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help installing progressive fork springs
#548442 06/08/2014 6:52 PM
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tiger7 Offline OP
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I am installing progressive front fork springs in my triumph America.The springs at the same length as my stock springs so do I have to cut my spacers down or can I leave the spacers the same size for the preload? My oil oil looks good and clear...planning on just a spring swap. With that being said I shouldn't have to adjust oil levels since springs are same length?


"Get busy living or get busy dying. That's ****** right."-Red
Re: help installing progressive fork springs
tiger7 #548443 06/08/2014 7:12 PM
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The Progressive springs that went into my Speedmaster were shorter by 25mm. I just used stock spacers with 50/50 mix of 10w and 15w oil set at 166mm.


05 Speedmaster,Reverse Cone Shortys,Thunderbike AIR Kit,K&N Air Filter,Snorkel Removed,Dynojet Stage 1 Kit(126 main),Needle-Clip 1 From Bottom,42 Pilot,NGK Iridium Plugs,Progressive Springs,Hagon 2810's,Barnett Green Springs,TTP Safe-Start,MOSFET R/R
Re: help installing progressive fork springs
Cloudy #548444 06/08/2014 8:30 PM
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The new springs should have come with a piece of PVC for making new spacers, and a piece of paper telling you how long to make them for your year and model.

For my 07 Speedy, it said to use the stock spacers.

Even though the springs are the same length, the PS springs will displace more oil due to the tight wind at one end. With that said, the instructions imply you keep the same oil level specified by your service manual unless it's less than some number, in which case it tells you what to do.

If the oil's clean you should be ok just swapping the springs. In which case you don't have to take the springs off the bike. You'll just need to remove the handle bars and be sure to lift the front wheel off the ground before unscrewing the cap. You'll loose a little oil on the old springs you pull, but it should be insignificant.

A lot of folks on here (myself included) went with a 10W/15W mix. Folks say 10W is too spongey, especially if you're a heavier rider.

Last edited by jackshakes; 06/08/2014 8:31 PM.
Re: help installing progressive fork springs
jackshakes #548445 06/08/2014 8:35 PM
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P.S. Fork oil levels according to the service manual:

America to VIN 46389 and Speedy to VIN 469049
Oil capacity: 552cc
Oil level fork compressed: 161mm

America from VIN 46390 and Speedy from VON 469050
Oil capacity: 561cc (America), 555cc (Speedy)
Oil level fork compressed: 135mm

Last edited by jackshakes; 06/09/2014 6:52 PM.

07 Speedmaster
14 Daytona 675R
Re: help installing progressive fork springs
jackshakes #548446 06/08/2014 8:51 PM
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tiger7 Offline OP
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Thanks for the info. I'm going to reinstall the stock spacers at stock length and roll with the added preload. The instructions provided seemed to give a general measurement and wasn't precise on year, make and model for the spacers. We'll see.


"Get busy living or get busy dying. That's ****** right."-Red
Re: help installing progressive fork springs
tiger7 #548447 06/09/2014 1:34 PM
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i just bought some pvc pipe, laid the old ones and the oem spacers out on a table put the new ones right beside them and cut the new spacers so that the spring and speacer were the exact same length as the oem, seems to work fine.


2007 Speedmaster and miss it! 2013 T-Bird Storm and Luvin it! Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary
Re: help installing progressive fork springs
edmspeedmaster #548448 06/09/2014 1:47 PM
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Ryk Offline
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Quote:

i just bought some pvc pipe, laid the old ones and the oem spacers out on a table put the new ones right beside them and cut the new spacers so that the spring and speacer were the exact same length as the oem, seems to work fine.




Mike, just curious, but why change over over to PVC in lieu of steel if you kept the same preload length?

Re: help installing progressive fork springs
Ryk #548449 06/09/2014 4:20 PM
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Quote:

Quote:

i just bought some pvc pipe, laid the old ones and the oem spacers out on a table put the new ones right beside them and cut the new spacers so that the spring and speacer were the exact same length as the oem, seems to work fine.




Mike, just curious, but why change over over to PVC in lieu of steel if you kept the same preload length?




The way I read it, OAL length is the same, however spring length and spacer length are different...

Re: help installing progressive fork springs
B02S4 #548450 06/09/2014 4:38 PM
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Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

i just bought some pvc pipe, laid the old ones and the oem spacers out on a table put the new ones right beside them and cut the new spacers so that the spring and speacer were the exact same length as the oem, seems to work fine.




Mike, just curious, but why change over over to PVC in lieu of steel if you kept the same preload length?




The way I read it, OAL length is the same, however spring length and spacer length are different...



My bad, I interpreted it wrong.

Re: help installing progressive fork springs
edmspeedmaster #548451 06/09/2014 6:52 PM
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Quote:

i just bought some pvc pipe, laid the old ones and the oem spacers out on a table put the new ones right beside them and cut the new spacers so that the spring and speacer were the exact same length as the oem, seems to work fine.




Sounds like a good approach if the springs are different lengths. Looking back at my install pic it looks like mine were the same length ... or maybe just a tad shorter. So I may have a little less preload than stock.

Which is fine ... I'm kind of light (165lbs) so suspension tends to be generally stiff on most bikes when riding 1up.


07 Speedmaster
14 Daytona 675R
Re: help installing progressive fork springs
jackshakes #548452 06/09/2014 9:42 PM
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you should just eat more


we should do this every weekend!

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