Topic: OEM Rear Shock Mod

[jt1000]

Hello all,

I'm curious if I can take the top "shroud" off of my '71 cb500 rear shocks to expose the whole spring without doing any special mods.  Anyone know if this is possible?

[jaknight]

Hi jt,

As I recall, it is the top shroud that nests onto the "clip" that retains the springs to the rod of the shock absorber.  The clip is sort of a giant snap ring affair, but has a shoulder that the top shroud rides on, transferring spring pressure to itself, then to the giant snap ring, then to the shoulder on the shock absorber rod.

Further, it is the shroud that keeps the spring vertically aligned under the retainer "clip."

Some retainers are indeed a giant snap ring, others are like a circle split in half that have a shoulder all around its circumference.  The circular ones are split in half so that you may install and remove them once the spring is compressed.

It could be removed, but you would have to fabricate something to take its place for retaining purposes.

~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

[jt1000]

Cool, That's what I needed to know.

[Old Scrambler]

Its any easy mod............just remember to store the covers in a safe place.  They are worth more than the shocks when restoration to original is needed.  You may find a bit of rust but it will clean up.  If the inner sides of the spring coil is rusted, try wrapping some double or triple-ought wre pad material around a tooth brush to get at the inner surfaces.