look like silencers for a handgun. i would have made them into that if they were legal in this state.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

yeah, i can't see any pictures.

You need to be logged in to see pics on the Oz site.

the spacers i made yesterday were out of 1" 1/2" tubing. thats the outter diameter of the forks not the inner. i'll make a pair out of 1" today and try again.

Match the OD of the springs. I think they're smaller than 1" (at least in the 33mm forks.)



R