Fork spring/oil question.

[5spoke]

Hey guys,

Alright so I bought my fz6 in February with a hyperpro lowering kit installed. I am a tall dude at 6'5" and decided to just go back to the stock suspension set up until I can afford some racetech fork springs that will suit my size.

I swapped the rear spring with no issues. For the front, I realize that the hyperpro kits comes with 15wt oil and I figured I would stick with that fresh heavier oil when I swapped the fork springs (the po had just done the switch). I went ahead and did the swap and lowered the forks back down to stock position. My question is do you think I lost enough fork oil in the process of swapping springs to cause issues? I did my best to allow the oil to drain off of the spring as I pulled it out but obviously some still clung the springs.

Since riding it after the swap it feels like the bars are just slightly crooked to the right. Its almost like the right fork is a bit squishier than the left. Now the forks are even in the triple and the bike doesn't ride horribly bad. But turning right feels a tiny bit sloppy and the bars are just ever so slightly turned right.

Does this sound like the forks have an uneven amount of oil in them? I plan to pop the caps off after work and check it out, but I am scratching my head at the moment trying to come up with other possibilities.

Thanks in advanced.

Feel free to :spank: if I am an idiot.

 

[5spoke]

Just went ahead and replaced the fork oil on both sides. I think it was done longer ago than the PO wanted to admit, it looked like brown gravy. The front end feels some better, but I still feel like its slightly twisted right. Maybe a bent triple or something? Any ideas would be helpful....

 

[greg]

did you fill them both to the same level?

 

[5spoke]

did you fill them both to the same level?

Yes I did.

 

[DownrangeFuture]

I've got to ask, did you put the springs in the right way? The tighter pitch goes towards the top. I'm sure you did, but I had to ask.

I wouldn't look at the triple, unless it had the same kind of issue before the spring swap. Or you dropped it with the forks off.

And yes, you lost some oil when you swapped. The springs were still greasy.

 

[5spoke]

I've got to ask, did you put the springs in the right way? The tighter pitch goes towards the top. I'm sure you did, but I had to ask.

I wouldn't look at the triple, unless it had the same kind of issue before the spring swap. Or you dropped it with the forks off.

And yes, you lost some oil when you swapped. The springs were still greasy.

Nothing was dropped or banged up, but the bike does not have the original top triple either. The PO had a broken bolt and couldn't get it out so the top triple was replaced with a used one. It doesn't look obviously out of shape. I may try to align the forks with some techniques I read in a couple other threads and see if that helps.


About your direction of the pitch. Maybe I misunderstood the Yamaha shop manual, but it says "Install the spring with the smaller pitch “a”
facing down." I assumed that meant tighter pitch goes in first, am I wrong?

 

[DownrangeFuture]

Hmm... now you've got me second guessing myself. I'm going to have to look at that when I get home.

 

[5spoke]

Hmm... now you've got me second guessing myself. I'm going to have to look at that when I get home.

Haha, I am second guessing myself as well. I will post the page I am talking about, its sort of confusing, the picture looks like the tighter pitch is at the top, but the wording makes it sound like it goes towards the bottom.

 

[DownrangeFuture]

Huh, yeah, I remember seeing the picture and putting the smaller pitch at the top. I have my haynes manual too, but that's at my house. Since you were saying the hyper pro kit came with 15w, I was thinking about changing it anyway. All I got out of hyper pro was "Use whatever kit had been come with." when my question was "Kit had been come with what weight?" lol. Got to love babelfish.

 

[5spoke]

Huh, yeah, I remember seeing the picture and putting the smaller pitch at the top. I have my haynes manual too, but that's at my house. Since you were saying the hyper pro kit came with 15w, I was thinking about changing it anyway. All I got out of hyper pro was "Use whatever kit had been come with." when my question was "Kit had been come with what weight?" lol. Got to love babelfish.

I am fairly certain the kit came with 15wt oil. Thats what I went with when i replaced it this time as well.

If someone else can clarify the direction of the spring that would be very helpful!

 

[Spideyrex]

Yes the tighter coils should be near the top of the forks. This is per the service manual and also what Hyperpro recommends about their springs.

However, when I took my forks apart, the original factory springs were placed with the tighter coils at the bottom. it makes me wonder if it really makes a big difference or not? As long as both sides match, you should be fine.

 

[5spoke]

Yes the tighter coils should be near the top of the forks. This is per the service manual and also what Hyperpro recommends about their springs.

However, when I took my forks apart, the original factory springs were placed with the tighter coils at the bottom. it makes me wonder if it really makes a big difference or not? As long as both sides match, you should be fine.

The factory service manual page I posted earlier actually says the tighter coils face downwards. This is why we have some confusion.

 

[pkoosa]

down is up, the FZ6 comes with inverted forks.

 

[Spideyrex]

The factory service manual page I posted earlier actually says the tighter coils face downwards. This is why we have some confusion.

Talk about confusion, I pulled out my service manual and it says tighter coil up!!! Wow, maybe they changed over the years. here is the page form my manual

 

[Hellgate]

No sure what you weigh, but you may want to try lighter oil. I'm about 175 in the birthday suit and I found 15 wt a little harsh.

For a really nice ride slap on a set of R6 forks, like butta!

 

[5spoke]

Haha crap, well my manual is for a 2008 and I ride a 2008 so i am going to assume the way I have them is correct.

On a side note I fixed the problem. When I torqued that giant center nut it tweaked the top triple a tiny amount to the left giving me my slightly off handle bars. I loosed everything up and made sure to keep it straight. I took it for another ride tonight and everything seems peachy. :rockon:

 

[5spoke]

No sure what you weigh, but you may want to try lighter oil. I'm about 175 in the birthday suit and I found 15 wt a little harsh.

For a really nice ride slap on a set of R6 forks, like butta!

R6 maybe down the line somewhere. I may go with a set of racetech fork springs in a few months and see. The new oil and corrected top triple has sorted things out nicely. I am happy with it for the time being! I have a big trip this weekend with some heavy twisties so I may come back wanting more. :thumbup:

 

[FinalImpact]

On Dual rate springs (Stock FZ6 equipment) the Fixed End that doesn't travel (next to spacer and cap) will be the more closely stacked coils. The Loose wound coils do most of work and go into the fork tube first on this bike.


Inverted forks if equipped with dual rate springs would likely have the tighter wound coils going in first as that is the fixed end thats doesn't move.

 

[Davey]

On Dual rate springs (Stock FZ6 equipment) the Fixed End that doesn't travel (next to spacer and cap) will be the more closely stacked coils. The Loose wound coils do most of work and go into the fork tube first on this bike.


Inverted forks if equipped with dual rate springs would likely have the tighter wound coils going in first as that is the fixed end thats doesn't move.

I changed my fork oil today as it was way over due (bike is an 06 model and has never had this done!!!). The grey watery gunk that came out of the fork was pretty horrible looking! Swapped to a heavier weight oil (15w) but kept the stock springs.

When I took them out the tighter wound coils were at the BOTTOM of the fork. The Haynes manual says that this is correct - the tighter coils of the spring DO NOT go at the top of the fork next to the spacer. I imagine that if you put the springs in the other way around you'd have a 'bouncy' front end no?

After a nice long test ride all is good with the heavier oil; a fairly big difference in terms of reducing fork dive under breaking. But as ever with such a basic stock fork, for truly plush and adjustable suspension you've got to swap to an R6 fork.

 

[pkoosa]

I can say with certainty that the tighter coils on an '07 goes towards the top. They came out on top, then went back in on top.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/13665-hyperpro-springs-installed.html