Author Topic: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?  (Read 518 times)

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Offline grcamna2

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Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« on: April 07, 2024, 11:05:54 AM »
I have this pair of forks and want to ask if the tightly wound fork spring coils are meant to go down into the forks first ?  or do they sit at the top of the forks ?
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline jgger

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2024, 11:36:41 AM »
According to my Yamaha FSM for the FJR the "tight" coils go down. YMMV.
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Offline PeWe

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2024, 11:38:40 AM »
I have the tighter wounds down.
I think same in both tubes is the most important detail.
CB750 K6-76  970cc (Earlier 1005cc JMR Billet block on the shelf waiting for a comeback)
CB750 K2-75 Parts assembled to a stock K2

Updates of the CB750 K6 -1976
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,180468.msg2092136.html#msg2092136
The billet block build thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,49438.msg1863571.html#msg1863571
CB750 K2 -1975  build thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,168243.msg1948381.html#msg1948381
K2 engine build thread. For a complete CB750 -75
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,180088.msg2088008.html#msg2088008
Carb jetting, a long story Mikuni TMR32
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,179479.msg2104967.html#msg2104967

Offline grcamna2

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2024, 12:23:24 PM »
I have quite a few different shop manuals,some very old,others like Clymer which have very clear language and some which are OEM and seem very straightforward.
I ask because these manuals have different information on similar things..
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline Johnie

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2024, 01:07:49 PM »
Bill my HONDA service manual for my 76 GL1000 show the tight coils on top.
1970 CB750K0 - Candy Ruby Red
1973 CB750K3 - Candy Bacchus Olive or Sunflake Orange
1970 Chevy Chevelle SS396 - Cortez Silver
1976 GL1000 Sulphur Yellow

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Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2024, 01:56:58 PM »
Most progressive springs call for the tighter coils on top, but thinking about the way the forces are applied, it really doesn’t matter. Definitely point them both the same way.

Offline HondaMan

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2024, 02:04:34 PM »
The shop manuals and racing technique puts the tight coils on top. The reason: the tightly wound coils are heavy, and adding mass to the unsprung side of the shock/fork makes it more sluggish to respond to movement.

So, the lighter-spaced side of the coils has normally been the 'moving' part to make the suspension more active.
See SOHC4shop@gmail.com for info about the gadgets I make for these bikes.

The demons are repulsed when a man does good. Use that.
Blood is thicker than water, but motor oil is thicker yet...so, don't mess with my SOHC4, or I might have to hurt you.
Hondaman's creed: "Bikers are family. Treat them accordingly."

Link to Hondaman Ignition: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=67543.0

Link to My CB750 Book: https://www.lulu.com/search?adult_audience_rating=00&page=1&pageSize=10&q=my+cb750+book

Link to website: www.SOHC4shop.com

Offline grcamna2

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2024, 02:11:17 PM »
I'm going to go with the tight coils Up.
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline Alan F.

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2024, 07:40:18 PM »
The shop manuals and racing technique puts the tight coils on top. The reason: the tightly wound coils are heavy, and adding mass to the unsprung side of the shock/fork makes it more sluggish to respond to movement.

So, the lighter-spaced side of the coils has normally been the 'moving' part to make the suspension more active.

My Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has the tighter wound coils at the bottom on the rear shocks, do you think it would be an upgrade for street riding to flip the springs?

Offline HondaMan

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2024, 09:07:22 PM »
The shop manuals and racing technique puts the tight coils on top. The reason: the tightly wound coils are heavy, and adding mass to the unsprung side of the shock/fork makes it more sluggish to respond to movement.

So, the lighter-spaced side of the coils has normally been the 'moving' part to make the suspension more active.

My Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has the tighter wound coils at the bottom on the rear shocks, do you think it would be an upgrade for street riding to flip the springs?

At the risk of starting an internet war....

... I would! ;)

See SOHC4shop@gmail.com for info about the gadgets I make for these bikes.

The demons are repulsed when a man does good. Use that.
Blood is thicker than water, but motor oil is thicker yet...so, don't mess with my SOHC4, or I might have to hurt you.
Hondaman's creed: "Bikers are family. Treat them accordingly."

Link to Hondaman Ignition: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=67543.0

Link to My CB750 Book: https://www.lulu.com/search?adult_audience_rating=00&page=1&pageSize=10&q=my+cb750+book

Link to website: www.SOHC4shop.com

Offline PeWe

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2024, 09:12:34 PM »
Good to know, I make sure the springs are with tight coil side up at next oil change.
I have recently changed oil on both bikes ;)
CB750 K6-76  970cc (Earlier 1005cc JMR Billet block on the shelf waiting for a comeback)
CB750 K2-75 Parts assembled to a stock K2

Updates of the CB750 K6 -1976
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,180468.msg2092136.html#msg2092136
The billet block build thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,49438.msg1863571.html#msg1863571
CB750 K2 -1975  build thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,168243.msg1948381.html#msg1948381
K2 engine build thread. For a complete CB750 -75
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,180088.msg2088008.html#msg2088008
Carb jetting, a long story Mikuni TMR32
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,179479.msg2104967.html#msg2104967

Offline Alan F.

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2024, 09:19:48 AM »
The shop manuals and racing technique puts the tight coils on top. The reason: the tightly wound coils are heavy, and adding mass to the unsprung side of the shock/fork makes it more sluggish to respond to movement.

So, the lighter-spaced side of the coils has normally been the 'moving' part to make the suspension more active.

My Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has the tighter wound coils at the bottom on the rear shocks, do you think it would be an upgrade for street riding to flip the springs?

At the risk of starting an internet war....

... I would! ;)

I think I'll put it on my list of unnecessary mods to my perfectly good bike, I'll start a thread over on that forum so everyone can tell me how wrong I am and why... hold my beer... er, coffee.

Offline HondaMan

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2024, 10:42:27 AM »
I might mention that the CB500, when it first arrived, had progressive springs that were too soft. When a typical rider (150 lbs was considered 'typical' then) sat on the bike the forks sank over 2", leaving little travel for suspension use. Two-up riding left about 1" of fork travel (and 1" of rear shock travel, too). Somewhere in the timeline Honda made a little stronger springs in the front, but the 'hot setup' in the CB500 Four back then was to install straight-wound springs supplied then by Forking by Franks, accidentally from a dirt bike, that fit. We also cranked up the rear shock adjusters to their top positions. Riders all noticed that difference, and most liked it. The 500/550 with Vetter fairings got air fork caps when my shop installed the fairing. They needed it!
See SOHC4shop@gmail.com for info about the gadgets I make for these bikes.

The demons are repulsed when a man does good. Use that.
Blood is thicker than water, but motor oil is thicker yet...so, don't mess with my SOHC4, or I might have to hurt you.
Hondaman's creed: "Bikers are family. Treat them accordingly."

Link to Hondaman Ignition: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=67543.0

Link to My CB750 Book: https://www.lulu.com/search?adult_audience_rating=00&page=1&pageSize=10&q=my+cb750+book

Link to website: www.SOHC4shop.com

Offline PeWe

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Re: Front fork springs, i.e. tightly wounds coils up? or down?
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2024, 12:08:22 PM »
I had to search more.
The spring brand my K6 has:

https://www.wirth-federn.de/service/manual-installation-of-wirth-springs/

"Insert the WIRTH-spring, tight coils upward"

OK, why wait? Will verify springs before next ride ;)

My K2 too, brand Progressive.
CB750 K6-76  970cc (Earlier 1005cc JMR Billet block on the shelf waiting for a comeback)
CB750 K2-75 Parts assembled to a stock K2

Updates of the CB750 K6 -1976
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,180468.msg2092136.html#msg2092136
The billet block build thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,49438.msg1863571.html#msg1863571
CB750 K2 -1975  build thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,168243.msg1948381.html#msg1948381
K2 engine build thread. For a complete CB750 -75
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,180088.msg2088008.html#msg2088008
Carb jetting, a long story Mikuni TMR32
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,179479.msg2104967.html#msg2104967