Frame modifications

[TheCafeKid]

Sorry they're already gone...gave em to a fellow member who lives near me. They're eye to clevis anyway, and i think the 850 are eye to eye but i might be wrong. They were just stock shocks that had been cut and welded.

[Ironriot]

The PO had done that right? I can't for the life of me figure out how the shock comes apart

[TheCafeKid]

I cant either...i think he just cut them apart. welded the piston arms into place and then cut the springs and welded those.

[hotbox05]

it's a bit hard to explain but not that hard to do . i've done it with car suspensions before.

[Ironriot]

I THINK the way it comes off is that you need to compress the spring and then remove the upper retainer that keeps the spring under tension and attached to the shock and the spring will just slip right past the upper mounting point..... Kinda like if you're working on valve springs for a pushrod engine. You press down on the spring remove the retainer and then take the spring off. My only problem is that the retainer doesn't want to give. Plus its hard when its only you doing this and the spring is threatening to decompress on your fingers if they slip

[hotbox05]

use a cut off wheel to cut the spring so as to lose the tension

[TheCafeKid]

I THINK the way it comes off is that you need to compress the spring and then remove the upper retainer that keeps the spring under tension and attached to the shock and the spring will just slip right past the upper mounting point..... Kinda like if you're working on valve springs for a pushrod engine. You press down on the spring remove the retainer and then take the spring off. My only problem is that the retainer doesn't want to give. Plus its hard when its only you doing this and the spring is threatening to decompress on your fingers if they slip

THat and when you do get the retainer off not letting the spring take your face off.

[Ironriot]

Sh!t lets just say there are other things I'm worried about more than my face. Those springs have some pretty high tension and I had to squat over it just to compress them. I think next time I screw around with it I'm gonna put on a cup to protect the family jewels

[hotbox05]

leave the shock on the bike and cut some spring that'll relieve the tension and with it on the bike won't send anything flying

[Ironriot]

The only problem I see with that is that no tension will be relieved. The reason that they're so hard to compress is because they already have ALOT of compression in them. I think if you cut the spring while still on the bike you'd still have the problem of the spring being right there in the way

[hotbox05]

for many years this was the method i'd use so as to not have to use a spring compressor when switching from stock springs to lowering springs.



if you cut any amount out the left over spring will slide around and there should be anywhere near as much tension on it than there is on a HEAVY car's front springs.


worst case you cut a ton off and then use a set of donor springs for your final result.

I can just about guaranty if you cut off 1/4 length of spring there will be little to no tension at all.

[tone]

Right gents ..... how to get the spring off ..... compress the spring about half an inch with a car spring compressor remove the retainer & release the spring carefully, you may need to mod the compressor slightly by grinding some of the hook away to allow enough compression as bike springs are more tightly wound than car springs

If you intend to shorten the springs you will need to also shorten the damper rod, some top mounts screw off & you can cut away the thread then re-thread the damper rod lower down & refit the top, some have to be cut off then threaded as above

Re frame mods its always a good idea to put a support between the top shock mounts as the frame can flex there due to swingarm forces under hard use, a short peice of 1" tube is enough but be sure it wont hit the tyre when the suspension is under full compression, you may need to curve it for clearance

hope this helps :-D

[Ludeykrus]

Bracing the frame after cutting off that large chunk is something I was worrying about which is why I kinda strayed away from chopping the rear. You do lose a crossmember. But TCK did chop all the way up to the upper shock bolts and he's had no problems. Unless you're weighing in at 300 lbs then I think you're good if you're gonna go about doing it...... Although I would cap the ends to keep moisture and critters out

You really lose no crossbracing by chopping the rear. That stupid little piece that spans the rear is thin cheap stamped metal; it bends VERY easily! Hell, I came across a video of someone twisting their's around with their hands after they cut it off, it was from some guy's Suzuki and he posted the video to Youtube to prove some guys wrong on a forum....I'd assume on this very subject.

You can crossbrace if you want to, but check out where they usually brace frames for race bikes: around the fork neck and around the engine cradle. The rear subframe is not really a highly stressed area....

EDIT -= My 450 is chopped up to right behind the suspension point where the rear shocks join. I weigh 150ish pounds, drive it hard on a daily basis, and have had no problems yet.

[TheCafeKid]

jus like ah said...my 750 is cut in the same place..i weigh 260..not a flinch from it..

[kbruce6057]

Here's my 850 with 6 degree rake.

Steve