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Shock absorber compressor tool

sclafani
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 12:03 pm
Location: Hobe Sound Florida

Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by sclafani »

Anybody know a good supplier for tools? Currently I'm looking for shock compressor for my front shocks.

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schrader7032
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Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by schrader7032 »

A search of the forum seems to point the the Cycleworks tool as a good choice. I wonder if member malmac ever designed one for himself.
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.

sclafani
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 12:03 pm
Location: Hobe Sound Florida

Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by sclafani »

I was thinking about making one myself using a 1/4 inch thick piece of steel metal......But cutting the hole for the bottom and top of the shock would be tuff. I don'y have access to a Mill.

sclafani
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 12:03 pm
Location: Hobe Sound Florida

Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by sclafani »

Thank you Mr Schrader...just ordered from Cycle works...Have a great Holiday!! stay safe

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schrader7032
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Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by schrader7032 »

Be sure and follow up with Cycleworks. The owner may have reprioritized his life and it may take time. Or maybe he has these things on the shelf ready to go. Hope it goes well.
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.

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malmac
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Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by malmac »

schrader7032 wrote:
Thu Dec 23, 2021 2:23 pm
A search of the forum seems to point the the Cycleworks tool as a good choice. I wonder if member malmac ever designed one for himself.
Hi Kurt

Well actually I haven't made one.... YET.

Hole saws can be used to cut holes to make stuff, without using a mill.
The longer I live, the more I admire people who can do stuff without all the best gear.
My wife's cousin owns a farm and we spend time with them when we can. Jeff is amazing at improvising a solution based on what he has around, rather than another trip to the hardware shop.

I guess step one is to look around at what you have and sit with it a bit. Ideas come and it is surprising how often a workable solution will come.

Cheers


Mal
mal - R69s
Toowoomba- Australia

weh8127
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Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by weh8127 »

Bill Husted
Barre, MA USA
1963 R60/2 w/ 1955 Steib S500
1973 R75/5

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Flx48
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Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by Flx48 »

I put one together kind of as Mal suggests, with stuff lying around the shop; some plywood, threaded rod, nuts and washers-

A hardware store 3' x 3/8" threaded rod cut in half for two 18" pieces; diameter of rod seems not critical.
Two pieces of 3/4" plywood cut to 4"x6"; larger would work fine too.
Two 7/16" holes in both pieces of plywood centered 3 1/2" apart for the threaded rod to pass through; could go wider, but not much narrower w/o crowding the shock assembly.
Plywood for top of shock has a 2 1/4" hole; large enough to pass the aluminum top mount through, while stopping the top spring cover, and therefore exposing the flat at the mount end of the shock rod for disassembly when compressed.
Plywood for bottom of shock has a 1 5/8" hole; large enough to pass main body of the aluminum lower mount through, while stopping at the collar at the spring end of the mount.
Double nuts with washers on both sides of the lower plywood; as it stays in the same position throughout use, so cut washers can also be used as they would dig into the plywood and so not spin.
A pair of long nuts with single washers at the top side of the top plywood; this end gets cranked in and out to assemble and disassemble; short nuts work just fine, the long nuts were more convenient to spin in and out.
Fairly simple and not too time consuming.

Apologies for measures in inch, my day job is working with wood so that's what I think in, but not to difficult to translate to French, right?
Happy Holidays all; please stay healthy!
Best-
George
Attachments
Parts for assembly
Parts for assembly
As assembled
As assembled
With shock installed
With shock installed
Top end
Top end
Top end cranked down, with rod flats now exposed for wrenching
Top end cranked down, with rod flats now exposed for wrenching

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jwonder
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Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by jwonder »

George beat me to it but I figured I would send mine anyway:

Please please please do NOT use screwdrivers.

Also please don’t laugh at me when I tell you what I do.

I made my own shock tool with two pieces of 2x4’s about 10 inches in length and two threaded rods. They do not scratch the paint and I have rebuilt shocks on at least 5 motorcycles with them.

(I am not home and cannot measure the sizes but it should not be hard to figure out)

1) Get two 2x4’s.

2) Find a hole saw that is the size of the bottom of the shock. Making it the same size allows the shock to slide through the wood to the transition on the bottom. It should be a tad tight as it will hold over trying very snuggly. Drill the hole in the middle of the first 2x4.

3) get a hole saw that is the size of the largest part of the shock top. This allows the shock top to slip through the hole and the 2x4 to sit on the aluminum top. Still that hole in the middle of the 2x4.

4) measure about 3” from the center of the hole to each side and drill a hole to let the threaded rod pass through. Make these holes equal top to bottom so the rod passes through squarely.

That’s it!! Easy and it will not scratch the paint.

I usually clamp the bottom 2x4 in my vice and walk the nuts down from the top. 2 turns each side to walk it down slowly. You get the hang of it quickly. Because the bottom is slid into the bottom 2x4 fairly far it has a good hold even for the most stubborn lock nuts. I never worry about knocking it out of the vice.

Low tech solution that works perfectly.
James Wonder
Vice President, Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners
2022 BMW Friend Of the Marque
Long Island, New York

sclafani
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 12:03 pm
Location: Hobe Sound Florida

Re: Shock absorber compressor tool

Post by sclafani »

Thank you all for the info....will let this all marinate ...I'll most likely got with the plywood suggestion.

Have a great holiday and stay safe

SS

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