Fork Spring Replacement Questions

[JoeSTL]

Well I got my Race Tech springs the other day, and I'm curious about a couple things during replacement. Last year I changed the fork seals and springs on my beginner gs500 and it was a fairly easy process, so I know this shouldn't be too bad either.

First question, if I'm only planning on replacing the springs and the oil, do I need to take apart the entire fork? The dust covers are in great condition and the seals should be as well, since I've never had any kind of leakage.

Second question has to do with the spacer length. Should I use the stock spacer or should I cut the one sent with my new springs? What length spacer do you all recommend for a guy weighing 260 w/o gear?

Thanks for your help!

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

IMO, there's really no reason to disasemble the fork completly. I would let the forks sit upside down (and some pumping) for awhile to get ALL the oil out (even the old spring). If you want to flush them, (any dark goo coming out), you can do that too, just make sure their fully empty of oil.

A secret I learned from my local shop, drain all the fluid (put the upside down fork) into a container with ounce markings on the side. You now know exactly how much was in there and what to replace unless it already changed. With it bone dry, you can replace it with the required amount per the shop manual.

I can't comment on the spacer lenth but if it came with it, I would likely try it with that spacer. Its easy enough to remove and modify if your not happy with it.

Others will chime in. If not, contact the manufacturer, tell them your weight, set up, etc and find out what they suggest. I'd ask about oil thickness too...

I looked briefly at the Racetech site: http://racetech.com/index.aspx and didn't see anything re the spacer. There are FAQ's re oil weight, etc...