Maintenance & Technical > KX500 Original

Shimming KX500 fork springs

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hughes:
Sorry for dragging up an old post. But I would like to shim my fornt spring to have alittle more pre-load for my weight. Re-stroing my 87 kx500 is breaking the wallet for now but new springs are in the future plans. This is the idea I had for shimming the springs. When I remove the top cap their is a spacer, collar, and another spacer that rides on top of the spring. If I install a non-plated steel washer between the spring and the spacer this would add more pre-load to the spring when I re-install the cap :?: What do ya'll think. I know spring is the right way to go. But for now maybe this can help. Thanks

Rick:
This was a common practice on pre-1990 bikes.  However, while a little preload will help, if you add too much, the spring will fully compress before your forks bottom out.  I can only surmise the kind of damage that will result.  

Next question:  How much is too much?  I am sure there is a way to measure all of the spacing on each coil and add them all up to determine the amount of total compression and then compare this to your total available fork traval from fully extended to fully compressed, but I have never tried this.  Given the cost of forks, springs from Race Tech are pretty cheap in comparison.

Rick

teamgreen500:
The only way I've found to measure fork spring "True Travel"is to compress the spring inside a Lexan tube and measure the extended v. compressed lengths.

Rick makes a good point. Get  the info B4 you add more than 1/2"

Good Luck

hughes:
Thanks Guys,

I am looking at adding no more than the 1/2. More like 1/4-3/8 of an inch. Just need to talk the boss into letting me drop some $$ on new springs. Thanks

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