I wrote this several years ago but it still applies...
let me kinda bring you guys up to speed on what I've done here...
I am no means a shock expert but I believe I know what I like in the way of a quaility ride...
1 yr. ago I purchased a set of 12" shocks from a member and when they arrived there was fluid all over the box in which they were shipped in...I seemed to remember somewhere that the fluid could be changed or at least put back in, so a search was on the way to re-confirm this...BINGO, I found what I was hoping to find along with the stock shocks are a POS and just go get a new set of Progressives...
Well as cheap as I am, I wanted to try and re-use the stock set first before I invested in a newer set due to the fact that I liked the idea of having the air to adjust the ride...
So I had the shocks in hand and found some 7.5 wt shock fluid from one of the local indy shops and and began my little adventure...First I had to drain all the old fluid out and this I found to be the most time consuming process out of the entire ordeal...I had to create a rocking motion with the shock to get the fluid out...I removed the fluid and measured it and to my amazement, the amount of fluid that I had measured wasn't the same amount that was called for on the search I did...OK no big deal it was close and there was fluid all over the box so this would account for the absence of fluid in the shock that I picked up for the experiment...
After both shocks were full and I had them on the bike and bolted in I tried to pump some air in them but had a leak so as I was fumbling with them I had some of the fluid running out all over me and the shock...never gave it a bit of thought about this...Just a little to much...
The 12" were on now and for the last year were working beautifully and buy the way still are...Personally I didn't notice how much better the 12" shocks handled because I never got to ride the stock 12" with the factory fluid...I let my friend Karl (KDietz) ride my bike after I overhauled the front forks with the progressive system, when he returned he was in shock as to how well the bike rode with the 12" shocks on...
Fast forward a week or so he had asked for some help with his front end putting in a Raceteck system so we swapped bikes so I could get started before he arrived the following day...The evening we swapped he had his lovely wife on the back and when he returned he commented on how much nicer the bike rode over his 13"...My reply is I don't understand I figured the stock 13" would out perform the stock 12" all together...All I did was change the fluid out to something heavier...
After getting a bit more educated on the loss of travel that 12" over the 13" had I wanted to put the 13" back on, however I didn't want the 13" stock riding height...So I ordered a 1" lowering kit form TJ Products which keep the shock angle the same as stock...I proceeded to install it right before the ride in the Rockies along with the group...I was riding alone and had the bags full and had my leathers in the touring pack and there was many times I was bottoming out...Ok I need more air...so I took it from 16# to 20# then up to 22# and still bottomed out...Now this was with just me on it...I felt like it was the dampening system in the shock that needed to be slowed down and corrected very much like I had done on the 12" unknowingly...
I when I got back I talked with Karl about the experience I had with the 13" shocks and to my surprise he was getting the same results...
Went to the indy shop where I got the 1st -7.5 wt quart and they didn't have any...Called Pipers Performance here locally and found that they had some 7.5/10wt synthetic...SWEET Just what I was looking for...Went and picked his brain on what we were doing and he confirmed that we were on the right path to improvement on the stock shocks...Personally I value what Cliff has to say due to the fact that he was Racetechs #1 shop on the west coast for like 10-12 years straight...I figure that in itself speaks for alot as far as a suspension guru...
So Saturday after we (Karl and I) each bought a quart we proceed to install it in our shocks at my house...
We started with his bike since he had 1 side of exhaust and mine had 2...1 shock would be cooler then the other on his bike...We removed the shocks and when they were on the bench we removed the quick release connection for the air line...Now the Rocking began with the shock in hand and this proved to be as slow as I remembered it the last time I did it...(There has to be a faster more productive method)...There was if I had the fittings so I dug around while he was rocking the shock draining the fluid slowwwly...Bingo, I found a 1/8" mpt fitting with a barb that would now attach to my mighty vac line...
Oh man, was this to prove to be a great idea...just sucked the fluid right out like nobodys buissness...
(enclosed a pic...)
After the fluid was evacutated we proceed to install the new fluid in the shocks with a turkey baster...worked last time and contiuned to work this time...
(enclosed a pic...)
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Topic: Refilling oil in stock shocks? (Read 5596 times)