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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: kensully on March 28, 2014, 08:20:11 AM

Title: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: kensully on March 28, 2014, 08:20:11 AM
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?
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: The Buddha on March 28, 2014, 08:57:24 AM
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.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: BockinBboy on March 28, 2014, 09:23:57 AM
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
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: radodrill on March 28, 2014, 09:48:18 AM
Quote from: The Buddha on March 28, 2014, 08:57:24 AM
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.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: The Buddha on March 28, 2014, 09:57:07 AM
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.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: kensully on March 28, 2014, 10:46:24 AM
well guess this weekend I'll be attempting these ideas and taking pix since it seems sorta rare deal
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: BockinBboy on March 28, 2014, 11:07:09 AM
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
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: Suzuki Stevo on March 28, 2014, 11:14:50 AM
Quote from: kensully on March 28, 2014, 08:20:11 AM
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  :cheers:
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: kensully on March 28, 2014, 11:49:30 AM
Quote from: BockinBboy on March 28, 2014, 11:07:09 AM
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
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: kensully on March 28, 2014, 11:53:17 AM
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on March 28, 2014, 11:14:50 AM
Quote from: kensully on March 28, 2014, 08:20:11 AM
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  :cheers:

:2guns:  :technical:  :2guns:
haha
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: BockinBboy on March 28, 2014, 11:58:57 AM
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
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: fetor56 on March 28, 2014, 03:26:46 PM
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on March 28, 2014, 11:14:50 AM
Quote from: kensully on March 28, 2014, 08:20:11 AM
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  :cheers:
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.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: Suzuki Stevo on March 28, 2014, 04:04:09 PM
Quote from: fetor56 on March 28, 2014, 03:26:46 PMSeriously 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  :dunno_black:   
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: Big Rich on March 28, 2014, 04:10:13 PM
Springs can and do snap. It's not common, but it happens.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: Suzuki Stevo on March 28, 2014, 05:39:03 PM
Quote from: Big Rich on March 28, 2014, 04:10:13 PM
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?  :dunno_black:
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: Big Rich on March 28, 2014, 06:11:22 PM
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.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: gsJack on March 28, 2014, 06:35:37 PM
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. 
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: Suzuki Stevo on March 28, 2014, 06:58:35 PM
Quote from: Big Rich on March 28, 2014, 06:11:22 PM
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  :thumb:
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: Big Rich on March 28, 2014, 07:02:54 PM
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.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: kensully on March 31, 2014, 08:22:08 AM
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
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: The Buddha on March 31, 2014, 08:35:38 AM
I dont think you're gonna get greasy opening that fork up ... I'm pretty sure that bugger is dry ...  :mad:
Cool.
Buddha.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: illenium on March 31, 2014, 11:39:07 AM
Just in case... I just swapped out stock springs, you can have them for 25 bucks shipped via express  :thumb:



And the vertical allen bolt also serves as the drain bolt among other things thats why it has a copper washer ;)
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: kensully on March 31, 2014, 12:24:47 PM
Quote from: illenium on March 31, 2014, 11:39:07 AM
Just in case... I just swapped out stock springs, you can have them for 25 bucks shipped via express  :thumb:



And the vertical allen bolt also serves as the drain bolt among other things thats why it has a copper washer ;)

cool thanks, was going to tear into the forks but its raining here and I don't have a garage so it'll be a day or two but i'll def let you know.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: kensully on April 03, 2014, 09:15:08 AM
So there is a washer that was left out of my front right fork that goes between the stop and spring, found the washer in my parts tray.
I know I didn't post any pix sorry fellas, but what seemed to happen was the spacer went into the springs, tweeked the stop a little but flipping it around and it seemed fine to ride
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: The Buddha on April 03, 2014, 10:28:18 AM
Yea, these jap bikes come with a lot of spare parts. Yea, you dont need no steenkin washer ...  :icon_twisted:
Cool.
Buddha.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: kensully on April 03, 2014, 01:07:51 PM
lol

Still having issues with taking apart the forks to redo the seals but until the weather gets a little warmer it'll wait.
the bottom bolt jus spins and nothing happens
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: illenium on April 03, 2014, 03:06:46 PM
Quote from: kensully on April 03, 2014, 01:07:51 PM
lol

Still having issues with taking apart the forks to redo the seals but until the weather gets a little warmer it'll wait.
the bottom bolt jus spins and nothing happens

thats because you need to use a tool to hold the bolt in the fork tube. 2-3 foot long rod with 5/8 size bolt at the end, see the wiki or the video on  youtube from baltimoreGS
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: Big Rich on April 03, 2014, 05:30:18 PM
If it's any help, when I did my forks I didn't have that special tool (but I do have an impact gun). With the oil drained and fork assembled, I compressed the fork as much as possible with one hand while the other hand operated the impact gun. The compressed fork puts tension on the "nut" side of that allen bolt, but it still slipped a little bit.
Title: Re: Pop, Clunk, and the forks need help
Post by: illenium on April 03, 2014, 08:14:04 PM
10 bucks at homedepot gets you a great tool for that bolt