Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help

[kensully]

I rode my bike to yesterday and on my way home there was this pop, clunk sound from the front end.
my forks are now sitting on the stop and will not hold any weight. I haven't opened it up yet any idea on what I may be getting into?

[The Buddha]

You break a spring ? has that happened to anyone ever on a bike ? I know it happens in cars.
Hang the front end from a tree or from the rafters and yank it off and check it.
Cool.
Buddha.

[BockinBboy]

Umm... Sub'd!

I've never heard of anything like this - but does sound like a spring broke or something, which I can't quite picture that...

Whatever it is... pics please?!

- Bboy

[radodrill]

Hang the front end from a tree or from the rafters and yank it off and check it.

Or put it on the center stand and a jack under the exhaust.

[The Buddha]

Make sure you put a block of wood between the exhaust and engine in that case, you can easily bend or dent the exhaust.
Cool.
Buddha.

[kensully]

well guess this weekend I'll be attempting these ideas and taking pix since it seems sorta rare deal

[BockinBboy]

I noticed in another earlier thread you mentioned you fixed your fork issue, then today this came up... what was the fork issue then?

- Bboy

[Suzuki Stevo]

I rode my bike to yesterday and on my way home there was this pop, clunk sound from the front end.

Well of course it broke...you rode it to yesterday, sorry, it was funny to me 

[kensully]

I noticed in another earlier thread you mentioned you fixed your fork issue, then today this came up... what was the fork issue then?

- Bboy

I was trying to drain the forks and had an issue with the bottom bolt covered by the axle, thought I tightened it back up tight, may be operater error ( more than likely it is) and filled up with oil. I had first assumed it a drain plug but it isn't, I learned it was to disassemble the forks

[kensully]

I rode my bike to yesterday and on my way home there was this pop, clunk sound from the front end.

Well of course it broke...you rode it to yesterday, sorry, it was funny to me 

   
haha

[BockinBboy]

Oh yeah, I remember that thread now...

Was thinking/brainstorming... I can't remember how the stock springs and spacers were exactly when I swapped springs in mine, but... If setup went: stock springs, washer, spacer.  And the spacer is smaller diameter than the spring, and washer was not reinstalled - said spacer falls down inside spring center and drops the forks.  A stretch maybe, but I can't quite remember what everything looked like in there other than the spacers are so long they go for days!

- Bboy

[fetor56]

I rode my bike to yesterday and on my way home there was this pop, clunk sound from the front end.

Well of course it broke...you rode it to yesterday, sorry, it was funny to me 

Man i wish i had a bike i could ride to yesterday...first stop would be a lottery ticket outlet. 
Seriously though...perhaps for some obscure reason your springs have pushed past your preload spacers.
Need pics.

[Suzuki Stevo]

Seriously though...perhaps for some obscure reason your springs have pushed past your preload spacers.
Need pics.

I was thinking that or the spacers broke to pieces, catastrophic pre load spacer failure is all I could come up with as described     

[Big Rich]

Springs can and do snap. It's not common, but it happens.

[Suzuki Stevo]

Springs can and do snap. It's not common, but it happens.

OK..lets say both springs broke in two right in the middle simultaneously, how do the two broken pieces get past each other in the tube to allow it to totally compress as the OP stated? 

[Big Rich]

I don't know about both at the same time...... but here's what I'm thinking:

If you cut a spring in the center of its length, it will allow the two halves to "screw" in to each other. So instead of a 16" long spring, you have essentially 8" of solid / threaded bar. That doesn't say the front end will drop down and be solid, because the forks will still be sprung by the other good spring.

I'm not saying the OP has 2 broken springs, I'm just saying springs do break.

[gsJack]

Wouldn't take long to put the bike on the center stand with blocks under the pipes and pull the fork tube caps and see what happened. 

[Suzuki Stevo]

I don't know about both at the same time...... but here's what I'm thinking:

If you cut a spring in the center of its length, it will allow the two halves to "screw" in to each other. So instead of a 16" long spring, you have essentially 8" of solid / threaded bar.

I thought of that...but wouldn't it take some time for the spring to thread together?

OP please take it apart so we can stop speculating 

[Big Rich]

Agreed - open her up!

I didn't really think of that Steve. But wouldn't a few compressions and rebounds be enough to rattle the spring halves together? With the constant pressure, vibration, and fork oil, I wouldn't think it would take very long.

[kensully]

Sorry for not replying plans had changed this weekend so I didn't open her up, surprise visit from family from out of state, had to play good host -_-
I did get the front end to come back up some by putting my foot on wheel and pulling it up, lil struggle but it isn't bottomed out any more. very little movement though, feels like its bound up. today after work i'll get greasy and pull stuff apart