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Post Info TOPIC: Rear Shock Absorber - Q&A megathread


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Rear Shock Absorber - Q&A megathread
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http://www.pittedforks.co.uk/fork-rechroming.php




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RE: Shock
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if the YZ physically fits cant the shaft be swapped ?
If they are that much to buy Id ask around at the local coating company about a polish and re coat and get it refinished.

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TT-R250M wrote:
JDM_stig wrote:

if the YZ physically fits cant the shaft be swapped ?
If they are that much to buy Id ask around at the local coating company about a polish and re coat and get it refinished.


 

As mentioned it is not a bolt on fit ''and'' the battery needs to be relocated.

 I highly doubt fitting the YZ shaft idea will work.

You can try if you like and take the glory of making me wrong if it works, no sweat off my back. wink

Jarrah


 It isnt about proving anything, it is about moving forward and finding ways to sort these issues which members have and will have in the future,
Ive worked in engineering and have found many parts from X machine will actually fit Y machine,

Actually looking at the YZ unit it wouldnt really be that hard to adapt it so it would use a remote res,a little cutting, drilling and tapping with  small braided hose in the gap,

as the dimensions of the shock must be very similar for it to fit in the hole on the ttr there is no reason not to look at the use of parts from the YZ shock,

the refinishing is common on forks so again using the same principles on the rear shock could be option for any bike user,

We used to get al-sorts re-chromed or re-coated on machines and plant, so its not rocket science to get a shock done.


Those grab handles that popped up on Brians site got me thinking, I have a mate who makes gates/window bars etc,
I showed him the image and he looked at the ones on my bike, he says dead easy to make, so again looking at things laterally can open up new ideas. 



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A quick update... Justin at Gibbs Performance is sending the shaft off to a company who will strip it back and repair and re plate it . There was some concern that the turn around would be 12 weeks. Good news is that it should be only 3. Adrian (noeyedeer) has very kindly offered me a shock to use until mine comes back..one million thanks! smile

Still none the wiser as to whether there are any new oe shocks or after market shocks out there, would be useful to know as I doubt I'll be the last in this predicament. no



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Rear shock absorber - red spring puzzle!
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So I've got both the red-spring and a yellow-spring of our 2 bikes attached is a comparative shot.

The Red spring has one more coil than the yellow (9 rather than 8).  I don't have anything scientific to compare the spring rates, but if I drop each spring, the yellow one is a lot more "lively" on it's bounce than the red-one!

I've now fitted the red spring into my TTR, and the yellow one into the Missuses, which will hopefully work better for both of us as I was running the yellow spring on max pre-load and the missus was running the red one with only a touch.

 

 Shocks.JPG

Springs.JPG



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the more coils a spring has for the same free length/ dia / wire dia the softer it is..

Run the spring specs though this suspension spring calc..
www.pontiacracing.net/js_coil_spring_rate.htm



-- Edited by petenz on Friday 13th of September 2013 09:30:47 PM

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Looks like the red spring is longer so that would make a difference?



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The springs were the same length. In the first shot I'd not wound all the preload off the yellow one, in the second shot it's just an optical illusion if one looks longer.

I don't have a vernier handy but I reckon the red spring might be a tad thicker which would make it stffer.

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ttr shock absorber
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Just wondering if shock absorbers from other yamaha models like a ttr600 or yz250 wr250

Mine is a bit buggered 



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Rather than try an alien set up have you considered having yours renovated? confuse

This guy in Saltash reservices shocks at a very reasonable price - cheaper than new - and he customises to your requirements too.

There will be someone near you, like THIS ONE here, possibly.

Martyn

 



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Shock removal
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Just a quick thought!

 If I lay my bike down on its side do you reckon I could remove the rear shock from the bottom, rather that dismantling half the bike to remove it hmm 



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I think I have probably tried all the possible short cuts over the years and must have thought of that one and tried it wink

I am pretty sure that you wouldn't get the shock down through the swing arm.

This sequence includes the long way of doing it - http://www.joatmoa.co.uk/ttr250/stepbystepguide.htm smile

Brian



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I got the shock down through the swingarm but the rear wheel was off so maybe i had the swingarm lifted right up ? it was only last night but cant rememberconfuse



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chrisstdt wrote:


I got the shock down through the swingarm but the rear wheel was off so maybe i had the swingarm lifted right up ? it was only last night but cant rememberconfuse


 You have to remove the swingarm linkage from the swingarm and lift the swingarm to remove it from the bottom.

However, the easiest way would be to do as I did in my rebuild thread (although I am not sure if having the exhaust removed helped?)-

The shock & linkage is now installed. To do this (because I already had the airbox installed) I slipped it through the right side of the frame. I then maneuvered the shock reservoir into place (took some careful tactics) then installed the lower bolt to the linkage. I then maneuvered the shock into place & installed the top shock bolt from the left side (took some skilful tactics & a lot of dropping the washer :). Then once it was installed from the left side with the washer (you have to place the washer against frame mount then install bolt- ''tricky'') I fitted the top washer & nut from the right side.

 

Failing that, use Brian's method. wink

Jarrah



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Shock taken out the bottom in under half hour biggrin

Had to loosen the battery case to remove top bolt, removed wheel (but just for easy access), lifted swing arm up, undid the swingarm linkage, and out she came biggrinbiggrinbiggrinttr shock 1.jpg

ttr shock.jpg

 



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I didn't like answering prior to confirmation, but I thought it would be possible. aww

Looking at my link bearing replacement shots it seemed there'd be lots of room to get the shck out.

IMG_8951.JPG

But there's still lots of dismantling to get at the fixings and therefore perhaps not much overall time saved. confuse

Now we all know it's possible, thanks to Hp.

AND your TTR's no worse than most others in the cleanliness stakes! biggrin

Martyn



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rear shock hiss
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Ok after purchasing a secondhand rear shock, this one also hisses when the spring is compressed. The hiss comes from the remote reservoir/blader thing. Same as on my original shock but louder. Is a hiss normal or do I now have two crap shocks ????

 



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If the rear shock is working as it should and it is just a little hiss when it is compressed, it is normal.

When it needs rebuilding the seals will leak and the shock will become spongy/soft. It will be obvious that it needs rebuilding or replacing.

They are very robust and do not usually fail unless the chromed rod/strut is corroded.

Jarrah



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spot on if alls good a bit of a hiss is expected 



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Well I have had it rebuilt and sprung for my weight :)
Pricey but hopefully worth it :)


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Rear shock squeaking
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Hey guys. 

Noticed the top mount on the rear shock is squeaking. If I grab the shock and twist it I noticed there is a few mm play top and bottom. 

Undid the top bolt and moved it about A bit. Didn't seem stuck. 

 

If I loosen the bolt a little the squeaking stops. Think it's ok for a ride on the weekend or should not risk it and get it sorted. 

Guess its a dry bearing?

 

Any advice appreciated. 

 

Cheers Leigh. 

 



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Along as the free play is not too much, the squeaking is pretty usual if it's dirty but can indicate that a replacement bush may be needed. Try using WD40 or brake cleaner to clean the dust/dirt out of the collars but try not to disturb the actual bearing too much as it has it's own special grease and an ultra-high molecular polyurethane. If this grease runs out (becomes dry) the bush/bearing must be replaced. 

The upper suspension bush is a dry bearing (Polylube) but ample Molybdenum disulphide grease must be used on the collars and seals. You may want to do this also.

The upper and lower shock absorber bush/bearings can be very pricey unfortunately. All Balls, pivot works etc. kits can be found for the lower bush but I am yet to find any suppliers for the upper bush/bearing apart from Brian's supplier. This type would be a replacement of the standard bush/bearing- http://www.joatmoa.co.uk/ttr250/#bushkit

Jarrah 



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replaced the top bearing with the one Jarra mentioned its been in for 12 months and I have no doubt it will out last the original (possibly never need touching again ) its a great solution to the inferior original  

cheap too , ordered it on line and the postman dropped it off here in OZ ,



-- Edited by ttboof on Tuesday 7th of January 2014 08:42:46 AM

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Awesome thanks guys. That explains it!!

Will sort ASAP!

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Gave it a good spray. Seems to have helped for now.

Put it all back together. Noticed the tank is loose. Not sure it was like that before.

The rubber strap seems to have 10mm to much play in it once on. Is this normal?

Put the seat on and off a few times. Thought maybe I did that wrong. With it on can lift back of tank up and down about 10mm

Surely that's not right? Thought about putting some foam on top of the big rubber thing under the tank attached to the frame?

Weird.

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that sounds ok .just make sure the sest tab slides into the thingo on the tank .

i think  reason for the movment is the same as plastic radiator tanks in cars .that is it needs to move otherwse it cracks .

and the top bearing lube job sounds ok .it will last a while longer but they do eventualy fail just keep an eye on it 



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Mmm agree. But it has so much movement I suspect it would vibrate too much on the trail. Would be 5-10mm. Seems like too much.

But I'm sure it's all gone back together correctly....after checking about 5 times!!

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Mine has always been like that .don't notice it in the bush 



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leigh wrote:

Gave it a good spray. Seems to have helped for now.

Put it all back together. Noticed the tank is loose. Not sure it was like that before. The rubber strap seems to have 10mm to much play in it once on. Is this normal? Put the seat on and off a few times. Thought maybe I did that wrong. With it on can lift back of tank up and down about 10mm. Surely that's not right? Thought about putting some foam on top of the big rubber thing under the tank attached to the frame?

Weird.


 My tank has no movement, is not loose and has no play. It should take a bit of effort to get the tank strap fitted to the tank bracket. The only way you should get movement is if you physically move it up and down which should be pulling on the strap.

The seat you may have not slipped into the tank bracket properly. It should not have as much as 10mm play (mine doesn't anyway).

Glad you got the ''squeaking bush/bearing'' fixed for now, just keep an eye on it. The shock absorber bushes/bearings are designed to have more play than a usual bearing as they have to take the load and constant jarring from bumps etc. You should know when they need replacing as the play is excessive and it will knock/rattle when you jiggle the swingarm up and down (with the bike on a stand). However, any excessive movement can also be due to swingarm linkage bearings.

Jarrah



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RE: Shock absorber bushes and bearings
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(Resurrecting an old thread....)

Hi,
I think that was my thread on the Yahoo forum  smile


Yeah, I used the All Balls lower shock bearing kit 29-5013 in the top of the shocker with no problems.

You do need to use a couple of washers on either side of the bearing bushings to space them out to a snug fit between the frame lugs, but other than that no problems at all.

 

Regards, ff.

 



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Rear shock compatibility
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Hi Folks,

Are they interchangeable across all years? 

Mine is a metal tank white, and I'm looking at a blue pastic tank rear shock to replace it with hmm



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Yep - the blue TTR's shock will fit straight into yours

When buying a used shock be 100% certain that the rod is perfect - not worn and no flaking or marks in the chrome. You are talking £180 for repair otherwise....

I know from experience cry

Brian

 

 



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Thanks for the really quick reply Brian.

I've been looking at one on ebay as mine is shot. plan was to buy it and get it refurbed, then swap it for mine. Trouble is, there's no way to ensure that it will be OK when I get it hmm

Currently I have spring but no damping (definitely pogoing!)so I need to do something. What's the turnaround time from Justin Gibbs like?

 

Thanks again,

Mike



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Hi Mike

The eBay shock has been on for a while and the price looks good (very cheap in fact!) if it's a 100% with good rod, bump stop and top and bottom bearings - plus of course still having all its oil and pressure. I do wonder why though, after all this time, the seller hasn't taken the shock out, cleaned it up, and put some clear pictures of it in his advert confuse

I think that its Justin's busy time of the year but when that happens he usually fits in a day to catch up on shock fettling. Give him a ring and see how he is fixed.

If you haven't had yours out of the TTR then it's worth doing so that you can have a good luck at the rod to see if there is any damage which might have caused your oil/pressure loss. It's usually the repair and re-chroming of the rod that can take a long time. There seems to be only one firm in the UK that does that work cry

It's also a good chance to replace your bump stop if its at all perished.

Brian

PS If you decide to go for the eBay shock and its OK then I am interested in your old shock for spares for a sensible amount of beer tokens. In particular I need a reservoir wink



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Thanks for the advice Brian, I'll give Justin a ring on Tuesday and see what he says.

Mine has lost all it's contents, but looking at the rod it looks OK as far as I can see. The bottom bearing is shot as well though which has caused the spring plate to wear away at the swinging arm :(

I'm a little worried about the ebay one but if I do go for it then I'll let you know. I'll definitely be contacting you about some other bits and pieces as I have quite a lot to do on the bike. I think I may have had the proverbial wool pulled over my eyes when I bought it, which is worrying, as he said he had done the starter fix, but I didn't get any receipts to prove it.....

Thanks again, Mike



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RE: Rear Shock Absorber - Q&A megathread
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Does anyone know of a UK source of bump stops the same height and id as the TTR ones please? I have had a couple of enquiries from customers today but my Googling for an alternative has failed!

Justin Gibbs at Saltash can supply them at about £20 a pop but just wondered if there was a cheaper but effective alternative.

Brian



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I have made them in the past....
95A polyurethane... the same OD
cut the length bore a hole



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petenz wrote:

I have made them in the past....
95A polyurethane... the same OD
cut the length bore a hole


Hi Pete

I have found a UK supplier of polyurethane rod 44.5mm diameter 90/95A.

To get a bit of shape and bore the hole for the rod I am assuming you need access to a lathe. Would special tools be required?

Sorry to be ignorant but I have never had the good fortune to use a lathe.

Brian



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yes a lathe would be the go....

A idea...
if you can bore the hole... put a bolt though it , then
spin it a drill press,,shape it with a wood rasp...
not tryed it myself... but it could work...

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Rear Shock Woes
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Where do I start!

Firstly the top bearing is shot and the shock is knocking a lot when I am riding off road. I hear this is a common problem.

I tried to get it out but whilst using a drift to try and knock it out I managed to loosen off one of the bleed bolts and some oil has come out of the shock. Is this going to affect it?

Does anyone know how to get the bearing out? Oh and where can I get a new one?

 

Cheers guys...



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Thanks mate. It didn't that long ago come back from a service. Gibbs Performance done it



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I fitted the top bearing kit that is mentioned in FAQ once fitted it should be the last time you have to do it .

If it's just a tiny amount of oil fix up the bearing and ride .

If it's a lot it should be emptyed and refilled with the correct amount 



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I dunno if its easy to refill yourself.. I noticed the FAQ states to drill a hole in the shock to remove the circlip?

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TTRHead wrote:

Thanks mate. It didn't that long ago come back from a service. Gibbs Performance done it


Martin from Gibbs Performance rang a week or so ago asking about replacing the top bearing on a shock they had in for service/repair and I was able to help as we now stock them in our eShop.

Hopefully Justin and Martin at Gibbs can help future TTR owners by fitting them if needed whilst they have the shock in their workshop. The owner would still need to spread the mounting a tad to accommodate the wider bearing but that's an easy job and the bolts etc to do that come with the top bearing kit.

Brian

 



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Rear Shock Woes
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Just a small drill to make a spot where you can get under the circlip (I drilled in behind the clip and made a semi circle )  . Just knock the bearing away from the circlip first .

I have a screw driver ground down to a flat point that gets under the circlip they put up a fight but do come out 

Be patient an you will get it . 

And watch the clip when it does move they can end up in orbit . A bit of rag catches them 



-- Edited by ttboof on Sunday 5th of October 2014 10:25:36 PM

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Got e bearing out. Thanks for the help. Now shall I bother getting another original one or the one TTRfan has mentioned?

Can I put the oil in my shock or can any bike shop? or is this a specialist job?

 

Cheers guys..



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Well done!

If it helps you decide, retail for the new bearing is £47.26 plus, if you have damaged either of the collars, new ones are £10.97 each. Fowlers have the bearings in stock but not the collars. I think I have a couple of collars in stock if you need 'em.

To put oil in your shock you will need to release the pressure of the nitrogen first. After replenishing the oil, you would need to pressurise again with nitrogen so I would say that the job is definitely best left to a specialist. If I have any shocks needing attention I just send 'em off to Justin.

Brian



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Cheers mate. I think i'll go with the cheaper option then in that case. The stock bearing doesn't look up to much I don't want to keep having to change it!

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They are heaps better than the original and exelent directions online 



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I am posting my shock down to gibbs performance as we speak. Thanks for you help guys

i am guessing that the top of the shock on the TTR shouldnt move up and down when I have the bike on the stand and lift the bottom of the swing arm up and down?

it don't seem right to me having free play there



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