Any iIdeas to fit shock springs with

[Scott]

a built in preload of 3/8ths?  It's too much for the usual flat screwdriver so maybe one of us has a solution to getting a circlip under a compressed spring with a  pivot/lever bearing down on the spring?

Thanks,
Scott

[Simon]

Not sure of what access you have or what its
fitted to could you upload a pic,

have an idea but depends on access & what its fitted to,X-link

Simon.

[Scott]

[imgExtralite.jpg][/img]

[kiwi]

you need to compress the spring somehow and then "hold" it in that compressed position.If you can compress it in a vice perhaps and bind it together with wire ?.BE CAREFUL a flying spring can damage things or worse injure you or othersOnce installed cut the binding wire......

[Scott]

Thanks Simon and Kiw.  i will use the wire trick if all else fails-in the past I owned a handy spring compressing jig for my MX bikes.  These springs were impossible to mount without it.  It was too large for this miniature unit for sure-it weighs 235 grams with the spring!

[Simon]

How about 2 pieces of thick steel rod,about 5mm thick,compress the spring the required amount in a vice or with shock & spring fitted to the bike,take a measurement between 2 compressed coils,now make 2 rods with small hook ends with the straight portion the same length as measured on the compressed spring,now compress the spring slightly further than required to enable you to slip on the rods opposite each other and then release the pressure,fit the spring and circlip,refit shock,compress the shock by pushing down on the bike and slip out the rods,try and make the rods fit in the shock shaft area as the hooks may have a clearance issue with shock body,just an option for you.
Simon

[airman]

Scott:

I used to do this all the time with my MX shock springs and I will do my best to describe it...

Remove the shock frome the frame and prop it up on the floor with the body down and spring clip on the top. Use two similar sized long wrenches ( I used to used Michelin motorcycle tire irons) to slide inbetween the spring helix, one wrench on either side of the shock shaft (smooth wrenches won't score the shaft). The wrenches will be at different angles due to the shock spring but you have to do your best to work around that problem. The next step is hard to visualize, but it requires you to wedge one side of the wrenches under one of your legs, behind the knee as you squat down and you push the other side of the levers down with your hand to compress the spring. Use your free hand to work in the clip. Your leg fixes one side of the levers and allows you to use the leverage with your hand to compress the spring. The wrenches need to be fairly long (1 foot?). You don't need a vice or an extra hand. Worked like a charm on my Yamaha YZ250...

Cheers

[kiwi]

scott you are on the right track you post the url exactluy as you did but between these



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you get a pair of them if you click on this button

[Scott]

Thanks Kiwi-will file that one away.  Having a mac might explain my missing it. The spring &  shock is together!  Used a little of all the advice and some heavy nylon ties, vice, and patience.

[Scott]

To better e'splain!, I compressed the spring more than needed in a vice.  Rubber strip on each jaw of the vice prevented future stress riser burrs being formed on spring ends for the alloy circlips. Heavy duty nylon ties were wrapped on the first coil in from each end and they held the compression while the vice was unwound, spring was dropped onto the shock circlip installed, and after the shock was bolted up on BOTH ends they were cut-if cut while not mounted the spring would push so hard to one side it might bend the shaft.  So as you can tell all the suggestions were used to some degree.

[Old Proflexer]

i know you've already solved your problem but they way we did it once was such -

my next door neighbor bob sat on my bike - he's a lot heavier than i am.  i zip tied the spring on the shock with several heavy duty zip ties to hold it compressed.  he got off and we removed shock and spring, the spring stayed compressed enough to remove the clip.  we reversed the proceedure to reinstall the shock and spring but eventually moved to a shorter spring.

time - 10 minutes
cost - 2 beers and a few zip ties.

OP