Rear Shock removal-Help!

[steveR]

I am in the process of refurbing my suspension, I have done the front end with new hagon springs and fresh oil to replace the cack that was in the tubes and am impressed at the improvement in the quality of the ride as I go up my farm lane!

I am now struggling to get the rear shock off of my 2001 650 TA ready to swap it for a Hagon unit. According to Haynes, it should be possible to remove/wiggle it out of the LH side of the bike. It will not!

I have removed the top and bottom bolts but there is just not enough room to get the shock away from the mounts. Looking at the bike, I am wondering if I need to remove the bottom linkage to make space to actually drop the shock. The other option looks to be taking the tool box out to give some more room. If it wasn't for the stupid exhaust box, the swinging arm would drop down another inch and all would be fine...

I know several of you will have done this job... can you give me some pointers please?

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Steve,

As you know, I have done this a few times!

It can be done with the rear wheel in place & bike on the centre stand, I have always brought it out of the exhaust side of the bike tho.

It is much easer with the rear wheel removed. But then, I don't have the Cat on either of my bikes, so I'm afraid I can't be of any more help!
Sorry.....

Phil

[steveR]

Steve,

As you know, I have done this a few times!

It can be done with the rear wheel in place & bike on the centre stand, I have always brought it out of the exhaust side of the bike tho.

It is much easer with the rear wheel removed. But then, I don't have the Cat on either of my bikes, so I'm afraid I can't be of any more help!
Sorry.....

Phil

That proves it can be done I had dropped the wheel out anyway, but still cannot get enough space to manouvere the shock free of either the top or bottom frame/swinging arm mount points, everything is free and both the top and bottom of the shock is away from the mountins, just not enough.

I gave up last night and walked away from it and hope to have another go later today, first look this morning was that something else will have to be removed to give the space to wriggle the shock free unless I have missed something.....?

[Steve T]

600 TA's dont have this problem , wot with not having that expansion box thingymajig on the exhaust!

[steveR]

600 TA's dont have this problem , wot with not having that expansion box thingymajig on the exhaust!

Be VERY grateful!

[steveR]

Well I got the old shock out today, I released the spring off that it could be rotated easily, and then "wound" the shock upwards by rotating the spring until the bottom mount was free. Hallelujah!

Now the problem of fitting the new shock. I think there may be a problem with the fit of the new unit, as the spring has no collar or lug at the top end to secure it which does not look at all right to me as it means that the spring is only top lug is resting on about 2mm of spring.. Sady, Hagon were not answering calls this afternoon.... Buggered off to the Coast I expect!

[steveR]

No joy with hagon on the phones today either, so I have whizzed an email off with photos of my area of concern, ie the fit of the coil spring. It is not mounted centrally and the coil has only about 2mm of contact with the "piston" on the hydraulic adjuster which to my eyes looks very inadequate indeed! To me, it needs a "washer, the ID being that to fit inside the diam of the piston ring and the outer the same daim as the OD of the coil spring.

Dunno if anyone with a Hagon unit can confirm that slackening/removing the allen grub screw* at the top of the unit allows the hydraulic device to be rotated on the shock to allow fitting of the shock onto the bike??

As you can tell, the setup comes with zero paperwork.....

* Not the damping adjuster. I know!

[steveR]

No joy with hagon on the phones today either, so I have whizzed an email off with photos of my area of concern, ie the fit of the coil spring. It is not mounted centrally and the coil has only about 2mm of contact with the "piston" on the hydraulic adjuster which to my eyes looks very inadequate indeed! To me, it needs a "washer, the ID being that to fit inside the diam of the piston ring (just a bit karger than the thread on the shock) and the outer the same diam. as the OD of the coil spring.

Also, dunno if anyone with a Hagon unit can confirm that slackening/removing the allen grub screw* at the top of the unit allows the hydraulic device to be rotated on the shock to allow fitting of the shock onto the bike??

As you can tell, the setup comes with zero paperwork.....

* Not the damping adjuster. I know!

[Lutin]

Any pictures to show the problem?

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Also, dunno if anyone with a Hagon unit can confirm that slackening/removing the allen grub screw* at the top of the unit allows the hydraulic device to be rotated on the shock to allow fitting of the shock onto the bike??

Steve,
Yep, if you slacken the grub screw the hyd device can be rotated to a suitable position, this can also be used to alter the base preload setting.

Phil

ps I must admit, I have not been impressed with Hagons' attitude/customer support/backup in the past......