jmolan Posted September 27, 2004 Share Posted September 27, 2004 I found this off of another website. Anyone ever deal with this, and what were the results? http://www.seatrider.org/techntips/rear%20shock%20preload.htm My riding buddy Roger told me he was considering a new rear shock on his LT. It seems his preload adjustment wasn't working like it used to. I brought him to my house and we refilled his preload circuit in about 15 minutes the other day. Now he has the full range of preload just like when his bike was new. The hydraulic preload adjuster on your LT or RT 'can' cause a problem with ride height. I've found several RT rear shocks that have lost their original range of adjustment. What happens is the hydraulic jack oil in the preload circuit seems to evaporate just a little over time. I've refilled 3 of them and restored the full range of adjustment in each case. The easiest way to test for this is to back off the adjuster knob till you feel the resistance go away. That is the point where the hydraulic adjuster ceases to adjust anything. If the point of no resistance isn't up near the top (soft) end of the adjustment knob, turn the adjuster FULLY counter clockwise and remove the adjuster from it's mounting bracket. Unclip the hose retainers. While holding the adjuster upside down, remove the banjo fitting at the adjuster and keep the hose end vertical so no oil seeps out. Ensure the adjuster is Fully counter clockwise all the way and stick a nylon rod or something similar in the hole where the banjo fitting attaches and push the piston all the way back. Keep the adjuster upside down during this entire process. Next you add jack oil to the adjuster piston until it runs out. Re-install the banjo fitting (with new crush rings if you can find them but I've never had one leak) and before you tighten the banjo fitting, twist the adjuster knob clockwise about a quarter turn to eliminate any air bubbles. Check the adjustment range. If you were low on jack oil, it WILL be much better. This may save some folks the price of a new rear shock. I found hydraulic jack oil at my local auto parts store years ago for refilling my floor jacks. This oil is totally separate from the shock absorber function. Link to comment
bmwmick Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Content, Follow this link http://tinyurl.com/4vhpv to the K1200LT forums and do some searches. Quite a few folks have benefited from this little 'fix'. The first thing you should do is see if you have this problem, otherwise, it doesn't apply to you. Pics: http://members.cox.net/slartidbartfast/bmwfix/shock-oil/shock-oil.htm Mick Link to comment
mikewarax Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 I used the BMW fork oil in mine when it was low and now it works just like new. Link to comment
Haynes Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 My adjuster turns 7 clicks from softest before I feel any load on it. I'll check the oil level tomorrow and reprot back. Link to comment
Haynes Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 I just completed the oil top up process and gained 15mm in static height when the preload is set to the normal position. The adjustment now offers resistance from the first click from fully soft. Link to comment
mikewarax Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 What kind of oil did you use Haynes ? Mike Link to comment
bmwmick Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Keith, Thanks for the feedback On all the adjusters I've refilled, I've never seen any leakage either. Did yours show any signs of a leak before you did the refill? Mick Link to comment
jmolan Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 Just did mine with hyd. jack oil, I would gues it was 1/3 of the way empty on the resevor. No leakage before or after the fill up and I gained in a very noticable way. I put my adjustment back to the NORM spot and feel the tailend is up very nice... Link to comment
Haynes Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Mike, I used a general hydraulic machine oil for the shock absorber. It has the same grade and type as power steering fluid. It is NOT the same as auto trans fluid. Mick, There was absolutely no sign of any leak; not even a slight mist. Where the oil goes, who knows? Link to comment
Haynes Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 I emailed a friend about this issue. He has a 3 year old rear-sagging R1150R that he now adjusts to "max" with his little wife as passenger. We're looking at his adjuster on the weekend. Link to comment
Flash1034 Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 OK Guys, for us less inclined...how do you add oil to the adjuster? A picture would be worth a thousand words.. Flash Link to comment
doc47 Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Just did it. BIG difference. Essentially, when I had the preload set to Heavy I was probably only at Normal preload. Thanks for the tip. Flash: After you remove the banjo fitting from the bottom of the preload adjuster (It's the round fitting the bolt goes through) there will be a small hole in the bottom of the reservoir. Keeping the reservoir upside down, make sure you push the adj. piston ALL THE WAY to the bottom (which is actually the top once you turn it back over). Mine required a bit extra nudging. I made a funnel with a small piece of paper folded into a cone. Simply pour in the oil until it fills. If some spills don't worry about it. It's not like brake fluid that'll take the finish off a Coke bottle if you spill some. Link to comment
Haynes Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Flash, This is the method that I used: 1. Turn the sdjuster back to full soft. 2. Slightly loosen the banjo bolt that secures the hydraulic line to the adjuster housing. 3. Remove the bolt that secures the housing to the frame of the bike. 4. Turn the adjuster upside down and remomve the banjo bolt securing the line. Keep the end of the line held high so no oil drains (second person an advantage). 5. PLacing a thin object through the hole in the bottom of the adjuster, push the piston back to make sure it is fully retracted. 6. Top up the adjuster housing with oil. 7. Reconnect the line making sure that it is not twisted when the adjuster is remounted. Link to comment
patof Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Haynes, I did it all by myself this morning, took less than 15 minutes! you can slip the tube below the seat (which I took off) between the from and rear tupperware junction, you can snug the tube there while you work on the cylinder. To push the piston in, I used one of the allen key in the tool kit. It is amazing how little oil (tablespoon or so) makes such a difference... This post just came at the right time bcz last Sunday, two up, I hitted a bump and swingharm leading to the rear drive banged below the right passenger peg (where the cylinder is). It banged so hard, I tough something was broken. In fact it left a mark the size of a pea soup on the swignharm. I wondered what happened, now I know! Thank you ! Link to comment
Flash1034 Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Can someone please email me a picture of this operation. I guess Im just a visual person... Thanks, Flash Link to comment
Haynes Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Flash 1034, I hope that the attached picture is enough. If not, contact me off board hayneskld@bigpond.com Link to comment
Sputnik Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Content - Thanks for posting this. Did mine yesterday, made an amazing difference. Don't tell my wife though, I still want a set of Ohlins. Link to comment
Mike_F Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 Did mine today after talking to Sputnik about how well it worked on his bike. There is a noted improvement from before the procedure. I may be able to hold off on the Works shocks I need. Thanks, Link to comment
jmolan Posted October 4, 2004 Author Share Posted October 4, 2004 I just did a 700 mile weekend ride out to Fossil and back and can attest to the darn thing improved greatly. Like gaining new life...I wonder if it is ever on the BMW maitenence scedual to check? Or are we doing something wrong? It seems to easy... I was so ready to drop big bucks for new shocks, now I am not so much in a hurry. I am so used to "the only cheap on a BMW is the rider" This was some real bang for the buck...or few cents anyhow! Link to comment
Flash1034 Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 I just checked mine and it was filled to the top...Good to know. Thanks. Flash Link to comment
mshuell Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 Holy Smokes! What a great idea! I was absolutely sure that my rear shock was completely shot and a new set of Ohlins was in my future. I followed the procedure as described. Pushing back the piston with the long side of an allen wrench is very important. In goes about a teaspoon of 5w-30. The shock now feels like brand new. Is it as good as a new $600 Ohlins? Nope. But 6 cents worth of oil instead of $600 worth of shock absorber seems like a fair deal to me. Best Wishes, Mark Shuell. Link to comment
Slartidbartfast Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 Ten minutes of work to recover half the preload adjustment range seems like a great deal to me. It's an absolutely dead-nuts simple procedure but I took some photo's anyway. Will post here if anyone's interested. Link to comment
chrisz Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 INTERESTED!!! Please post pics. Link to comment
RTme2 Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 Found this post just a little while ago and refilled the adjuster in about 5 minutes. Wow, I had no idea that I had lost so much adjustment. The collective knowledge on this board is priceless. Thanks, fellas. Dave Link to comment
bmwmick Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Found this post just a little while ago and refilled the adjuster in about 5 minutes. Wow, I had no idea that I had lost so much adjustment. The collective knowledge on this board is priceless. Thanks, fellas. Dave Dave, Glad you found it. Enjoy your 'new' suspension. Mick Link to comment
ncsonderman Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I successfully refilled mine when I purchased my 97 and it made a very noticeable difference. I'm now getting ready to replace that shock due to a badly deteriorated rubber bushing. Link to comment
PapaJ Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Did this about a month ago, now I can ride two up and not feel like I'm doing a wheelie all the time. You are correct, the knowledge on this site is amazing, I'm grateful for all the help I can get. Link to comment
philbytx Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Please post ...pictures is good !!!!! Link to comment
pclarin Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 A tip of the visor to you fellows. I was totally happy with my 1996 RT but went ahead and topped off the shock pre-load oil. WOW! Thanks to all who posted this one! Link to comment
EELBOY Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Still not sure what oil to use... My rear shock needs a boost.. Link to comment
Boffin Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Still not sure what oil to use... My rear shock needs a boost.. Hydraulic jack oil does the trick. Andy Link to comment
bmwmick Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 Still not sure what oil to use... My rear shock needs a boost.. Hydraulic Jack Oil. I mentioned that in the original article didn't I? Mick Link to comment
RTme2 Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 I bought a quart of hydralic jack oil at the local AutoZone for about $4. Five minutes after filling the RT, I topped off my hydralic jack. It had lost some travel at the top end. Now I've got enough to will to my descendants. Dave Link to comment
EELBOY Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Is there any problem with overfilling?? I don't want to top it off and end up blowing something out.... How full should it have been new? Link to comment
bmwmick Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Is there any problem with overfilling?? I don't want to top it off and end up blowing something out.... How full should it have been new? There is no way to overfill it. Mick Link to comment
Linz Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Go to a service station and buy a small bottle of power steering oil. That will do it just fine. Linz Link to comment
David Sharpe Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Any problems with introducing an air bubble? Link to comment
bmwmick Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Any problems with introducing an air bubble? Not if you follow the instructions and hold the hose vertical while you refill the cylinder. I add a little extra oil to the cylinder so it oozes out when you attach the banjo fitting. Mick Link to comment
va951 Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Having read this thread a couple of days ago, I checked mine yesterday and it needed topping off. Very easy to do. Link to comment
topdal46 Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I just did this procedure on my RT yesterday, yep 15 minute job, I used some power steering fluid I found in my garage, since my car does not have hydraulic power steering, that fluid would have been there forever. (Saturn VUE ). It really did make a difference, I had about half the adjustment left before I added the fluid. Thank you all , great tip from this forum Link to comment
MattP Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 WOW! Another thread tells my woes of dragging the belly pan during some low-speed tire scrubbing...well anyway, I found this in a search and my rear pre-load adjustment was dialing down almost 1/2 way before I could feel any resistance. 15 minutes later and the adjuster, at least, seems WAY (I was going to say 'loads', haha) better. A ride will tell, but a great and cheap fix!!! Stated before, but the collective knowledge base here is AWESOME. Link to comment
kiwiaudio Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Sure wish there were an easy fix such as this for the woeful front shock ! Link to comment
BeemerBuddy Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Happened across this thread last night and checked my preload reservoir today. I didn't encounter any resistance till almost 8 clicks, no wonder my bike felt so chattery on the goaty country roads out here. There should be a sticky linking to all the threads relating to this topic. This seems like a very important subject! Thanks! Link to comment
bmwmick Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Did you 'fix' it? It's pretty amazing what a tablespoon or two of oil can do. If you search on preload I think you will find most all of the threads on this subject. Adding my userid will help too bmwmick I added a link to pictures in this thread: http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=1&Number=358319&Searchpage=1&Main=33202&Words=preload+bmwmick&topic=0&Search=true#Post358319 Pics: http://members.cox.net/slartidbartfast/bmwfix/shock-oil/shock-oil.htm Mick Link to comment
conwaykraM Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 On the Showa stock shock for my '96 1100RT - what does the small screw at the bottom of the shock do? Looking forward to trying some experimentation - replacing oil . I bought an extra front and rear shock off Ebay to experiment with. Link to comment
Boffin Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 The screw is the rebound damping adjuster. Turn clockwise for stiffer damping, anti-clockwise for softer. Andy Link to comment
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