News:

         
Welcome to FJowners.com


It is the members who make this best place for FJ related content on the internet.

Main Menu

Guess the fork springs?

Started by yampug, March 18, 2018, 05:34:08 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

yampug



Any one recognise what make of fork springs these are? Recently fitted wilbers springs and shock and these are what I took out. Be good if I knew what they were so I could pass them on to a new owner. Came out of a 3xw abs.

Thanks

yampug

Spacers are grey plastic tube wall thickness about half inch.

FJ_Hooligan

Looks like Progressive Springs
You can see the variation in coil spacing across the entire length of the spring.
DavidR.

Pat Conlon

They look to me to be straight rate springs.
The progressive springs have a more pronounced difference in the coils.


Is there a prize involved?
1) Free Owners Manual download: https://tinyurl.com/fmsz7hk9
2) Don't store your FJ with E10 fuel https://tinyurl.com/3cjrfct5
3) Replace your old stock rubber brake lines.
4) Important items for the '84-87 FJ's:
Safety wire: https://tinyurl.com/99zp8ufh
Fuel line: https://tinyurl.com/bdff9bf3

yampug

I can't decide if they're progressive or linear. They don't look like any progressive springs I've seen before. I'm wondering if they're just oe springs with a plastic spacer.

yampug

Sorry no prize just the reward of being anorak enough to recognise springs :good:

FJ_Hooligan

Pat,
The picture you posted looks like the stock OEM dual rate springs.  I recall installation instructions saying to install the spring with the wider spaced coils into the fork tube first.

On the original picture, "I think" I see a coil spacing that gradually gets wider from the left to the right.  That's what I remember my Progressive Springs looking like.
DavidR.

Pat Conlon

Hey amigo...the picture came from the Progressive Suspension website. https://www.progressivesuspension.com/product/1465/fork-spring-kit

It's been ~33 years since I've held some progressive springs, so they may well have changed.
Progressive springs was the very first mod to my '84 (long before Race Tech Cartridge Emulators became available)

Cheers laddie!
1) Free Owners Manual download: https://tinyurl.com/fmsz7hk9
2) Don't store your FJ with E10 fuel https://tinyurl.com/3cjrfct5
3) Replace your old stock rubber brake lines.
4) Important items for the '84-87 FJ's:
Safety wire: https://tinyurl.com/99zp8ufh
Fuel line: https://tinyurl.com/bdff9bf3

FJ_Hooligan

Pat,
Progressive Springs was the second mod I did to my FJ 32+ years ago.  The first was F1R slipons (which have moved on to someone's '84  :-)

I guess I'm not remembering it correctly.  I thought the stock forks were a dual-rate spring like the one you pictured.  But, it's true, memory is the second thing to go.

Straight rate springs have a constant coil spacing, right?

I recall Hoffman doing an experiment with progressive springs.  He said to cut the tight coil section off and you'd end up with a stiffer straight rate spring (albeit still way too soft for an FJ).

Did I mention that memory is the second thing to go?.....
DavidR.

Pat Conlon

I wonder how "banana" Jeff is doing? ....showing up at the fall ECR with a special container for his banana.
What a cool guy, I remember a bit gruff, but a wealth of wisdom. His pre-ride briefing, "There are no winners on today's ride...only potential losers...."
What was his saying on suspensions? Something like "the worst set of cartridge forks are still better than the best set of damper rod forks" ....anyhoo... If you get a chance, please say hello to Jeff for me and a thank you for helping a novice like me. I don't remember Jeff mentioning altering progressive springs. This had to have been the pre Yahoo days when we were on Netpath.

Yes, your Cobra F1R's are at home on my bike....Many thanks David.

I'm going by my recollection, so I recall my '84 springs were straight rate very soft springs. Something like .60kg/mm The Yamaha thinking at the time was that the anti dive would stiffen up the forks upon braking....We know how the anti dive played out. Good in theory, not so good in practice.
I went to the progressive springs in '85, which helped. In '89 (or '90) I disabled my anti dive and went to 1.0kg/mm straight rate springs and Race Tech Cartridge Emulators, which was much, much better than the progressive springs. I never fucked around and altered my progressive springs...I did  give them away 'thou.

See how this getting old works? We have hung out together for so many years now, if you forget something, chances are I'll remember, and vice versa.

Now, if I can just find that damn 12mm socket....I just had it....I was just holding it... :dash1:

1) Free Owners Manual download: https://tinyurl.com/fmsz7hk9
2) Don't store your FJ with E10 fuel https://tinyurl.com/3cjrfct5
3) Replace your old stock rubber brake lines.
4) Important items for the '84-87 FJ's:
Safety wire: https://tinyurl.com/99zp8ufh
Fuel line: https://tinyurl.com/bdff9bf3

FJ_Hooligan

Quote from: Pat Conlon on March 19, 2018, 05:04:24 PM
I wonder how "banana" Jeff is doing? ....showing up at the fall ECR with a special container for his banana.
What a cool guy, I remember a bit gruff, but a wealth of wisdom. His pre-ride briefing, "There are no winners on today's ride...only potential losers...."
What was his saying on suspensions? Something like "the worst set of cartridge forks are still better than the best set of damper rod forks" ....anyhoo... If you get a chance, please say hello to Jeff for me and a thank you for helping a novice like me. I don't remember Jeff mentioning altering progressive springs. This had to have been the pre Yahoo days when we were on Netpath.

Speaking of Jeff.....  It was Spring Break last week and by some bizarre chain of events Jeff had invited my wife, our youngest daughter (16 yo) and her boyfriend (daughter's bf) to visit him and his wife in Atlanta.  We didn't go to their wedding a few years ago and my wife (Holly) had never met his (Rachel).  Jeff took the kids hiking and camping in N Georgia and Holly spent time getting to know and visiting with Rachel.  Whenever he has business in Dallas, Jeff always stays at our house.  Holly considers him our 4th child. 

Back in 2016 I flew to Atlanta and "borrowed" his FZ1 for the Fall FJ Rally.  Was kind of fun riding in the rain and knowing that I wasn't going to have to clean the bike afterwards.  :-)

He's most known for bouncing a bike and declaring "Your suspension SUCKS!"

I guess I'm going to have to climb into the attic and rummage through the suspension box to see if it sparks any memories. 

I replaced the stock springs with a set of Progressives, then bought a set of straight rate springs from Frank M and installed those with RT cartridges when I did the '89 front end conversion.  I have RPM springs and cartridges in there now.
DavidR.

FJ_Hooligan

Okay, the thick plottens.

In my Suspension Box I have 4 sets of springs of springs that look almost identical to the picture you show, 2 definite coil spacings.  Although one set is a different length than the others.

Doing the math:
I changed the stock springs in 3 FJs; my 2 and 1 for a friend.
I only bought 1 set of progressive springs.
After I bought the straight rate springs from Frank, I moved the Progressives into a friends '96 Honda CBR1000.
I assume that the odd length springs are what came out of the Honda.

Not sure what this means except your picture of progressive springs looks like what I remember stock springs looking like. 
And for all this I win nothing?  :-)
DavidR.

rlucas

Quote from: FJ_Hooligan on March 19, 2018, 06:48:50 PM

...Holly considers him our 4th child. 


Which comes as a surprise to no one who knows Hoffman.  :yes:

We're not a club. Clubs have rules. Pay dues. Wear hats and shit.

"Y'all might be faster than me, but you didn't have more fun than I did." Eric McClellan (RIP '15)