Front suspension "sticky"? - Page 4

Savage · 07-04-2007, 10:20 PM

You guys know how much fluid each tube holds? Debating if I should add 4-5oz of 30wt shock oil or drain the stock stuff and fill it up with only 30wt.
Thanks

IronFist · 07-05-2007, 10:20 AM

Savage I wrote a nice long reply then got knocked off the web,38667 bps

We need to drain and measure several bikes to get an average. All may not be the same when put together, Q control. 4oz was suggested, but I have a 150cc and don't know if the shocks are the same size as on the 200cc's. I took a calculated chance. Now the forks feel correct for me. I wanted to do it the easy way but get the same results. I'm satisfied, happy with the results. I put pics in the gallery page 8/N2r.

molypod · 07-05-2007, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savage

You guys know how much fluid each tube holds? Debating if I should add 4-5oz of 30wt shock oil or drain the stock stuff and fill it up with only 30wt.
Thanks

It really wasn't that bad of a job to drain and replace the oil, a couple hours on a raining day and a good excuse to hide in the garage :o)
450cc/mils is what I put in and what I am happy with.

IronFist · 07-06-2007, 02:39 PM

Got out and did some riding today. Found a street with poor man hole covers and rode over them for about ten minutes. The front forks were more firm, and controlling the handlebars was far easier. 50kph and they were some of the harder bumps I've been over. Way safer. Highway bumps much more smooth. I'm all for safe, especially when it costs 4$ for ATF.

Going from 15 to 17 tooth front, and a 46 to a 42 tooth rear, sprocket setup I got all the bonuses I was after. I have way more travel in all my gears. Again way safer, IMHO. City, stop and go, turning left at lights, every thing is just way more smooth. I got some boost on my top speed, but not what I thought I might get. It does take a little longer to get to 90kph than it did before. I think rejetting the carb might spit more gas and give more bang at higher revs. That, the chain and the swing arm greasing are next on my list, but it's a long list and all the cool stuff is at the end. :roll: N2r.

Savage · 07-06-2007, 11:03 PM

Got some 30 wt shock oil tonight. Hopefully I'll have time tomorrow to add 5 oz in tomorrow.

So just unscrew the top of the shocks, compress down on the front and the whole spring assembly will slide right out?

AZ200cc · 07-06-2007, 11:15 PM

So it looks like ATF is the way to go..Right? Would a tube height and diameter help to tell if out bikes have the same fluid amount?

IronFist · 07-06-2007, 11:39 PM

MHO I think it would help. But I got to admit, just adding 4oz, for me, worked great. Fells like I went out and spent a couple hundred bucks on my front end.

03-26-2008, 07:03 PM

new2ride, did you just add 4 oz of tranny fluid to the existing fluid in the fork? could your briefly describe the process. I was wondering about this because mine seems a little mushy and if it easy to do, I'd like to try my hand at it.

PorterzCustomz · 03-26-2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red2003

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkomp316

IMHO i'm not sure i would trust full synthetic fork oil in the upsideown forks. our chinese fork seals are not the best.

Yeah, a lot of people are under the impression that synthetic oil "leaks" by more then conventional. It has never been my experiance, or any one else I know for that matter, that I or they have ever seen this or heard of a situation where changing to synthetic oil caused a leak that wasn't already present to begin with. Synthetic oil molecules are not necessarily any smaller then dino oil, they are just more uniform in size since they are man made.

I had a car that was fine untill I put in synthetic oil and by the end of the 3K miles I started to get leaks all over the place!! Its true especially on older seals it can promote leaks when switching from dino, im not sure if you use syn the whole time what it does but then again no one would.

a1a5115 · 03-27-2008, 09:33 AM

I changed my oil. I just took out the cap head allen on the bottom of the fork and the goopy looking oil drained out. Then I removed the caps on the top of the tubes. A word of warning....do them one at a time or support the bike. Those springs are under a lot of pressure. I couldn't get it back together without jacking the bike up. I got a knot on my chin thought LOL. Anyway I just put the plugs in the bottom and put in 8oz of ATF. ATF is just a type of hydraulic oil. Anyway the result was a somewhat softer, smoother action. Well worth the effort.

PorterzCustomz · 04-01-2008, 11:22 AM

Hi, I did not read all the replies but if its sticky you can use a rag to wipe WD on the exposed metal part then apply the front brakes and load up the suspension so the oil lubes up the rubber seals. You may have to repeat a couple times but I have done this before on new bikes to help them break in when they are a little sticky and it works great, nite and day difference. The rubber seals need to break in.

07-06-2007, 11:15 PM	#51
AZ200cc Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Show Low Arizona Posts: 2,889	So it looks like ATF is the way to go..Right? Would a tube height and diameter help to tell if out bikes have the same fluid amount? __________________ <br />2001 Suzuki DR200SE<br />1997 Suzuki RM250 YIKES<br />1995 Yamaha Breeze 125 daughters<br />1991 Honda XR80r Restored<br />maybe a 2003 Yamaha TTR90
	0

07-04-2007, 10:20 PM	#46
Savage Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 732	You guys know how much fluid each tube holds? Debating if I should add 4-5oz of 30wt shock oil or drain the stock stuff and fill it up with only 30wt. Thanks
	0

07-05-2007, 10:20 AM	#47
IronFist Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Toronto Ontario Canada Posts: 2,585	Savage I wrote a nice long reply then got knocked off the web,38667 bps We need to drain and measure several bikes to get an average. All may not be the same when put together, Q control. 4oz was suggested, but I have a 150cc and don't know if the shocks are the same size as on the 200cc's. I took a calculated chance. Now the forks feel correct for me. I wanted to do it the easy way but get the same results. I'm satisfied, happy with the results. I put pics in the gallery page 8/N2r.
	0

07-06-2007, 02:39 PM	#49
IronFist Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Toronto Ontario Canada Posts: 2,585	Got out and did some riding today. Found a street with poor man hole covers and rode over them for about ten minutes. The front forks were more firm, and controlling the handlebars was far easier. 50kph and they were some of the harder bumps I've been over. Way safer. Highway bumps much more smooth. I'm all for safe, especially when it costs 4$ for ATF. Going from 15 to 17 tooth front, and a 46 to a 42 tooth rear, sprocket setup I got all the bonuses I was after. I have way more travel in all my gears. Again way safer, IMHO. City, stop and go, turning left at lights, every thing is just way more smooth. I got some boost on my top speed, but not what I thought I might get. It does take a little longer to get to 90kph than it did before. I think rejetting the carb might spit more gas and give more bang at higher revs. That, the chain and the swing arm greasing are next on my list, but it's a long list and all the cool stuff is at the end. :roll: N2r.
	0

07-06-2007, 11:03 PM	#50
Savage Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 732	Got some 30 wt shock oil tonight. Hopefully I'll have time tomorrow to add 5 oz in tomorrow. So just unscrew the top of the shocks, compress down on the front and the whole spring assembly will slide right out?
	0

07-06-2007, 11:39 PM	#52
IronFist Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Toronto Ontario Canada Posts: 2,585	MHO I think it would help. But I got to admit, just adding 4oz, for me, worked great. Fells like I went out and spent a couple hundred bucks on my front end.
	0

03-26-2008, 07:03 PM	#53
Guest Posts: n/a	new2ride, did you just add 4 oz of tranny fluid to the existing fluid in the fork? could your briefly describe the process. I was wondering about this because mine seems a little mushy and if it easy to do, I'd like to try my hand at it.
	0

03-27-2008, 09:33 AM	#55
a1a5115 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Northwest Florida Posts: 39	I changed my oil. I just took out the cap head allen on the bottom of the fork and the goopy looking oil drained out. Then I removed the caps on the top of the tubes. A word of warning....do them one at a time or support the bike. Those springs are under a lot of pressure. I couldn't get it back together without jacking the bike up. I got a knot on my chin thought LOL. Anyway I just put the plugs in the bottom and put in 8oz of ATF. ATF is just a type of hydraulic oil. Anyway the result was a somewhat softer, smoother action. Well worth the effort.
	0

04-01-2008, 11:22 AM	#56
PorterzCustomz Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 303	Hi, I did not read all the replies but if its sticky you can use a rag to wipe WD on the exposed metal part then apply the front brakes and load up the suspension so the oil lubes up the rubber seals. You may have to repeat a couple times but I have done this before on new bikes to help them break in when they are a little sticky and it works great, nite and day difference. The rubber seals need to break in.
	0