RE: Ohlins shocks ... nightmare!

[<ABSDoug2@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

	I thought of that. But, if you don't have to compress the front
spring, why would the back on have to be compressed. And how DO
YOU compress the spring. Hell if I can go another 10K without
having to send them in, that is all I'm looking for.
	I did get three turns and even with the remote pre-load the
magic #'s don't seem to appear.
	Thanks for the feedback!

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Bob Hadden
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 3:49 PM
To: oilheads@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Ohlins shocks ... nightmare!

Doug,  The rear Ohlins preload can be adjusted without mashing
things.
My brother did it on his, and I did it on mine.  You do have the
pin to
get out of the way.  As I recall, I compressed the spring to get
it out
of the way and then made the adjustment.  Will check with my bro
on a
proper procedure and get back to the list.

Changing the preload three turns is a drastic change.  I would
say that
one turn on the thread is a big enough adjustment for a trial.
By the
way, the rebuild requirement on these shocks has nothing to do
with the
spring.  It is for the hydraulics inside.  If, after a year of
use, you
are thinking the preload needs changing it is likely that you are
just
needing a fine tuning rather than a major change.  On my front
shock, I
ended up adding about a half turn on preload to get what I
wanted.  It
is possible for the spring to get weak with age, but in one year,
I
would call that a defective spring.

You can compensate for the wearing of the hydraulics by dialing
up a
bit more rebound damping.  I think you should get four or five
seasons
before really needing to rebuild.  If you are racing, you may
need it
more often.

Bob Hadden '98RS


On Apr 18, 2004, at 12:50 AM, <ABSDoug2@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>       I bought these Ohlins a year and 2 months ago, 10K miles
so far.
> Spent
> $1K for both. All the measurements worked out when new. I paid
the
> money I
> was damn sure gunna dial these suckers in. Take measurement
with
> wheels off
> ground (center stand). Then you measure with the bike of stand
sans
> rider,
> then with the rider. The remote external hydraulic adjustment
was
> perfect,
> at the beginning of its adjustment.
>       Ohlins claims 20K between rebuilds. Ok, I knew that going
in.
> Let me
> also point out that Ive been trying, in vain to tell myself
there was
> nothing off about the bikes handling. Lately I had started to
notice
> the
> back was not right. Let me also say in no way do I mean to
offend
> anyone;
> perhaps Im just a sucker. The experts say that ALL shocks,
stock
> shocks
> included, are shot by 20K. If this is true then most people
just
> pretend
> that isnt true. So I buy into this and interestingly enough, I
> actually
> noticed something wasnt right at 10K. Could I be so in tune
that this
> disturbance in the Force was real? Sure enough the numbers
didnt add
> up! No
> adjustment was left on the remote adjustment.
> I figure its time to get out the spanner that came with the
shocks.
> What
> fun this will be <sigh>. You give the collar a few turns, put
> everything
> back and hope you got it close enough so the remote adjustment
could
> come
> into play, if not take it all back apart again and try again
<sigh>.
> At this
> point, Im starting to wish I hadnt noticed anything. But at
least I
> can
> say Im in tune with my bike and I did pay the money to have
precise
> ADJUSTABLE shocks. What the hell, I like wrenching and Ive got
no
> plans
> today, so with a change in attitude I jump in gleefully.
> So here is the catch. The main collar doesnt adjust! There was
a pin
> and I
> got that out. Took the hydraulic hose off, clearance issue. Put
the
> sucker
> in a vice and got my spanner ready. Here was that moment where
the
> adjustability pays off, but no. That damn spanner didnt do
shit! I
> mean not
> a bit. Ive never attempted/needed to do the front, but I damn
sure
> remember
> the directions saying you could. Ohlins shipped these shocks
with a
> spanner,
> so WTF? Since I thought of the directions, I started paging
through
> them
> again.
> On shock absorbers that have mechanical type adjustment the
position
> of the
> adjusting/preload rings can be adjusted. On a shock absorber
that has
> hydraulic setting the BASIC position can be adjusted. Such
changes
> should be
> attended to by an Ohlins authorized service workshop.
> The bold is mine. The above isnt even written right as it
sounds like
> you
> need an Ohlins guy to watch you adjust the remote. What I think
the
> author
> is tying to say is, if you want to make a major adjustment to
the
> shock with
> a MECHANICAL adjustment, have at it. If you have the remote,
you can
> only
> make BASIC changes. PLEASE correct me if Im wrong and you read
this
> different.
> Now that part about having to send it to a authorized
workshop!!! Not
> so
> fast there you fuckers. You should have made these adjustable
and damn
> it I
> m gunna adjust it!
> I got out a punch and a hammer <shiver>. Hey, why not, at this
point
> Im
> either fixing it, or I have to send it out to be fixed. I got
the
> collar
> to spin three times. There isnt enough material to bang on the
collar
> anymore. Other then the collar, nothing else was brutally
assaulted.
> In fact
> I didnt even put a scratch on it. Everything else, is ok and I
doubt
> they
> need rebuilding. I figure if Im sending it in, theyll
giggle a bit
> and
> put a new collar, adjusted the right way.
> Now the questions. How close did I get it? Ill need so help
with that
> one.
> Next question, where do I send them if they arent right. Last
> question: do
> I feel like going riding in the morning? Time check, 12:45 AM
and I
> havent
> showered yet. <sigh> Why cant I just be one of those church
going
> folk?

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