progressive springs for dummies

[crash]

i know this is a bit much for people with some experience, but this is truly geared toward dummies (me)

if anyone has the time to read the whole thing, suggestions and corrections are always welcome.

i didn't get to take pics when i changed my springs out, so the numbers in parentheses refer to pics in the clymer manual (89-02) - page #, pic #/letter

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GS500E PROGRESSIVE SPRING INSTALLATION FOR DUMMIES
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MATERIALS
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- (2) progressive springs ('89-02 part# 11-1128)
- (2pints) fork oil - 15W (or 10W)
- (2) 0.75" spacers (can resize stock spacers) - see part 0.
- cotter pin (not sure what size, just take a look at the one you have now)
- a buddy - this mod can be difficult to perform alone
- beer

TOOLS
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- a bunch of wrenches, screwdrivers, and a set of allen keys
- in my case a chisel and hammer =/
- torque wrench
- pneumatic gun (wrench) if you have one
- ruler and/or oil level tool (see "II.B.0 - air pocket")
- whatever you need to make the spacers (saw/file/etc)

DIRECTIONS
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0. Spacers
- since the new spring is quite a bit longer than the old one, we need new spacers
- progressive recommends a spacer 3/4" to 1" in lengh (3/4in for 89-02 models)
- you can resize the stock spacer, or make your own
- you can use different materials, but remember that the spacer should be out of strong material and nonreactive with the fork oil
- some people use the stock spacer material (steel?) or PVC pipes or, in my case, brass pipe
- remember to sand/file the edges down if you're cutting something off (shavings = bad)

I. Fork Removal
A. preparation
1. if available, place motorcycle on a stand (with front wheel off the ground) on level ground
or
1. place motorcycle on centerstand on level ground
2. weight down the rear until bike rests on stand and rear wheel
3. secure motorcycle in this position by placing a block under the frame/engine (i used 2 car jacks placed under the frame around the engine)
B. remove front wheel
1. remove front brake
- remove bolt holding front brake hose to right fork leg (394, 110b)
- remove two bolts connecting brake caliper assembly to right fork leg (366, 2)
- these are going to be pretty tight, so be careful
- gently slide assembly off the brake disk
- insert a piece of hard material (wood, etc) into the assembly in place of disk to hold the piston in place (DO THIS!)
- secure the caliper assembly
- you can suspend it with a bit of rope from the frame (do not hang by the hose)
2. loosen front axle clamping bolt (300, 2a)
3. remove cotter pin (if present) and remove the front axle nut (300, 3a)
4. disconnect speedometer cable (300, 3b)
- remove the little screw on the speedometer assembly to get the cable out
5. while supporting the wheel, remove front axle (300, 2b)
6. remove wheel
7. replace axle and spacers in the wheel to keep everything together
8. put the wheel away for now (avoid laying wheel down on disk surface)
C. remove fork legs
1. loosen fork cap bolts (up top)
- if you cannot access fork caps (1990 and on), remove handlebar (partially)
- if you like the position of the handlebar, i suggest marking it somehow (wax crayon works) before dismantling
- to mark, just draw a vertical line down the upper holder toward the handlebar, then continuing this line a bit down the handlebar; just align on reinstallation
- remove the 4 upper trim caps (316, 50-2), 4 allen bolts (316, 50-3), and 2 upper holders (316, 50-4)
- slide the handlebar up a bit to expose fork cap bolts
- remove the trim caps off the fork cap bolts
- loosen each fork cap bolt a SMALL bit
- do not remove the caps, loosen just enough to be able to remove them later
2. remove fender - you cannot skip this step (fork brace will NOT come out with fender attached)
- pull speedometer cable out of the guide on fender
- remember how this guide is positioned, because it will come off with the fender
- remove the 4 INNER allen screws, washers, and nuts (408, 8)
- pull front fender forward and out through fork assembly
3. remove 4 bolts, washers, nuts holding fork brace and remove fork brace (327, 82)
- those suckers are tight -- can be a huge pain to get them out -- i had to chisel on of them off
4. loosen the upper and lower fork tube pinch bolts (327, 83a&b)
5. carefully pull each fork leg down out of the fork bridge and the pinch grommets
- you may need to rotate the tubes slightly while pulling them out

II. Fork Modification - work on one fork leg at a time! (and remember which is which... the brake mounts are on the right [rider view] fork)
A. disassembly
1. secure fork leg in the vertical position (cap bolt facing up)
- have your buddy hold it, or put the fork in vise with soft grips
- you will have to secure the upper part ("tube") of the fork leg, or it will rotate with the cap bolt
* be careful not to damage the tube if you're using vise
2. remove fork cap bolt trim caps (if not done already) (329, 88)
3. remove fork cap bolt (329, 89)
* keep in mind the following:
- the threads on the cap bolt and the tube are very fine
- contents inside may be under pressure (although it should not be much, because the fork will be fully extended)
- because of this, keep a bit of downward pressure as you finish unscrewing the cap bolt
4. remove the spacer from tube
5. remove the spring seat, and the spring
- if the spring does not protrude out of the tube, then compress the fork (bring the tube down/in) until the spring sticks out
6.empty out the fork oil by flipping the fork leg upside-down over a container
- stroke the fork leg several times to get remaining oil out of the tube
- stand the fork upside-down in the drain pan for several minutes to allow the tube to drain.
- instead of standing it, you can clamp it in a vise upside-down (don't forget to put the oil container under the opening)
B. assembly
0. air pocket
* you must NOT fill the oil to the top of the tube.  leave a pocket of air.
- progressive recommends at least a 140mm air pocket (measured from top of tube to top of oil)
- stock level is 99mm
- less air = more oil = harder suspension - decide for youself
- i used a combination of metal ruler and syringe-with-line (hose) to get the air pocket the right size
- there IS a "special" syringe contraption just for this purpose sold at automotive stores
1. secure fork leg with the opening facing up
- the fork leg should be in the collapsed position (shortest arrangement)
2. use a funnel to fill the tube with new fork oil
- after you fill the tube partially (before measuring the air pocket), stroke the fork leg a few times (while still in the vertical position) to get rid of air bubbles
3. insert spring
- progressive says the direction of the spring does not affect function
- however, progressive also says inserting the spring tight-end down may reduce spring noise.
- keep in mind that inserting tight-end down, may displace more oil (make air pocket smaller) than inserting tight-end up
4. insert spring seat and new spacer (in that order)
5. fork cap bolt
- this may be slightly difficult
- you will need to compress the spring in order to get the cap bolt in
- make sure the fork leg is fully extended to make this as easy as possible
* be careful not to damage the threads - use your hands! (not tools)
- basically, have one person push straight down on the cap, while the other rotates the inner tube to seat and tighten the cap bolt
- hand-tighten
- do not invert the fork leg, or some oil may leak out

III. Fork Installation
A. fork leg installation
1. apply a light coat of fork (or engine) oil to the inner surfaces of both rubber grommets (I.C.5) (328, 84)
2. slowly silde the fork leg into the lower and then the upper grommets, and then in the upper fork bridge (328, 85)
3. position the fork, so that the top of the tube is flush with the top of the upper fork bridge
- on some models, position it so that the fork tube index line is level with the top of the upper fork bridge
4. tighten UPPER grommet/pinch bolt to torque specification
5. tighten the fork cap bolts to torque specifications
6. install brace
- install, but do not tighten the outer allen screws
7. install fender
- don't forget to thread the speedometer through its guide and attach the guide to the fender/brace
B. front wheel installation
* forks should be in place (with fork cap bolts tightened) before this is done
- the lower grommet/pinch bolts and fork brace screws will still be loose at this point
0. reinstall handlebar if you took it off
1. take the axle out of the wheel
- clean and lubricate the axle
2. position the wheel between forks and insert axle from the right side [facing motorcycle]
- make sure that all the spacers are where they should be (300, 1)
- make sure the brake disk and the speedometer are on the correct sides
- if facing motorcycle, disk on the left and speedometer on right
- speedometer cable inlet should face rear
3. install axle nut, but do not tighten
4. tighten lower fork grommet/pinch bolts to torque specification
5. tighten fork brace allen screws
6. install brake caliper
- slide caliper on disk carefully (don't damage the pads)
- insert and tighten the 2 bolts holding caliper to fork leg
- make sure they are tightened to torque specs (read "pretty damn tight")
- attach brake hose to fork leg
7. center the wheel
* fork legs and handlebar should be securely installed before next step! (make sure you didn't skip steps and tightened everything).  the axle should also be in place
- remove block from under the engine - motorcycle should rest on the front wheel
- sit on the seat (get off center stand), apply the front brake and push down on the handlebar several times. also roll the bike back and forth a bit.
6. place on centerstand
7. hold onto the front axle and tighten the axle nut to torque specification
8. install a NEW cotter pin
9. tighten front axle pinch bolt (300, 2a)
10. install speedometer cable
- don't forget to tighten the little screw
11. roll the motorcycle back and forth and apply the brakes a few times, to make sure the wheel is turning freely and the brakes work

IV. Enjoy The Spoils
A. test your work
1. ride around the neighborhood to make sure the wheel is staying on and the brakes work
2. enjoy the feeling of proper front suspension ;o]
B. thank your buddy and congratulate yourself
1. get your buddy a well-deserved beer
2. crack one open yourself
ta-freakin-da  

[Splash]

Thanks for this... I'll print it out and keep it for a winter project!

[porsche4786]

How tight should you torq the fork spring cap to?

[scratch]

Just snug is fine.  Remember those are fine threads, and there's a lot of 'em, plus a rubber seal; no oil is gonna leak out.

[porsche4786]

What about the allen screws for the handle bars? Snug as well? They didn't seem very tight at all when I took them off, one almost seemed like they forgot to tighten it all the way.

[Alphamazing]

What about the allen screws for the handle bars? Snug as well? They didn't seem very tight at all when I took them off, one almost seemed like they forgot to tighten it all the way.

6 to 9 ft-lbs.