Posts
1775
Joined
6/30/2023
Location
sebree, KY, USA
I am getting my forks pulled apart to revalve them and noticed a strange couple of markings in the damping rod. It was very hard to get out and it took a bunch of the bushing coating with it. Safe to say the bushing is done for. The rod does not appear to be salvageable.
This is a bike with zero hours on it. I have not even started it yet. Has anyone seen this before? Any tips? I’m going to call Suzuki customer service but any preliminary advice would be great. 
Almost looks like they started cutting the threads in the wrong location. Does that area ride on the bushing or seal during the normal action of the fork?
I know from past experience anytime you take a bike apart yourself and find an issue it's a hard sell to the MFG..
Yea I would second this. I’d try to get a dealer to represent you. They are just going to say it was your error in disassembly and your SOL.
I was well represented by my dealer.
Yeah I’m not sure how but they tried to thread it in these locations.
The fork would contact this part during deep strokes and eventually shred the bushing and destroy the shaft anyways. Do you or @soggy know where to find OEM parts like this? Technical touch is awesome but they’re KYB.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Free shipping: VITALMX
https://www.suspensiondirect.com/shop/sfhcrh17 They are out of stock currently but would be a good place to call and see what’s up. This says rmz450 2018-2019 but I don’t think anything has changed since?
I do think you will be taken care of but I suspect the dealer will want to get paid for the install. I would start there.
Ridejbi also would be a good shop to check
https://www.ridejbi.com/showa-fork-cartridge-rod-14mm/
JBI has both the rod and the bushing but I’ll probably need some tools to get the posts installed.
ugh.
Send it off to JBI and have them valve and replace the rod for you?
Yeah, at this point you might as well bite the bullet and let JB fix those forks up for you. Sounds like you already sort of shot your foot off by not buying the RMZ 250 shock and hacking on your frame in an effort to save some bucks. Don't mess around and cause yourself more problems.
I’ve got the 250 shock. I’m only out $50 on the KX trial.
I have gold valves for the front and rear. I can’t really afford to ship my stuff across the country and then go another $1,000+ on valving labor so gold valves are my jam. Race tech nails it too. My YZ setup was truly amazing. Plus, I understand enough to make minute adjustments on my own. I may use JBI for parts though because he has them in stock it seems.
I’ve already got the posts all cleaned off and ready for their new setups anyways.
What are the posts you are referring to that you need a special tool for?
I don’t know it off of the top of my head but the torque specs for the valving posts are almost definitely going to require the right jaws for me to transfer the post onto the new shaft. I dont think they’re just “snug”.
Maybe I’m not being clear. The damaged area is circled in red. During manufacturing they had it improperly threaded and the result is shown in pictures.
The blue line is the factory valving post. This is factory installed and replaceable but it requires a cylindrical clamp for the vice.
what was used to hold the fork tubes compressed while you had a wrench on the locking collar to crack loose the rebound adjuster? can you post a pic of it?
THIS.
Looks like your damper rod holding tool scarred the rod while breaking loose the base bolt
I see what you mean. I used a 14 mm wrench that is very smooth and covered it in painters tape. I’m not saying it’s impossible but if I did it, I’m not really sure how.
I am equally unsure how that would’ve happened in the showa manufacturing environment also though
Pit Row
If it can happen to you it can happen to Showa.
Yeah I’m definitely not perfect but I have no idea how I could have possibly done this.
The tubes are aluminum not birch wood lol
unfortunately that was likely the culprit. A chromed wrench is WAY harder and sharper edged than the rebound rod and/or painters tape. The painters tape maybe got you through the first one, but it's no match for hardened chrome and hard anodizing.
If you measure the thickness of the wrench, and the distance between the two areas of marring, there's likely a correlation. also the "pitch" of the marring likely matches the pitch of the rebound rod threads, and also the distance from the threads to the area of deepest marring is likely the same as the distance of the locking collar or locking nut, also indicating that it occurred during disassembly.
Sorry this happened, always sucks when you lose seat time.
Highly unlikely that this will get covered under any kind of warranty. Sure, you could become a big enough of a pain in the ass and have your dealer go to bat for you and possibly get it covered just so that they can make you go away but I wouldn't waste your time or use up all your leverage on this. Take it on the chin as a learning lesson and move on and just have a local tech replace the rod (other special tools are needed, and it sounds like you need a cart seal head rebuilt too) and get back to having fun riding your dirtbike rather than drawing it out into a whole ordeal.
Next time use one of these rod holding plates. the racetech one is great, it's made out of UHMW or something similar. It's tough enough to do the job, but not so tough that it will damage the rebound rod. I've used mine probably 3,-4,000 times with no issue. Of those thousands of forks, I've only ever seen rebound rod damage like that from incorrect tools. Sorry man. Live and learn. Trust me, I've dicked up my own suspension WAY worse when I was first learning 😅
I don’t want to be the fit thrower. I take it you do suspension? Do you have the ability to get these parts?
This was the first one and the second one did not mar. I’ve been using a wrench for about a half dozen disassemblies but I’m not a professional - I’m not going to scream about it. It could hsve easily been me lol
Race Tech has upgraded rods - FPRR 140393 P
I do, and I can, but it's probably best for you to support a local-ish guy. You're curious and willing when it comes to suspension which is awesome, that's how most of us got started, but the last thing you want it to piss off the local guy. Sure, he'll probably throw a fit over what you've done and want to repair it himself and charge a premium, but he'll get over it, and you'll have a properly functioning bike and also be much better equipped for the next time you want to work on your fork and understanding what tools and processes are important.
Powerband Suspension in Florida has the cartridge rods in stock right now.
Tough to find anywhere else Billy is a good guy shoot him an email he’ll get you hooked up. I guess Showa supply chain is tough right now.
I just ordered one for my rmz a month ago I believe they are 14x390mm.
I took a class he offered to service suspension - learned a lot definitely would recommend it.
Post a reply to: Manufacturer Defect - Suzuki Showa 49 Fork