From odomr@BASF-CORP.COM Tue Jan 16 11:28:33 2001 Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 08:37:23 -0500 From: Robert W Odom To: HAWKGT-L@listserv.hawkgt.com Subject: Shock spring removal. Was: 900RR shock mods I just removed and reinstalled the spring on our Hawk shock recently. No prybars necessary; plenty safe. Here's what I did: Get a short piece of 2 1/4" exhaust tubing (6 or 8" long). Make sure the ends are cut perpendicular to the axis. On one end of the pipe, cut a 1 1/2" square window. Here I mean to make a 1 1/2" cut parallel to the axis at one end, move over 1 1/2" and make another cut, and then make a crosscut between the ends of the first cuts to remove the piece. This tube-with-window will be used to compress the spring; the window allows you to reach in with a small screwdriver and pry the retaining clip out of its groove. Now all you need is the leverage to compress the spring. I used my benchtop drill press. Set the shock under the spindle of the press with the tube on top of it (window end down and toward you and over the ends of the retainer clip). Make it as vertical as possible so it doesn't try to kick out when pressure is applied. Put a small block of wood under the shock and another on top of the tube. I had to swing the table on the press out of the way to have enough room for everything. The bottom of the shock is sitting on the "foot" of the press. If you can use a floor model, just set the table where necessary for the length of the tube and shock combo. Now, preferably with an assistant to help steady things, use the drillpress downfeed lever(s) to apply pressure and compress the spring the necessary inch or so to get to the clip. Keep those fingers out of the pinch zone. Once you've got the clip out of the groove, ease off on the press and voila, your spring is free. An alternative is to use a hydraulic bottle jack, but a floor type press would needed to have the necessary vertical clearance for everything ( This could also be done in a doorjamb, or between a benchtop and the ceiling; just get a longer piece of pipe). The jack applies the force to the spring and the upside is that it will "hold" the spring wherever you need it and you or your assistant aren't in a strain while wrestling with the clip. Ahem, I assume no responsibility for you impaling yourself with shock parts, tubing, or pinched fingers, etc........ Bill