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  • Progressive or Progressive?

    Well, as some of you may have read in the Tailhina thread, when I got back from the ride I found both of my air shocks leaking. I spent a couple of days trying to decide if I would replace them with Progressive Suspension’s 412’s or their 416 air shocks. Much research on this site and numerous others didn’t give ma a clear cut answer so this morning I called Progressive and ask their tech help what they would recommend for my XJ,. Expecting (and probably hoping) that they would recommend the 416 air shock, much to my surprise, and my wallets thanks, he told me the 412’s are a better, and more reliable (longer lasting) shock. I saved enough by that to get their progressive fork springs and still saved about one hundred and some odd dollars to boot!

    But, I still want to figure out how to get these original shocks apart! I took the snap ring and beveled washer off, made a puller out of heavy walled tubing, a pivioting clevis at the end of a ¾” threaded rod going down the end of the tube through a plate with a ¾” nut welded to the center of the plate, plate welded to the end of the tube. Put the clevis (made of 3/16 plate) over the bottom clevis of the shock with a 3/4" bolt through both, welded a 24” cross bar to the end of the threaded rod, Stuck the whole thing in my heavy vice, and danm near got a hernia! I twisted (like one end turned while the other didn’t) the threaded rod with out the shock giving any! I must have put about 250 foot pounds of tork on that puller and did nothing but ruin the allthread.

    If it wasn’t for the fact that I’d like to be able to put new seals in these and use them again someday, I’d take a band saw to one of them to see what is holding it together.

    Louis


    It looks like brute strength ain't working here, just ignorance.
    "There is no mechanical problem so difficult that it cannot be overcome by
    brute strength and ignorance" And possibly some Mouse Milk!
    '82 XJ1100J
    LED Dir and running lights
    LED Tail/Brake lights (4) one flashing
    Modulated H/L
    PIAA Driving lights
    YICS Eliminated
    750 FD

    Yamaha Factory X-1 Fairing and Luggage

  • #2
    Hi Luis,
    Can't help with taking the stock shocks apart, but I can tell you that the 412's I've got have been great. The springs I've got are a little softer than stock and require more preload. Might recommend stiffer springs if you have a tourer setup. I've been waiting for someone to try Works Performance shocks. I ordered a dirtbike shock from them and they set it up for my application(rider weight and riding style) Last I checked, they still had a part # for an XS11.
    1980sg-Stocker-- Sold
    1980sg- Cruise Missile- Sold to RODS454
    1990 ATK 604- Ditch Digger
    2005 BMW K1200S- Killer Bee
    2005 Suzuki GSX-R 1000- trackbike

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    • #3
      When I took my springs off my stock shocks I made a "rig" out of a 2 x 4 and a few turn buckles. I drilled a hole on the 2 x 4 with a cup saw bit that was a near perfect fit for the base of the shock. I put 2 hard steel eyelets in the 2 x 4 about 3 inches out on ether side of the main hole. I put it in my vise and droped the shock into the hole and used turn buckles with hooks to draw the springs down so I could remove the holding collar. It was a little scary but worked and only cost about 7 dollars CANADIAN :-)
      Other option is to head down to the local bike shop and ask them to do it for you. They will have the small version of strut spring compressors for that job.
      Rob
      KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN

      1978 XS1100E Modified
      1978 XS500E
      1979 XS1100F Restored
      1980 XS1100 SG
      1981 Suzuki GS1100
      1983 Suzuki GS750S Katana
      1983 Honda CB900 Custom

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      • #4
        Guys, you need to read this *excellent* thread about rebuilding the XJ air shocks:

        http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...=shock+rebuild

        Searches are wonderful things.....
        Jerry Fields
        '82 XJ 'Sojourn'
        '06 Concours
        My Galleries Page.
        My Blog Page.
        "... life is just a honky-tonk show." Cherry Poppin' Daddy Strut

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