Front Fork Advice Needed

[thunderbolt]

Carl, I will check this afternoon when I get home from work to answer your questions.

Branding on spring; Length in total of spring and spacer, etc.

[MacV2]

Wouldn't it be a good/safe idea to contact 'Teknik Suspension' & ask them...???

[budd]

Carl, I will check this afternoon when I get home from work to answer your questions.

Branding on spring; Length in total of spring and spacer, etc.

Race Tech springs have a number stamped in the coil at one end it'll be .85 or .90 , .95 etc that wll give you the weight of that spring, re oil I tend to go for 5wt, you've got uprated/graded internals in these usually benefit from a lighter oil, and as Mac says best option is to try and contact the people who modded the forks because someone as spent time and money in there so it's likley they knew what they were doing, using the designers intended settings would go a long way to getting them right first time if not as Carl said it's trail and error, but I think you have the basis for a good set up centaily better than most using the OE forks.

link
http://www.teknikmotorsport.com.au/

[thunderbolt]

As for the oil and airgap, that may be a bit of trial and error, but I would stick with standard and go from there. 7.5w oil with an airgap of 140mm or 130mm if your heavy on the braking. The two missing washers would be nice to have, gives the spring a little more support. They may have been left out if the thickness of them was mistakenly taken into consideration when measuring the spring and spacer length. Have you measured the spring length yet? the spacer is 100mm, you want a total of 410mm not including any of the washers with the above airgap and oil weight. That is linear springs you have there. Are there no markings/clues to what it is on them, and what weight are they made for.
(:-})

See picture below:

The total length of spring and spacer is 410mm, but the spacer is 150mm not 100mm as stated elsewhere. Obviously my spring is shorter than standard.

There are no stampings on the spring anywhere to indicate their strength or the weight they will support.

I must also say that when I was riding the bike before this work began on her she went round corners beautifully.



BTW I have emailed Teknik to see if they can help with any of the specs.

[thunderbolt]

Well, Teknik Motorsports replied to my email today and gave me the following advice on my forks;

"Hi Don,

It looks like one of our racing setups. 5wt oil, 130mm from the top. Check all shims for sealing and distortion.

Sales team

Teknik Motorsport"

So I can start reassembling them now.

On another issue I have noticed when reading "Spring" threads on the forum that members either fit shorter spring spacers (or cut them down) to mount on top of the spring or do not use the spacer at all. Whereas with my forks the spacer is 150mm long as compared to the original which was only 100mm long. I find it weird that everyone else is shortening this spacer and I am going the other way with a shorter spring and longer spacer (in fact 1 1/2 times longer than standard). The spring is quite short and is hard to compress when out of the tubes, in fact there is not much movement at all. The total length of the spacer and spring is correct at 410mm though.

Thoughts.

[VTRDark]

The total length of the spacer and spring is correct at 410mm though.

That's the most important thing.

I'm not sure what difference a longer or shorter spring or spacer has. Maybe Teknic springs require less compression to get to the same point as others, Maybe this is also why the lighter oil works whereas with a longer spring and shorter spacer may require thicker oil to compress slower, so end up being equally the same, if that makes sense.

I would take their advice 5wt oil, 130mm from the top. Time to rebuild....new bushes (if required) fresh oil and new seals. They should feel loads better then.

What about the little needle tip and spring. Did you enquire to how that fits in.

(:-})

[thunderbolt]

What about the little needle tip and spring. Did you enquire to how that fits in.

(:-})

I did not ask about the needle and spring as I was more focused on getting the correct oil weight and air gap info. Did not want to push my luck with them. Most important info first.

I have now started to dismantle the other fork leg and will take care to notice where the needle and spring reside when I get to that part. I have already noticed discrepancies between each fork leg.

[thunderbolt]

In the picture below can someone tell me how far the threaded tube should be screwed into the fork cap? If I screw it in fully till it stops then there is no adjustment on the slotted screw on the top of the fork nut (cannot turn it left or right). But if I back the threaded tube of a few turns then there is some adjustment available on the slotted screw.

Advice please?



Thanks

[thunderbolt]

Also I have found a number engraved on the end of the coil spring. It's a bit hard to read on the photo but it says 85 which I assume is the weight of the person on the bike, e.g. 85 kg.



Thanks

[NZSpokes]

Thats a .85 spring.

[thunderbolt]

Thats a .85 spring.

PLEASE EXPLAIN !!! (to quote one of our politicians).

.85 kg, .85$, .85?

Thanks NZ

[gl_s_r]

Basically it's the force or mass required to compress the spring a given amount.. that could be kg/mm - lbs/inch - newtons/mm... but more than likely kg/mm in your case.

Also your other question.. wind the rebound in all the way (screw on top), back off a turn or so and then wind the whole assembly together and lock off.. or even make the two screws on top level and looking equal and then lock off. As long as they are not wound all the way out or all the way in when you lock the assembly off you should have as much adjustment as you need.

[sirch345]

Thats a .85 spring.

PLEASE EXPLAIN !!! (to quote one of our politicians).

.85 kg, .85$, .85?

Thanks NZ

I'm using 0.85 fork springs, I weigh just over 13st (80.5kgs) kitted up and that suits me fine.

Chris.

[NZSpokes]

Im on .95 and im 102kg. Stock is .56 from memory. Way to soft.

[thunderbolt]

Basically it's the force or mass required to compress the spring a given amount.. that could be kg/mm - lbs/inch - newtons/mm... but more than likely kg/mm in your case.

Also your other question.. wind the rebound in all the way (screw on top), back off a turn or so and then wind the whole assembly together and lock off.. or even make the two screws on top level and looking equal and then lock off. As long as they are not wound all the way out or all the way in when you lock the assembly off you should have as much adjustment as you need.

Thanks for the info. I had my rebound screw ALL the way out and wound the threaded tube into the fork cap as far as it would go and hence I had no adjustment on the rebound screw.