My new progressive fork springs arrived today and I was all excited to install them when I heard how easy it was. Some said it took a half hour. Others said you could do it in a morning, half asleep, with a hangover.... Wow! Sounds great! ....So what the hell am I missing here?

I did some digging around on the internet and found some videos from the MFG and looked like you just remove the top cap, take out the stock spring, insert the new spring, [tight coil side down], insert provided spacer and replace top cap! I'd have to agree that sounds pretty damn easy... Then I read the instructions that came with the springs. Talk about confusing.

So I called Progressive and according to the tech I have to completely disassemble the entire front end, removing the fork tubes. Whah?! Then:

1) take the cap off
2) take out stock spring
3) install progressive spring - tightly wound end down
4) put provided washer in between spring and spacer
5) install provided 10" PVC spacer
6) mark off 1/2 inch from above the top of the fork tube and cut PVC spacer
7) remove spacer, washer and spring and measure oil level without the new spring to insure it's 140mm [5 in] from the top
8) replace spring, washer and PVC spacer in that order
9) replace fork cap and reassemble front end

Oh sure.. yah... that's simple. NOT?!

That sounds more like a several hour job to me. What am I missing?

What is the correct and so called "simple" way to do this job? If there is a step by step instruction on how to do this job, would someone please point me to it. ...And No thank you. I'm not interested in the tech article on lowering the front end and installing "gold emulators". I just want simple instructions on swapping out stock springs for progressive.

Please advise!

Thanks.

Well I've not done that but I did change the fluid in mine and you still have to remove the forks. You should not just remove the cap on the forks while on the bike or you will have a spring in orbit and fluid over everything. I've read what you stated from Progressive some time back but don't remember where.(Brain Fart) There is an article on how to change the fork fluid and that does a step by step on removal and install.

Doc....if ya have any nice riding weather left, I'd say ride and save the fork springs for a winter mod

Doc_V wrote:
My new progressive fork springs arrived today and I was all excited to install them when I heard how easy it was. Some said it took a half hour. Others said you could do it in a morning, half asleep, with a hangover.... Wow! Sounds great! ....So what the hell am I missing here?

I did some digging around on the internet and found some videos from the MFG and looked like you just remove the top cap, take out the stock spring, insert the new spring, [tight coil side down], insert provided spacer and replace top cap! I'd have to agree that sounds pretty damn easy... Then I read the instructions that came with the springs. Talk about confusing.

So I called Progressive and according to the tech I have to completely disassemble the entire front end, removing the fork tubes. Whah?! Then:

1) take the cap off
2) take out stock spring
3) install progressive spring - tightly wound end down
4) put provided washer in between spring and spacer
5) install provided 10" PVC spacer
6) mark off 1/2 inch from above the top of the fork tube and cut PVC spacer
7) remove spacer, washer and spring and measure oil level without the new spring to insure it's 140mm [5 in] from the top
8) replace spring, washer and PVC spacer in that order
9) replace fork cap and reassemble front end

Oh sure.. yah... that's simple. NOT?!

That sounds more like a several hour job to me. What am I missing?

What is the correct and so called "simple" way to do this job? If there is a step by step instruction on how to do this job, would someone please point me to it. ...And No thank you. I'm not interested in the tech article on lowering the front end and installing "gold emulators". I just want simple instructions on swapping out stock springs for progressive.

Please advise!

Thanks.

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Well its really not that bad but be carfull,i belive your supposed to cut the pvc spacer tube to approx 6" and not use full 10" length that you stated which would make front forks way too stiff.

Then all ay really have to do is remove fork caps/remove old springs/install new springs(tight wound end down) & with washer between springs and pvc spacer tube cut to proper size/maybe add an ounce or so of fork oil to each tube to replace oil that came out with old springs/then reinstall for caps and your good to go.

That should have most if not all of it covered,thats why guys say it takes less then 1hr to do.

If ya want to change fork oil you can do it without removing forks,just use a hand operated suction gun with longer suction hose installed to reach bottom of fork tubes used to remove oil from difs & manual trans or use a 12v powered pump boaters use to suck oil from boat motor crankcase .

Then install proper amount of new-fresh fork oil in each tube and and go from there.

Scott

http://www.progressivesuspension.com/metric/dropin/

Found this,maybe it will help. I stand corrected I guess you can take the caps off on the bike according to their website.

ScottW- That's pretty much exactly what I had envisioned... I'd even thought about pumping out the fluid like you suggested. But then I read the instructions that came with the springs and called Progressive and now I don't know what to make of all this. Maybe I'm just being a whiny little bitch, and my idea of hard is someone else's idea of easy.

Here's the video I found when I searched Youtube for "Progressive Fork Spring Install":



From the looks of that video, it's sure seems like a no brainer- so you can see why I was a bit conflicted by what the tech said.

I understand about the spring "shooting" out if you're not careful, but from what I read, as long as you extend the forks by jacking up the bike, and hold a rag over the cap while applying force and turning, there should be no prob and no loss of fluid. If anything, according to the Progressive Tech, you need to "remove" oil since the stock spring and spacer take up "less" volume. Added to that, I also read that, to get an accurate reading on the fluid level, the fork needs to be straight up and down; which makes sense. But the only way to do that is remove the fork tube, and stand it on end.

I'd *really* like to hear from those who have done this and said it was "easy"... I'd like to know how *you* did it.

Don't forget to loosen the pinch bolt before trying to loosen the cap. The job is a no brainer. If you hav'nt had a fork seal leak you can pump out the oil and replace each side with the same amount that you pumped out of each. Just make sure the measurement from the top of the fork to the oil is the same on both sides and you will be OK. There is nothing high tech about these forks that require an exact science to work properly. They are very forgiving.

Here's what I did

1 Grab beer

2 Drink said beer

3 loosten the lockbolts on the caps and crack the caps loose

4 jack up bike to extend the forks

5 remove the caps and stock springs

6 cut the pvc to the correct length on the instructions with a trim saw and miter box

7 Repeat steps 1 & 2

8 install springs,washers and pvc

9 CAREFULLY install the caps while compressing the spring by pushing down and catching the threads
I used a T handle with a socket as it's easer to use one handed while steading the forks
with the other hand. This is the critical part because you don't want to cross thread the fine
threaded alum caps

10 tighten caps & lockbolts. My oil level was ok so I didn't mess with it ( winter job)

11 lower bike off jack

12 repeat steps 1 & 2

Thats it

Doc_V wrote:
My new progressive fork springs arrived today and I was all excited to install them when I heard how easy it was. Some said it took a half hour. Others said you could do it in a morning, half asleep, with a hangover.... Wow! Sounds great! ....So what the hell am I missing here?

I did some digging around on the internet and found some videos from the MFG and looked like you just remove the top cap, take out the stock spring, insert the new spring, [tight coil side down], insert provided spacer and replace top cap! I'd have to agree that sounds pretty damn easy... Then I read the instructions that came with the springs. Talk about confusing.

So I called Progressive and according to the tech I have to completely disassemble the entire front end, removing the fork tubes. Whah?! Then:

1) take the cap off
2) take out stock spring
3) install progressive spring - tightly wound end down
4) put provided washer in between spring and spacer
5) install provided 10" PVC spacer
6) mark off 1/2 inch from above the top of the fork tube and cut PVC spacer
7) remove spacer, washer and spring and measure oil level without the new spring to insure it's 140mm [5 in] from the top
8) replace spring, washer and PVC spacer in that order
9) replace fork cap and reassemble front end

Oh sure.. yah... that's simple. NOT?!

That sounds more like a several hour job to me. What am I missing?

What is the correct and so called "simple" way to do this job? If there is a step by step instruction on how to do this job, would someone please point me to it. ...And No thank you. I'm not interested in the tech article on lowering the front end and installing "gold emulators". I just want simple instructions on swapping out stock springs for progressive.

Please advise!

Thanks.
read the directions that came with the springs several times and then read them again.
you also cut the pvc down to 6.5 inches, not 10 inches. This is for a stock hieght spring and not the lowered one.
I used those directions plus this.
http://roadstarclinic.com/content/view/235/97/

davej wrote:
Don't forget to loosen the pinch bolt before trying to loosen the cap. The job is a no brainer. If you hav'nt had a fork seal leak you can pump out the oil and replace each side with the same amount that you pumped out of each. Just make sure the measurement from the top of the fork to the oil is the same on both sides and you will be OK. There is nothing high tech about these forks that require an exact science to work properly. They are very forgiving.
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Makes sence!

Like Dave said this spring change isnt hard,it's not rocket science by any means.

But i have to agree the instructions you get with the springs making you think you have to disassemble complete front ends/forks to install new springs can be a bitoverwhelming for people that arrent used to wrenching bikes.

If you accidnetially get .25oz more fork oil in fork tube side vs the other fork tube,your never gonna feel it,the big burly heavy R* cruiser suspension isn't that sensitive.

All ya need to do is if your not changing fork oil let each oil spring drain into a sperate container and then simply put that same approx amount of stock 5w oil back into ech fork tube that drained off the old spring from each tube.

If ya decide to change fork oil at the same time which makes sence to me since your already there then suck out & measure the used fork oil from each tube .

Then simply put same amount of new fork oil in each tube including the amount of oil that drianed off old springs too.

If changing fork oil i'd move up from stock 5w to at least 7w ,maybe even 10-w fork oil which is what most guys do when installing new prog fork springs.

Just follow the instructions your fellow RSC members posted here & you should be just fine.

Good luck!

Scott