Center Stand Installation

[OlGeezer]

Is there a "trick" or special "technique" to installing the springs?

 

TIA,

 

Bill

[Voyager]

They seem less loaded when the stand is tucked away. I just grabbed the straight end with pliers & stretched. Leave room for the outside spring when you're putting on the inside spring & alternate the long end. That's all I can think of.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Grab the free end of the spring with a vise-grip pliers. Not the tip of the bend, but the long part. Suppose the letter "J" here represents the end of the spring; you'll grab the right side of the letter "J", not the bottom of it, with the pliers. Once it's hooked on the pin, release the pliers.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Old fashioned brake spring tool available at most auto parts stores makes the job fairly easy. Look for one with a groove or cup on the side of one leg. Slip the tool inside the hook on the spring, cup over the pin and just stretch it into place.

 

KD Tools part # 3499 looks like it will do the job.

[OlGeezer]

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

While I was waiting for a reply, a colleague of mine suggested using a screwdriver. I studied the optimum fulcrum point (the stem that the springs hook onto, put the screwdriver blade under the stem with both springs hooked around the shaft of the screwdriver. I pushed down with a very small force and, viola! They both went right on.

 

I used my brake spring tool to remove the springs. I was/am a little intimidated with the brake spring tool. About 30 years ago, I was changing the brake pads on my car in my friends driveway while I was stationed in Bremerton, WA (in the winter, of course in the rain). I was lifting up on the spring when it let go and my hand went up into the wheel well. When I pulled it back out, I discovered that I nearly cut off my thumb.

 

I'm glad I did this. I don't plan on doing this every 6k service, but I will do it every 12k. I'm skeptical that any dealer does this on a regular service. But, I could be mistaken.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[Silver_Fox]

Looking at the spring set up on some of the 1100 vs 1150's there seems to be a different set up.

I have an '02 1150RT and the spring set up is quite different in the fact that it has a small spring inside of a large spring. Looks rather difficult to use a brake spring tool or screwdriver to pry the springs back on the lower pin.

The top retainer on the spring is a "link" type of a deal that has a elongated hole that fits over a pin on the stand. It appears to me that that might be a place to pop the springs off and on.

Does anybody have any advice as to this approach? Is there some sort of tool that would be useful in prying the spring retainer off at this point.

Thanks for the help.

Steve

[BlueOpal99]

hello all, another way to remove the spring is with washers,or even, pennies.swing the jiffy stand out and when it reaches the mid-point of the arc. then the springs should be stretched the most

at that point,start adding washers(or pennies) in the coils.stuff as many as possible, then swing the stand back in the direction you started. the spring shoul be loose and able to slip off.

 

R

[Voyager]

hello all, another way to remove the spring is with washers,or even, pennies.swing the jiffy stand out and when it reaches the mid-point of the arc. then the springs should be stretched the most

at that point,start adding washers(or pennies) in the coils.stuff as many as possible, then swing the stand back in the direction you started. the spring shoul be loose and able to slip off.

 

Very cool!

 

I never would have thought of that. Probably a good puzzle for teasing aspiring engineer brains.

[Francis]

BlueOpal

 

Very cool

[Mike]

Yeah, I remember this from a while back.

 

Just another note for all--if you're going to stretch the spring to install it, please wear eye protection. These things can go shooting off at about mach 2 if you lose your grip.

[OlGeezer]

Steve -

 

Mine's an '02 RT and the brake tool worked fine getting it off. I took the cylindrical end and rotated counter clockwise so that it inserted itself between the springs (both at the same time) and the pin. They came right off.

 

To install the springs (both at the same time), I used a large flat bladed screwdriver. I put the blade under the pin and placed the shaft of the screwdriver into the "J" of the two springs. As I pushed down, the springs slid right on. I'm not saying that these two tasks went easy because I'm a wrenching guru or anything like that. Quite the opposite is true (think: ham-fisted).

 

Put your bike on the center stand first (for both procedures), but I think you already knew that.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

 

Looking at the spring set up on some of the 1100 vs 1150's there seems to be a different set up.

I have an '02 1150RT and the spring set up is quite different in the fact that it has a small spring inside of a large spring. Looks rather difficult to use a brake spring tool or screwdriver to pry the springs back on the lower pin.

The top retainer on the spring is a "link" type of a deal that has a elongated hole that fits over a pin on the stand. It appears to me that that might be a place to pop the springs off and on.

Does anybody have any advice as to this approach? Is there some sort of tool that would be useful in prying the spring retainer off at this point.

Thanks for the help.

Steve

[BlueOpal99]

i build stuff for disney, we tend to have to be our own engineers sometimes....

[malcpowe]

Hi Bill, This is a method I've used in the past it should work with a double spring setup. Put the bike on the side stand. Tie a piece of strong nylon cord the the spring hook nearest the back wheel. Sit on the floor and wrap the end of the cord around a small piece of wood to make a "T" handle. Now put your foot/knee against the back wheel and pull on the cord, this should easily remove the hook from pin on the stand. Do the same to refit.

 

Good luck,

 

Malcolm Shropshire UK