without a spring compressor, how would you compress a shock spring just to get it into the shock so you can re insert the spring clip?
How do you compress a shock spring?
- Thread starter demo8razor
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Vice grips, or two tie-downs.
like a thigh master, duh!
vice grips meaning like very large ones? and tie downs are strong enough? like ratchet not cambuckle style right? i have a ccdb which i have had nothing but trouble and problems with and have not been able to ride yet, and they forgot to put the spring back on, and it does not fit without being compressed its a 550 lb. i am now worried and wondering if i should keep the shock if i would have to go to a 600 lb it will be a nightmare
Compress it with a vice and clamp it down with some tie downs or something.
I ran into the same problem with my 300# spring on a DB too, it was a huge PITA.
Remember whatever you do, you'll need to get whatever's clamping the spring loose once it's mounted.
I ran into the same problem with my 300# spring on a DB too, it was a huge PITA.
Remember whatever you do, you'll need to get whatever's clamping the spring loose once it's mounted.
already broke steel tanged nylon zipties, my vices aren't big enough and a press and c-clamps flex the spring as well as compress so i did not like how it was starting to look.
i guess i can make some sort of fixture to hold it in a press better, but that is just ridiculous to get a spring on an mtb shock
i guess i can make some sort of fixture to hold it in a press better, but that is just ridiculous to get a spring on an mtb shock
yes, i am not sure if they will take it back, but i paid for it three weeks ago and have had the wrong eyelets, then wrong bushings, now they forgot to put the spring back on and spring clip, after it was shipped back without them. i would like to just get my money back if possible and be done with it.
And people wonder why Avalanche has cultists! Now you are starting to see. 
that's not even the whole story, they already messed up the eyelet and bushings twice, and didn't ship it when they said they would, and now this. i have talked to craig once, and was extremely helpful, probably should have just gone with that from the startAnd people wonder why Avalanche has cultists! Now you are starting to see.
And people wonder why Avalanche has cultists! Now you are starting to see.
Then you just have to send your shock back multiple times to get correct valving!
I've done this before. Best is if you have a vice and you can compress it down that way. I've also had to do the reverse, get it off the bike, which was simply a matter of attaching lots of high-strength zip-ties and having a real heavy person sit on the bike, then tighten them up. It's a real PITA though.
the vice seems to make the string flex sideways also, and it starts to bend in the center rather than just fully compress
That's odd, in the 3.0 length the CC springs are actually a tad shorter.
Just try a Manitou spring if all else fails. They're like $10 or so.
Just try a Manitou spring if all else fails. They're like $10 or so.
shock is 8.75 x 2.75 and spring is 550 that i am trying to put on
Yup, that size is a bitch. as ar ealot of them that are over the 500 lb mark, your size is the same size I run on my bike, Use a vice, ane multiple zip ties.
Should look like this, not my pic, but exactly how mine looked when I did it.
Oh, hose clamps work well too.
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You only need to compress it a little bit. I find wedging a screw driver (be very careful) with a rag wrapped around the end (be very careful) and mounting it by doing one side at at time (be very very careful, its easy to do, but its also easy to scratch the shaft if you're not careful) works well.
Took me about an hour to do a 350 lb spring the first time. Took me about 10 minutes to do the 400 lb spring. Took me about 30 seconds to do the 450 lb spring. I imagine at some point around the 700lb mark it might take a little longer. Remember, its better to be super careful (if you're doing it my way) and have it take longer then to break or scratch your shock.
Took me about an hour to do a 350 lb spring the first time. Took me about 10 minutes to do the 400 lb spring. Took me about 30 seconds to do the 450 lb spring. I imagine at some point around the 700lb mark it might take a little longer. Remember, its better to be super careful (if you're doing it my way) and have it take longer then to break or scratch your shock.
I use a headset press and some zip ties or if it pops them, some gear cables wrapped and ziptied so they cant undo.
What bike and what shock are you trying to assemble? You should not have to compress a spring like this. Does your spring say 550x2.8?
Obvious question, but I assume you backed the preload adjuster all the way off?
Boomslang
Had the same problems with my 8.75 Roco and Marzocchi or Manitou springs.
I used my headset press and two lashing straps.
I used my headset press and two lashing straps.
actually, double barrel free spring length runs long (as previously stated he's running a CCDB), so thats pretty normal.
ccdb 8.75 by 2.75 on a demo 8, spring is 550 x 2.75, malcolm said it was right. i have used all of the methods, the screwdrivers and wrenches at the top worked the best, but could still not get it far enough down without it flexing one way or the other to get the clip in. zip ties or hose clamps will not work, as the spring will not slide over the shock body with them on the spring.
tomorrow i will try to use a device my lbs uses to straighten frames, and if that does not work, i am really not sure, i can see how the screwdrivers and such would work for a lesser spring weight, but the 550 lb seems to be part of the problem. if that does not work, i am not really sure what i will do, i am not happy at all with this shock or cane creek and what has happened in the short time i have owned it.
tomorrow i will try to use a device my lbs uses to straighten frames, and if that does not work, i am really not sure, i can see how the screwdrivers and such would work for a lesser spring weight, but the 550 lb seems to be part of the problem. if that does not work, i am not really sure what i will do, i am not happy at all with this shock or cane creek and what has happened in the short time i have owned it.
Bingo, do this.
i talked to a couple shops, one did not want to do anything as it wasn't a motorcycle part, and another said that their spring compressor would be too big to hold this spring.