Black Lab
04-21-2008, 07:41 PM
I waited to change my front springs until I was ready to replace my sprockets and chain. By working on the rear, I figured it would make working on the front easier.
01 - Put the bike on centerstand with the transmission in neutral.
02 - Remove front sprocket cover.
03 - Place pipe across swingarm, through rear wheel so that one of the
spokes can "snub" up against it. You need to do this to remove the very
difficult counter sprocket nut.
04 - Heat up front sprocket nut. Loosen nut, let it cool before removing from
the shaft.
05 - Remove rear wheel.
06 - Split chain, (with manufactured "cutter" tool, or grinder and screw driver
method.)
07 - Remove chain.
08 - Remove front sprocket nut.
09 - Place jackstands or blocking under each swingarm end.
10 - Loosen front tube cap bolts, DON'T remove yet!
11 - Loosen upper clamp bolts.
12 - Place floor jack underneath skid plate and jack up the bike until there is
equal pressure on floor jack, centerstand and jackstands.
13 - Remove brake line connections and brake calipers from tubes and fender.
14 - Remove front wheel and speedo gizmo.
15 - Remove fender and forkbrace if installed.
16 - Loosen both lower tube clamp bolts one tube at a time. KEEP one hand
on the tube during removal! It WILL slide right out and hit the floor if
you don't.
17 - Keep the tube vertical with bottom on the floor and remove the tube
cap. Be careful, due to spring pressure, the cap will want to "pop" off.
18 - Slightly compress the tube with your hand to expose the top of the
spring. Hook a fingertip onto the spring and slowly raise it out of the
tube letting fork oil drain back into the tube.
19 - Place removed spring in a suitable container to continue draining oil.
20 - Invert the tube, holding it in your hands and dump and "pump" all of the
old oil out of the tube into a container. (I used a bread pan to pour the
old tube oil into and also stood each spring in as well to drain old oil off
of them.)
21 - While I worked on the second tube, I let the first tube drain some more
oil by standing it on end, on top of a rag to absorb left over oil.
22 - Do the same to the second tube.
23 - While the second tube is doing it's "upside down finish drain", compress
the first tube and add your fork oil.
I used a 50/50 mix of 15w and 10w oil resulting in 12.5w. I mixed the oil in a Pyrex 2 cup measuring cup. I poured the oil into the tube and "pumped" it until all of the air was out of the valves at the bottom of the tube. I set the first tube aside to let the "pumped" air bubbles dissapate. I did the same to the second tube.
24 - While the second tube sat, "airing out", I topped off the first tube with
oil to the prescribed level. Sonic Springs recommends a distance of
150mm from the top of the compressed tube down to the surface of the
oil. I measured 150mm along a turkey baster and placed a piece of tape
on that line. I poured more oil then I needed into the tube and sucked
the excess out with the baster, holding the tape line against the top
edge of the fork tube. I squirted the excess oil into the second tube.
25 - I did the same for the second tube. I needed just a "dab" more oil then
what was shipped to me. I used just a squirt of old oil to bring the levels
up to measurement.
26 - Slightly decompress the tube by sliding it apart, keeping it vertical with
the base on the floor.
27 - Slide your new spring down into the tube.
28 - Sonic ships 4 new washers and spacers with their springs. You have to
cut the spacers. They are schedule 40 PVC pipe.
29 - I chose to use Sonic's washers and the OEM steel spacers. I placed a
washer on top of the spring. I placed the spacer on top of the washer.
I very carefully hand screwed on the fork cap. BE CAREFUL here! You
will be trying to screw the cap back on, WHILE compressing the spring a
little. It is very easy to crossthread the fork cap while doing this. You
will tighten the fork cap to spec once it is installed back in the clamps.
30 - Do the same for the second tube, hand tightening the fork cap.
31 - Slide one tube back into the clamps, aligning the bottom of the fork cap and the top of the fork tube with the top of the upper fork clamp.
32 - With one hand holding the tube, grab a wrench and snug the two bolts on the lower fork clamp.
33 - Now snug the upper bolt.
34 - Do the same for the second tube.
35 - Torque all clamp bolts to spec.
36 - Torque fork caps to spec.
37 - Install front fender.
38 - Install front wheel and speedo gizmo and torque axel and pinch bolt.
39 - Lower floor jack so front wheel is on the ground.
40 - Install brake line connections and calipers. Add threadlock to caliper
bolts and torque.
41 - Remove old rear sprocket from rear wheel.
42 - Install new rear sprocket, add threadlock and torque to spec.
43 - Install rear wheel.
44 - Lay out old chain on floor and lay new chain next to it. Cut new chain
to length. 2007 DL-650 = 118 links.
45 - Thread new chain over both sprockets.
46 - Place a wedge under rear wheel so it won't spin.
47 - Rivet new master link, (grease it first), using the rear spocket as
a "holding device" for each end of the chain while using your chain
riveting tool.
48 - Remove wooden wedge under rear wheel. Place pipe back on the swing
arm, through the rear wheel.
49 - Add threadlock to front sprocket shaft and tighten nut to spec. Fold
over washer.
50 - Replace front sprocket cover.
Ride away and readjust chain after 200 miles or so.
Cost = About $100 for springs and oil. About $285 for front sprocket, rear sprocket, D.I.D. 525 chain and R.K. chain cutter, press and rivet tool.
Took me about 4 hrs to complete this. I'm sure I've forgotten a step or two and have one out of sequence, but I figure if I can do this job, anyone can!
Here are two pics of the setup.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/barry_buchanan/2008%20Modifications/SpringReplacement-RearView.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/barry_buchanan/2008%20Modifications/SpringReplacement-FrontView.jpg
01 - Put the bike on centerstand with the transmission in neutral.
02 - Remove front sprocket cover.
03 - Place pipe across swingarm, through rear wheel so that one of the
spokes can "snub" up against it. You need to do this to remove the very
difficult counter sprocket nut.
04 - Heat up front sprocket nut. Loosen nut, let it cool before removing from
the shaft.
05 - Remove rear wheel.
06 - Split chain, (with manufactured "cutter" tool, or grinder and screw driver
method.)
07 - Remove chain.
08 - Remove front sprocket nut.
09 - Place jackstands or blocking under each swingarm end.
10 - Loosen front tube cap bolts, DON'T remove yet!
11 - Loosen upper clamp bolts.
12 - Place floor jack underneath skid plate and jack up the bike until there is
equal pressure on floor jack, centerstand and jackstands.
13 - Remove brake line connections and brake calipers from tubes and fender.
14 - Remove front wheel and speedo gizmo.
15 - Remove fender and forkbrace if installed.
16 - Loosen both lower tube clamp bolts one tube at a time. KEEP one hand
on the tube during removal! It WILL slide right out and hit the floor if
you don't.
17 - Keep the tube vertical with bottom on the floor and remove the tube
cap. Be careful, due to spring pressure, the cap will want to "pop" off.
18 - Slightly compress the tube with your hand to expose the top of the
spring. Hook a fingertip onto the spring and slowly raise it out of the
tube letting fork oil drain back into the tube.
19 - Place removed spring in a suitable container to continue draining oil.
20 - Invert the tube, holding it in your hands and dump and "pump" all of the
old oil out of the tube into a container. (I used a bread pan to pour the
old tube oil into and also stood each spring in as well to drain old oil off
of them.)
21 - While I worked on the second tube, I let the first tube drain some more
oil by standing it on end, on top of a rag to absorb left over oil.
22 - Do the same to the second tube.
23 - While the second tube is doing it's "upside down finish drain", compress
the first tube and add your fork oil.
I used a 50/50 mix of 15w and 10w oil resulting in 12.5w. I mixed the oil in a Pyrex 2 cup measuring cup. I poured the oil into the tube and "pumped" it until all of the air was out of the valves at the bottom of the tube. I set the first tube aside to let the "pumped" air bubbles dissapate. I did the same to the second tube.
24 - While the second tube sat, "airing out", I topped off the first tube with
oil to the prescribed level. Sonic Springs recommends a distance of
150mm from the top of the compressed tube down to the surface of the
oil. I measured 150mm along a turkey baster and placed a piece of tape
on that line. I poured more oil then I needed into the tube and sucked
the excess out with the baster, holding the tape line against the top
edge of the fork tube. I squirted the excess oil into the second tube.
25 - I did the same for the second tube. I needed just a "dab" more oil then
what was shipped to me. I used just a squirt of old oil to bring the levels
up to measurement.
26 - Slightly decompress the tube by sliding it apart, keeping it vertical with
the base on the floor.
27 - Slide your new spring down into the tube.
28 - Sonic ships 4 new washers and spacers with their springs. You have to
cut the spacers. They are schedule 40 PVC pipe.
29 - I chose to use Sonic's washers and the OEM steel spacers. I placed a
washer on top of the spring. I placed the spacer on top of the washer.
I very carefully hand screwed on the fork cap. BE CAREFUL here! You
will be trying to screw the cap back on, WHILE compressing the spring a
little. It is very easy to crossthread the fork cap while doing this. You
will tighten the fork cap to spec once it is installed back in the clamps.
30 - Do the same for the second tube, hand tightening the fork cap.
31 - Slide one tube back into the clamps, aligning the bottom of the fork cap and the top of the fork tube with the top of the upper fork clamp.
32 - With one hand holding the tube, grab a wrench and snug the two bolts on the lower fork clamp.
33 - Now snug the upper bolt.
34 - Do the same for the second tube.
35 - Torque all clamp bolts to spec.
36 - Torque fork caps to spec.
37 - Install front fender.
38 - Install front wheel and speedo gizmo and torque axel and pinch bolt.
39 - Lower floor jack so front wheel is on the ground.
40 - Install brake line connections and calipers. Add threadlock to caliper
bolts and torque.
41 - Remove old rear sprocket from rear wheel.
42 - Install new rear sprocket, add threadlock and torque to spec.
43 - Install rear wheel.
44 - Lay out old chain on floor and lay new chain next to it. Cut new chain
to length. 2007 DL-650 = 118 links.
45 - Thread new chain over both sprockets.
46 - Place a wedge under rear wheel so it won't spin.
47 - Rivet new master link, (grease it first), using the rear spocket as
a "holding device" for each end of the chain while using your chain
riveting tool.
48 - Remove wooden wedge under rear wheel. Place pipe back on the swing
arm, through the rear wheel.
49 - Add threadlock to front sprocket shaft and tighten nut to spec. Fold
over washer.
50 - Replace front sprocket cover.
Ride away and readjust chain after 200 miles or so.
Cost = About $100 for springs and oil. About $285 for front sprocket, rear sprocket, D.I.D. 525 chain and R.K. chain cutter, press and rivet tool.
Took me about 4 hrs to complete this. I'm sure I've forgotten a step or two and have one out of sequence, but I figure if I can do this job, anyone can!
Here are two pics of the setup.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/barry_buchanan/2008%20Modifications/SpringReplacement-RearView.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/barry_buchanan/2008%20Modifications/SpringReplacement-FrontView.jpg