SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1481508198

Message started by philthymike on 12/11/16 at 18:03:16

Title: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/11/16 at 18:03:16

So I got some 2nd hand Progressive shocks from a dude in NJ with a Road Glide. Pretty one too!
After riding out there and back I got inside and called Progressive about adapting them to my S40 (Thumpy).
they couldn't advise such a thing. And it was a liability problem for them to attempt to help me with it. Finally after much wrangling the guy stopped picking up my calls and not returning my messages. But I could buy some overpriced kit of bushings that MIGHT work for me. No details on sizes etc.
I quickly got the feeling that they didn't care about anything except selling me something - period.
I gave them the mental middle finger and searched up other options. I ordered these...
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/hagon-shock-bushing-size-14mm-x-24mm.html
14mm X 24mm bushings.

And 4 of them was a lot cheaper than what Progressive wanted me to buy.

But then I realized my shocks had metal jacketed bushings in them :-[
Crappy!

I banged one out with a hammer. Got a giant blister on my thumb. It's still peeling.
The 2nd one decided not to come out but instead mushroomed really badly so its outer jacket became one with the shocks eyelet. >:(

Crappy.

after much cursing and spitting blood I started drenching the suckers in penetrating oil. Two days per side.
then I went in for a counter-attack using a small hole saw just bigger than the bushing, a socket the same size as the bushings outer jacket, a grade 8 bolt with a few nuts and washers.
Mind you two weeks have passed :o
I'm not a mechanical genius. But this worked. I popped out the remaining metal jacket bushings like nobodies business. Destroyerd some washers along the way. Until I got to mushroom bushing! :-/
Crikey!
It wouldn't come for the life of me. In the end I took it to the grinder. Not just the bushing jacket. But the entire bushing - outer and inner sleeve plus a bit of the eyelet itself. Made the entire surface flat across everything. Then it popped out - happily I might say.

I'll post some pics in following postings. Look at this steel jacketed son of a booger....

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/11/16 at 18:07:20

My new bushings were not a tight fit despite being the right size. I went to Ace and got some thin sheet aluminum and bent some shims around a socket.

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/11/16 at 18:08:28

Thicker aluminum would have been better but these are pretty snug as it is.

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/11/16 at 18:09:11

A bang with the rubber mallet does the job

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/11/16 at 18:25:23

So it is done. And I do not recommend this to anybody that is not into self mutilation. It really, sucked! Despite some old postings here that tell you it's ok to use HD shocks and not hard at all to do. Bullcrap! It's hard...

Obviously I do not have inner sleeves. I've seen many a car shock that didn't either. And judging from my test rides today - all over Delaware County's back roads, major roads and highways they seem fine without them.
Please enlighten me if I am dead wrong about the need for inner sleeves...

These shocks are heavy duty ones. So they are quite stiff. Remind me a bit of the old XL650 I used to ride in my dirt biking days. Kinda tough at lower speeds compared to the OEM moped shocks. But at higher speeds where the OEM shocks would nearly throw me off the bike over some washboard these suckers glide right over it like it wasn't there.

They look out of place. Coil covered shocks belong on humongous touring buffalo bikes. I don't mind I kinda dig the scratch built road warrior look of mismatched parts. but I am really in this for the functionality.

So objective observations.
I need to change the preload. It's up high because the previous owner rode two up. I'm guessing i need the special tool form Progressive? Can anybody here sell me this tool?
I'd rather not give them my money...

So bike is stiff at low speeds. A bit rough. Makes up for it at higher speeds. Railroad crossings (I hit 3 today at speed) and washboard feels like nothing now. No longer getting bucked off the bike.
The geometry has changed. For the better. I don't want to see a gap between top of rear tire and fender - it's not a dirt bike! Luckily these 11 inch jobs only pushed it up an inch or so. I have no gap. But they did push it up and more weight is on the front wheel now.
How does this translate?
For me I felt steering improved at all speeds. Wobblyness at parking lot speeds almost gone!
Tracking through 3rd gear back roads is phenomenal. No more correcting, the bike holds its line and cuts through like a knife.
At higher speeds it's a sense of added stability and more reassuring. I feel much more confident at highway speeds now. Less wander. No more wallowing.
Loving it so far. Time will tell if bushings endure without inner sleeves.

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/11/16 at 18:26:27

And another giggity giggity shot

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by MMRanch on 12/12/16 at 21:26:16

Looks good Mike ! 8-)

I've got Harley shocks on mine too. 13" of them , off one of the older Sportsters. Then my Sportster has 12" Road-Glide shocks ... ::) Ridding double used to bottom out the originals.

I got those bushings out with heat and the 2 sizes of sockets/tighting bolt trick it was no problem, but I'm usually lucky with stuff like that too. :P

I like the way your springs are covered ... hope you don't mind if I copy that sometime . :-?

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/13/16 at 06:27:02

Thanks alot MMRanch!
By all means go for it. You don't think the covered coil shocks look out of place here?

The bushings that I didn't mushroom with my hammer weren't too bad after the penetrating oil. I'll remember to try heat if I ever do this again. thanks for the tip!

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/16/16 at 07:38:24

A new seemingly related issue. since putting the new shocks on my belt has gotten very noisy. Prior to the new shocks I only had belt noise for the 1st few minutes after starting to ride then it quieted down. Now it is constantly noisy.
I'm guessing the extra 1/2 inch taller shocks have made the belt tighter. I'll verify and correct tension when the temperatures climb back up from polar freeze.

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by Dave on 12/16/16 at 08:04:29

Raising the bike will make the belt looser.

Check the clearance at the head of the screw/bolt on the bottom of the cover over the shift linkage....at the bottom of the engine case. When you raise the back, it lower the belt and it can rub on this screw head....installing a screw with a shorter head usually solves the issue.

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/16/16 at 08:24:10

Good to know, thanks! I will check the clearance

Title: Re: Trials and tribulations of adapting HD Shocks
Post by philthymike on 12/19/16 at 08:02:37

That bolt isn't the problem. There's some clearance still and no sign of rubbing on it.
I got some squealing on the highway yesterday but not on the slower local roads. It was wet though so....
Then getting on the highway the 2nd time in the pouring rain not a sound out of it. :-?
I'm not sure what to think. Perhaps it just got dirty and then the heavy rain cleaned it out?

So here's a surprise - the bike is soooooo much better on wet roads now. That extra front wheel weight makes a huge improvement. I used to dread taking this bike out on wet roads but not any more. Wow!
Tracking on grooved pavement is better too.
The shocks are much more effective on the highway than the OEM ones. Washboard, ruts and bridge joints are much less of a nuisance.

I've started making my own adjustment tool so I can experiment with different preloads.