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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Shock preload adjustment?
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Message started by praetorian on 07/02/07 at 06:30:04

Title: Shock preload adjustment?
Post by praetorian on 07/02/07 at 06:30:04

I'm posting this again because the post and the replies were deleted by an admin. Anyway.....

I need to adjust the shock preload. It is currently on the softest setting and I am 270# so I need it on the hardest setting for my big behind. The bike sat in a storage building for 5 years, so I figure that the adjusting ring is frozen tight. I don't have the stock tool kit, so I have no drift. I found a phillips screwdriver that fits the hole pretty well.

Couldn't get it to move, so I saturated it with WD-40...still no go. I then used vise grips to compress the spring. Nothing. I then used a hammer and beat the heck outta the screwdriver and got it to turn about a millimeter. I know this only because I was able to tap it the other direction and it moved a little. I don't have a jackstand to lift the bike off the ground, so I am a little limited in what I can do. Someone replied to the other post with the idea to remove the shock and put the bottom mount hole of the shock on the top mounting bolt to get good leverage and do it that way. Only proble with that is that I don't have a jack stand to raise the bike to get the shock off. Any other ideas?

Title: Re: Shock preload adjustment?
Post by youzguyz on 07/02/07 at 06:42:12

Find another way to raise the rear of the motorcycle.
If you can't rent a jackstand, then find a way to lift the rear of the bike from over head. A tree, some chain and a come-along.

Make sure you aren't turning it the wrong way. If you are at the softest setting now, it will only turn ONE WAY!

For reference:
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1137768473

Title: Re: Shock preload adjustment?
Post by Savage_Rob on 07/02/07 at 07:42:43

If you can get someone to help, it's fairly easy to lift it enough manually to remove the shock. I used a broomstick as a lever and lifted it enough to pull it myself when I changed mine to Progressives.

Title: Re: Shock preload adjustment?
Post by praetorian on 07/02/07 at 17:07:28

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Rob, your lever idea worked perfectly. I can't believe it didn't dawn on me to do tis. I even keep a 4 ft. 2x4 to use as a lever for a number of things. With it, I was able to easily get the shocks off and then get the preload set to where I wanted it. I set it to 1 click from firmest. I think this will be sufficient for my 275# behind. We will see. If not, I still have the ability to raise it one more notch.

Thanks again and I can't wait to take her for a test ride tomorrow to see what the difference is. What should I expect from it now? Will this give me a much stiffer ride thus less comfortable? will it improve the andleing of the bike?

Oh, by the way, the 2 shocks were set at 2 different settings. The right was set at lowest and the left was set at 1 notch up from lowest.

Title: Re: Shock preload adjustment?
Post by verslagen1 on 07/02/07 at 17:27:24

I had mine on the stiffest for a while, there were a few bumps that it was too stiff for so I backed it off one notch. I like it now, just right for my 240 butte. ;D