dropping the front end

[pinnacle]

hey guys i have a quick question i would like to drop my front end a little by just sliding the forks up the trees a 1" or so. i loosened the pinch bolts on the clamps and it doesn't want to seem to slide do i have to remove the air valve and equalizing tube to do so or is there a different method. i don't want to brake anything. I would also like to ask what affect will this have on my handling and cornering with the bike?

 

[dannymax]

hey guys i have a quick question i would like to drop my front end a little by just sliding the forks up the trees a 1" or so. i loosened the pinch bolts on the clamps and it doesn't want to seem to slide do i have to remove the air valve and equalizing tube to do so or is there a different method. i don't want to brake anything. I would also like to ask what affect will this have on my handling and cornering with the bike?

Not sure where the air valves and balance tube are located but if they are right below the top clamp on the triple they won't be able to slide up. :confused2:

Your steering will be quicker with raised tubes.

Also, be sure to support the front end before loosening all the pinch bolts, you won't be able to hold it from sliding all the way down the tubes otherwise!

 

[Redbone]

Danny is correct, you'll have to remove the air balance tube to lower. Then you'll have to seal the air holes if you don't want oil squirting out under pressure, much like the "Ghent Gusher" only from the other end! :biglaugh:
I have my air balance tube still in place but I lowered it 2" via the internally by installing progressive lowering spring kit. (you can also lower it 1" with same kit)
Be careful to remove the air balance tube both sides at the same time. If you don't you risk breaking the balancing tube. Also be sure to take care of the "o" rings and inspect them once out for any issues. You may want to reinstall if you decide not to seal up the air holes.

 

[dannymax]

Danny is correct, you'll have to remove the air balance tube to lower. Then you'll have to seal the air holes if you don't want oil squirting out under pressure, much like the "Ghent Gusher" only from the other end! :biglaugh:
I have my air balance tube still in place but I lowered it 2" via the internally by installing progressive lowering spring kit. (you can also lower it 1" with same kit)
Be careful to remove the air balance tube both sides at the same time. If you don't you risk breaking the balancing tube. Also be sure to take care of the "o" rings and inspect them once out for any issues. You may want to reinstall if you decide not to seal up the air holes.

Ah, the fond memories......:bang head::bang head::bang head:

 

[hederstedt]

The best way is to open the tubes from the top, remove the spacers, (thin tubes of steel) and cut them the desired lenght or repace them with shorter ones. If you take this aproach instead there are no risk that you break so hard that the fender/wheel goes in to the radiator.
But I strongley rekomend a set of progressive springs at the same time. The bike will become lighter to steer but at the same time it will become easyere to wobble at the same time. I have lowered mine about 50 mm (2" if you are in the states) and I swapped to progressive springs at the same time. The handeling improved and the tendens towoards wobble decreased (did not disepear though) I would not want to drive a lowered max whith stock springs. Unless - of course - you lower it in the back as well to keep the trail.

 

[mike7488]

I do not believe that just cutting the pre load spacers is going to drop the front end.....it will reduce your preload, that's it.....as far as I know, you have to get into the forks and internally lower them....search the forum, there is a very good write up on this procedure a few years back.


-Mike

 

[4gasem]

Cutting the preload spacers is HIGHLY discouraged... That's NOT the correct way to lower a bike and could truly get you killed. It will reduce the amount of preload (of course) causing ENTIRELY too much sag. Either drop them in the trees or open them up and disassemble them completely to lower them correctly. Check out Seans video on how to lower internally.

Chris

 

[gamorg02]

please please don't do that. drop them in your tree or do it right with a kit.

 

[one2dmax]

Holy ****. I didn't just read that did I? You do NOT cut the spacers at the top to get the bike lowered. That is for setting the preload and if you don't set that correctly the bike will not only handle like crap, it will be unsafe.

The best way is to do it internally by adding in either the proper lowering springs under the dampener or you can even add some tubing there. 1" of tubing/spring added will do both 1" of lowering to the chassis ride height, as well as remove 1" of travel (which there is too much travel to begin with). This will NOT make the wheel ever get closer to the radiator. It only reduces overall suspension travel and ride height.

Now, lowering it through the triples will in fact reduce ride height, but also let the wheel move that same distance closer to the radiator. One inch of this is normally just fine but much more then that and you do run the risk of getting the lower section of the fender into the radiator (usually more damage to the fender then radiator).

As noted earlier. To do this on an 85-92 vmax you will need to remove that cross over valve. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Air is only a crutch to the system anyway and once properly setup (with progressive or other aftermarket spring) then it is not needed. The preferred method to seal those holes is to weld them up and smooth them out. We have used very small set screws in the past though.

Sean Morley

 

[mike7488]

Glad I wasn't the only one to reconize this as the WRONG method.....I would suspect that someone could possibly be fooled into thinking that you have lowered the front end by cutting the preload spacers given the fact that you have effectivly screwed up the preload/sag hence your bike will now droop in the front, which as noted above, is NOT correct.....

I would suspect that adding progressive springs would be a waste in this scenario.....

-Mike

 

[4gasem]

Glad I wasn't the only one to reconize this as the WRONG method.....I would suspect that someone could possibly be fooled into thinking that you have lowered the front end by cutting the preload spacers given the fact that you have effectivly screwed up the preload/sag hence your bike will now droop in the front, which as noted above, is NOT correct.....

I would suspect that adding progressive springs would be a waste in this scenario.....

-Mike

Hey Mike, Just an FYI... I read your OP as saying it's OK to cut the spacer... :confused2:

You may want to edit your response.

 

[mike7488]

Nah...read it again....not what I implied....

Hey Mike, Just an FYI... I read your OP as saying it's OK to cut the spacer... :confused2:

You may want to edit your response.