Rear shock woes :(

[chuck peterson]

Looks like you're working on an 850T like mine.  The shocks on mine (Ikon) are about 20mm longer than stock just like yours.  They were on the bike when I bought it in 2004.  They work fine.  However, my muffler will just contact the axle nut on full extension and both wheels will just touch the ground when the centerstand is down - plus the extra 1/2" height makes the sidestand precarious at best to use - not a big loss on these anyhow!  I have been considering replacing them with the correct length now that they are available again from MG Cycle.  Lifting the rear end up does quicken the steering (a little).  Pros and cons...

Sidebar for this problem...raise the forks in the triple clamp to gain some clearance under the rear wheel on the center stand...might help the side stand, too

[Thirtyaughtsix]

Sooooo you guys are gonna kill me...









I tried everything that was just suggested: spacers on axle with wheel to simulate nut tension, held the wheel up to the final drive and spun it, held the brake plate down on the wheel and spun that freely, and it all checked out thankfully. It wasn't till I started listening and looking that I saw this here above was scraping, turns out my snap ring wasn't fully seated so the whole thing sat higher. Not to mention I had that little plate on backwards, at least I think...fits better the other way around for me at least.

Rookie mistake by a rookie and that's kay, but the problem is solved, and no new ones came up better yet. I thought for sure I'd be boned on the bearings since they're all new from MG cycle, but the axle nut torques right up with nothing rubbing now. Very me gusta 

[pehayes]

Halleluja and congratulations.  Glad we hung in there.  I never thought of the "Z" tab since the early Ambo and Eldo didn't have a cush drive.

Your embedded photo shows TWO errors.  First, yes, the Z-tab is mounted upside down.  Second, it is not supposed to ride ON TOP of the giant circlip but instead it is supposed to rest directly onto the cush plate and BETWEEN the tips of the circlip.  It keeps the circlip in a fixed position while allowing the underlying cush plate to rotate back and forth and absorb power shocks to the drive line.  The Z-tab won't have space to install unless the cush plate is down tight and the circlip is fully seated in its groove.

Glad it is all sorted.  Especially glad that you didn't crush or dimple your brand new wheel bearings as I was fearing.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[canuck750]

You may need to rig up a tool to compress the rubber dampers to get the big snap ring to seat,

This is my method



A section of threaded rod and some big heavy spacers I have for compressing the pieces together.



And as Pete said the Z bracket faces down and fits between the fully seated snap ring ends



(stuck on an endless conference call and browsing Wildguzzi )

[pehayes]

I have generally been successful by partially seating the circlip and then whacking on the cush plate with a stout plastic mallet to momentarily compress the rubbers and allow the circlip to seat itself by spring force.  Just keep whacking until there is enough space between the circlip tips to install the Z-tab.  I do like your compression tool and might fabricate something like that the next time I have my wheel off.  Might make removing the circlip easier as well.  Thanks for the idea.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[rodekyll]

Nothing to be embarrassed about.  Rather, be smug about your ability to stick with it and ferret out the details.  Good job!

[Thirtyaughtsix]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh I didn't know it was supposed to sit flush, I'll have to go back again and remedy that. Should have taken a reference pic too but I'll remember that for next time