Ohlins 888 Spring Replacement

[Jakobi]

Hello again,

Just removed the old shock spring. Took a bit of grunting and heeving and a few bad words but got there. Now trying to put the new one had me breaking a sweat and contemplating throwing things across the shed.

Anyone got any tips or tricks for changing these things with a one man show. I think I could just get it done with 2 people, one to compress the spring, one to quickly slip the retainer in. Just curious if its possible to do solo.

I have seen set ups where people use a jack to compress the whole shock but I don't think I need to go that elaborate.

 

[GMP]

First, moved this too Suspension forum.

Now, just backing the preload and lock rings off all the way was not enough? Unless things have changed it should not be a big problem. The Sachs requires a little help, but not much. I just clamp the top mount in a vise, put a tire iron through the coils under the retainer ring, pust down a little and slip the ring out. The older Ohlins Gold Series shocks I've had had plenty of room to just slip the retainer out with no spring compression, is the new Ohlins that different?

 

[FinGas]

?hlins 888

I have changed the spring several times. I do it without removing the shock from the bike... (cos' i cannot get it out )

1. remove pipe and silencer
2. remove rearmost dogleg bolt and push doglegs down
3. back off all preload of the spring
4. remove shock bolts (top & bottom)
5. lift rear tyre as high as possible and fix it there with a rope or whatever...
6. yank shock to a position where the bottom is free for the spring to be removed
7. lift the bottom end of the spring with a flat screw driver so that you can push and release the retainer - you don't need to use much force..
8. remove spring...

putting a new spring is obviously a reversed process.. alltogether takes about 10 minutes from me.

-Mika

 

[BrentMartell]

I use to the two person method. What a pain. It might be easier to leave it on the bike so you can use a pre bar bar or something to lift the spring enough to slip the collar in and do it alone. My gf helped me and it was super slick and easy and I only cussed or 3 times. She didn't run off screaming or nuddin so it must have been ok.

I think next time I might just run strap around the bench vise and use a small pry bar to leverage the spring down so I can do it alone. You just need something on the other side of the spring to pry against.

 

[bchatt]

I use a lightish ratchet type tie down, looped through near the top of the coils. It's a bit fiddley but works OK.

 

[Jakobi]

Thanks for moving it Glenn. Did I accidently put it in 2 stroke engine?

Seems like we're all on the same page. It definately needs a little bit of compression to get the collar on with the preoad backed off as much as it can. I was using a long screw driver to try and lever the spring but working on my own to hold the shock upside down, lever and then try and slip the collar was proving difficult. I had also considered a rachet setup like bhatt said but it was getting late so I decided to leave it for another day before I broke either the shock or myself. I might try the girlfriend method tonight.

 

[FinGas]

We are not necessarily on the same page? Seem that your spring needs to be compressed much more than mine? I really don't need to lift the spring for more than 5mm to be able to release the retainer... Really easy in my shock.

Are there differencies between shocks?

 

[GMP]

Thats what I was questioning, shouldn't really be that hard I would think, never had a bike with a shock I had to fight the spring to get it off. My Sachs is the worst and like FinGas its only a few mm push and its off.

Can you actually back off the rings for zero preload? How deep is the well in the retainer ring?

 

[Jakobi]

Preloads where fully backed off. It only had to be compressed maybe 10mm I guess to get the retainer out but was just tricky to hold, compress and remove all on my own.

I used a large screw driver to compress the spring and the gf slipped it back in first go. Its the Ohlins 888 with the High and Low speed compression and the rubber twist disc on the shaft for rebound. It took a good whack of my upper body weight to compress the spring down enough though. Definately not a one hand job.

 

[BrentMartell]

Perhaps in the past or whatever the shocks were easier. This is my first ohlins and it is not simple back off the preload and slip the ring off kinda deal. The spring has be compressed to get the ring off and unless your hands are super human it is not a SUPER simple one handed deal. I have bench vise to hold the shock upside and then use both hands and some body english to compress the spring. The GF then slips the ring out and we reverse the process.

Unfortunatly this requires an exchange of either cooking or doing dishes. Therefore, next round I will put in the vice and clamp it, strap it, or beat it into submission. I am staying out of the house. I gotz important stuff to do in the garage.

 

[roverhybrids]

Most of the aftermarket springs(IE racecraft) are longer than stock and a spring compressor is needed. I bought a cheepie one at harbor freight tools and got the racecraft spring off, but I would not recommend that exact tool as it didn't work well for the smaller size(vs it's made for automotive use). Since I was happy with the tool I returned it.

 

[MJC]

I just use 2 Vise Grips. One on each side of the spring to compress it enough to remove the retainer. It takes all of about 2 minutes to remove the spring from the shock using this method.

 

[BrentMartell]

I tried it and it tore the paint off my spring. I didn't have anything handy to wrap it at the time. LOL. Good point though. A little more thought and patients would have worked better. I hate dishes.

 

[Jakobi]

Once again MJC comes up with the answer! I paid my dues in the kitchen and then again later on.. I can't really complain.. Haha! The replacement spring was exact same length. Its just he way they are.

 

[twowheels]

Several years and several shocks ago I bought the RaceTech lever action spring compressor. When I started doing a bunch of GasGas shock work I made up an adapter to fit in the bottom clevis.

With the shock upside down in a bench vise and the tool inserted on the right coil I can usually get the retainer off in one swing (approx 8 sec). Cursing and swearing all but eliminated.

Buy the tool and loan it out for a six-pack whenever your buddy needs it - you'll have it paid for in no time.

 

[BrentMartell]

Revalved the shock last night. Used the shops spring compressor this time. Super easy. I do think if you are going to do this stuff often it makes the most sense to have a spring compressor.

 

[Jakobi]

No disputing the right tools for the job makes things much quicker, much easier, with less muck ups and frustration.