Front Fork Spring Change

I would like to attempt to change the fork spring in my wr250r. I have some questions for those of you who have done it. Ive done a search here, TT, and advrider and cant seem to find a thread with good pictures to see what the inside of the fork actually looks like.

I was hoping it would be as easy as removing the top cap, undo the nut, swap spring, drop it back in.

I reviewed the service manual a couple of times and still a bit confused without actually tearing it down and seeing whats going on. Will I be able to change the spring out without the damper rod holder? I assume I will have to at least drain and refill.

I am familiar with rebuilding forks on dh bicycles and have been doing it for years. Rock Shox Boxxer world Cups, Fox 36, Fox 40. These should be similar?



Im 145lbs. Im going for a .44 alternate Eibach spring from race-tech. Race tech says there needs to be some modding using their spring. From website on their FRSP 4146 series "Fork Comments
RT Springs too long. Spring mod needed to use FRSP 4146 Series. Service will do mod. " I see that note after calculating my spring rate.

I dont want to cut anything. I want to buy it and drop it in. Will the Eibach one allow me to do this?

iFlyLow wrote:

I was hoping it would be as easy as removing the top cap, undo the nut, swap spring, drop it back in.

I dont want to cut anything. I want to buy it and drop it in. Will the Eibach one allow me to do this?

It is that easy, thats all you need to do.
I'd change the oil while they're apart, the oil height is too high for light guys stock, but you could swap springs without touching the oil if you wanted, just pull them out slow so the oil drips off them back into the forks.

AFAIK the eibach springs from racetech need cut to lenght, the springs they sell are the longer common older yz springs.
Also the spring rate changes when you shorten them, racetech recommended .50s for me and told me the .48s would be close to that after cut to lenght. I'd call race tech and quiz them about this, you may need to buy the .42s to end up at .44.

If you want drop in springs call race tech and have them shorten a set for you at extra cost, or get them from gorace.

I've looked into this as im on the fence about getting .50s for my bike.

ahh thank you for clarifying that up for me.

ill be giving race tech a call.

I also found these and will be giving them a call too

http://www.langstonracing.com/eshopprod_cat_5734-63164_product_770312.Eibach_EMS_Front_Fork_Springs.htm

Wow, that seems a little weird.

I'm changing the suspension on my 2008 R for a 145-150 lb. rider, and looked at Race-Tech, did not like that idea.

Who else sells decent springs for theses girls?


Thanks kindly:lurk: 

Mark

http://www.langstonracing.com/eshopprod_cat_5734-63164_product_770312.Eibach_EMS_Front_Fork_Springs.htm is a 981 series spring.

According to this chart

http://performance-suspension.eibach.de/sites/dedevperformance-suspension.eibach.com/files/motorsport/ems-catalog.pdf

its a 462mm and we need a 450mm. Its going to have to be cut  

MBevans wrote:

Wow, that seems a little weird.

I'm changing the suspension on my 2008 R for a 145-150 lb. rider, and looked at Race-Tech, did not like that idea.

Who else sells decent springs for theses girls?


Thanks kindly:lurk: 

Mark

It sounds a litle weird because the forks are a little weird lol.

They look like yz forks but everything inside is down sized a bit.

Gorace has everything you need for the forks, I dont know if he shortens other springs or has them made custom, but he has springs according to others on this site who have had forks set up by him.

So I called langsten, they really didnt know anything much about the wr250r/wr250x its spring length and if the ones they sell listed for the wr250x actually fit. They said they will call Eibach and inquire, they never called back.

I called gorace. they use racetech springs. so they will have to be cut. He didnt really provide much more information so I hung up. He also recommended a .46 for a 145lbs rider..

I called racetech, the guy told me he would have to use the .42 cut it down to 441mm to get .44kg/mm rate and fab a 9mm spacer. They charge extra for the modification. They would also have to make the 9mm spacer. I would not be able to purchase this, i would have to bring the fork in for them to work on.

Is there ANY drop in springs at .44 or .43kg/mm with a 450mm length and ~41.2mm outer diameter for our bikes at all? I just want to buy springs and drop these things in!!  

I'd try dropping the oil height to 120mm and running a thin 5 wt oil (not all 5 wt oils are the same but I cant remember which one is thinest) with the stock springs.

It wont cost much and if you still need softer springs its not wasted money as you can install them later without draining the oil.

If gorace recommends .46s the stock .47s arent far off.

Thanks, i might try that first and see what happens.

The front end just feels so stiff compared to the rear end. my fork tubes are dropped 18mm and i can only get about almost 1" of sag after static sag of about an inch. I have a lowering link and rear sag set perfectly with the preload adjusters loosened up.