squeeky springs?

[wornknobby]

i tried bouncing the front end the other day and realized a squeking almost rubbing sound. its not the brakes not the wheel bearings, and not the stem bearings, and i can almost 100% bet its the springs. but what would make them squeek? i havn'e ridden this bike in like a month and it didn't do this before. i did put air in the forks to stiffen them up but i wouldn't see why this would effect the lubrication of the springs?I'm also using 20w in my forks.

 

[JasonWho]

Do you think the sides of the springs might be rubbing the insides of the fork tubes? I am not trying to be a smarty pants, but now that I have offered a possible solution to your question, I would like to ask what made you decide to use air and 20w oil in the forks.

Thanks.

 

[wornknobby]

i ran 20w b/c the forks kept bottoming on everything i hit, and i could't get it to stop, but i dont' think the springs are rubbing b/c what would make the do this now? and i put air in to help with bottoming also, it seemed to work and it said some riders do in my cylmer manual.

 

[JasonWho]

How much do you weigh? Do you know if the original OEM springs are in the bike?

Standard oil weight is 5w. What is the oil level? It is normal to add some toward the high end of the scale to decrease bottoming.

Here are a couple of quotes for you from the '88 KX Kawasaki service manual:

"...we don't recommend using air pressure for aditional springing"
"your KX forks are designed to work without adding any air"

Do you know how long it has been since the bushings were replaced? Have they EVER been replaced?

 

[wornknobby]

well i weigh about 115lb, the oil level is set to stock specs. I'm not 100% sure if the stock springs are in the forks but i beleve that they are because all the after market stuff the person put on it before me didn't mess with the suspension and that was the same guy who bought the bike in 88, so no one else has owned it. i dont' really know what bushings your talking about? also i'm not trying to argue or anything but my clymer manual says that i can add air pressure to the forks but not over 6psi or something like that, i put 4.5psi in mine. what service manual are you looking at, becuase it seems the one your looking at goes into more detail than mine.

 

[JasonWho]

Have you considered disassembling the forks to check for the possibility of a broken or bent fork part? I have heard of a few people complain of the sides of the springs hitting the side of the fork tubes, so I offered that suggestion. My '87 did that when I changed springs. I know disassembling them is not a quick and easy fix, but it would allow you to know what is going on inside.

The bushings keep the two tubes from rubbing against each other. Clymer - Page 398, parts 17 and 25.

I was referring to the Kawasaki brand manual, part number 99924-1101-01. I also have Clymer manual M447, which may be the same one that you have. Either way, it is common practice to not add any air to the forks. It is common practice to release the air from the forks after each riding session. Riders claim the built-up air pressure inside the forks results in a harsh ride. It is also common to raise the fork oil level to reduce bottoming. If you are 115 pounds and the stock springs are in good condition, I think the stock 5w oil would be OK for you. A thicker oil affects the rebound stroke, slowing it down.

As far as manuals, I try to get as mush information as I can. How come I have both, but no KX and you have a KX and only one? :-) No need to answer that one. I was just kidding you.

 

[matt-itude]

If its sqeeking you need to get it fixed regardless just because forks and shocks dont have filters in them and it will probably just cost more the longer you wait also the bikes that used air pressure in the forks to adjust suspension (as a common practice) seemed to have went away for the most part 20 years ago. I also agree with the thicker oil slowing the rebound causing the suspension to pack down and then bottom easily.

 

[wornknobby]

I know there arn't anybroken parts b/c i took the springs and everything out to clean them whe i changed the oil.

when i used the bike with the oil that was in there (which i have no idea what it was, but i know that i bottomed easily) i changed to the 20w and it seemed to not bottom at all.

its just that i read in my clmer manual that its ok to put air in the forks to help stiffin them up if the forks seem soft or are bottoming harshly, and as a not that adding air stiffens travel while less air softens travel on page 397 . I also read that as far as periodic maintanence you should bleed out the air from the forks, so thats where i got confused. Does putting the air in my forks hurt anything?

also so you guys are trying to tell me that if i were to put 5w in the forks the rebound would be faster that if i put 20w?

Hey thanks for the input so far :cool:

 

[JasonWho]

Hi. Did you use tool B as shown on page 402 in the Clymer manual and completely disassemble the forks and clean them, or did you only remove the springs, spring seats and spacers?

The oil that was in there may have been very old and broken down. When we say 5w oil, we mean fresh 5w oil, not 5w oil that has been in there since it was made in 1987, so that would have been 17 years ago. You should change the oil yearly if you are riding a fair amount each year.

For any given weight of oil, a lighter oil will increase rebound speed, and a heavier oil will decrease rebound speed. A heavier oil will slow compression on what is called "high speed compression" bumps, such as braking bumps going into a corner, or for a trail rider, a field of rocks, roots, a log, etc.

IF, IF, IF your forks were working like they are supposed to, you shouldn't be bottoming them out real often with 5w oil toward the top of the adjustment range, with no air.

My suggestion is to put the bike on a work stand so the front wheel is off the ground, then let the air out of the forks. HEAL YOURSELF! CAST OUT THAT DEMON! Well, it would give you one less thing to worry about, anyway.