Replacing shock seals & refilling shocks, How to guide with pictures... Options

[JohnBG]

Today I finally got "a round tuit" and decided to replace the seals on my leaky rear shocks.

Back in April, Bill Glaser too the time to teach me how to refill the shocks when the oil leak out. Here's a link to the original write-up: http://www.russianiron.com/forums/index.ph...c=3914&hl=shock

However, since April and only a few thousand km, the shocks are leaking all over the place and the rear suspension, for lack of a better word, sucks...

Note: If you have the newer style non-serviceable shocks, forget the rest of this post. It won't help ya. This is for the older style rechargeable shocks that are on the '05 (I think) and older Urals. My rig is a '98 Tourist.

Pic of the left side leaky shock:

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[JohnBG]

Pic of the right side leaky shock: (some of the oil may be from my final drive leak, but I'm pretty sure most of it was shock oil)

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[JohnBG]

To remove the shock, use a 12mm wrench (for the top bolt) and a 14mm wrench (for the bottom bolt) trmove the bolts and use a rubber mallet to tap the bottom of the sock and pop it off of the top shaft. I got in a hurry and fogot two things: if your shocks are on the more rigid (upper) setting, turn them back to the lower setting and jacking up or putting the bike on the center stand; these two things make it easier to remove the shock.

Important - Only remove one shock at a time! Don't try removing both back of front shocks at the same time. Service them one at a time.

Pic of the left shock removed:

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[JohnBG]

Once you have the shock removed, you'll need just a few tools to service them:

- Ural shock tool
- Shock compressor
- 17mm wrench
- Some shock oil (more on this later)
- a measuring cup (for liquids)
- a drain pan
- some spray brake cleaner
- a big screwdriver (or some metal rod)
- a bench vise (not really necessary but helps)
- tasty malted barley/hops based beverages (take internally once job is completed) :surprise: ;)

Picture of the removed shock and Ural shock tool (comes with the bike tool kit):

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[JohnBG]

Here is the shock compressor tool I made a few weeks ago. It's pretty much a copy of Bill Glaser's. If you don't have one, you can build one pretty easily. Here's a link to the write-up (with pictures) that I did to build the shock compressor: http://www.russianiron.com/forums/index.ph...c=4907&hl=shock

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[JohnBG]

Here is the shock in the shock compressor (before the shock is compressed).

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[JohnBG]

Another view.

The top of the shock goes into the 2-1/2" hole and the bottom of the shock goes into the 2-1/8" hole.

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[JohnBG]

Here's a closer view of the top side of the shock. The goal is to compress the springs so that the top of the shock passes through the top hole (but not the bell cover and the spring) so that the two semicurcular spring keepers can be removed (the usually fall out then the shock is compressed enough).

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[JohnBG]

Here's a pic of the bottom side of the shock in the compressor. It pokes through the 2-1/8" hole. Once the keepers on the top end are out, you'll pull the shock out through this hole.

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[JohnBG]

I have this nifty Pittsburgh brand pass-thru socket set I bought from Harbor Frieght that makes turning the compressor rod nuts easy. I think it was like $19 for the set which included metric and SAE sockets. If ya don't have one of these wrenches, just use an open end wrench, which might take a little longer. I'm a Harbor Frieght junkie... :surprise:

Bill Glaser has one of those Black & Decker Workmate vise/bench/table dealy-bob that are nifty so you can do this work with the shock compressor vertical. I don't have one. :cry: But the shock compressor works fine horizontally or vertically.

What you want to do is tighten the nuts to compress the shocks. Start with one side, go about 5 turns, then do the other side 5 turns, so you compress the shock evenly. Keep repeating this process until the keepers can be removed from the top end.

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[JohnBG]

I had to stick a wrench on the other side like this to keep the rod from turning while tightening the nuts.

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[JohnBG]

Once you have the shock compressed far enough, you can see and get to the semicircular top shock keepers easily.

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[JohnBG]

Here's what the keepers look like removed from the shock.

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[JohnBG]

Once the keepers are removed, gently pull the shock out through the bottom hole, leaving the spring and bell cover still compressed. I pulled it out part way and set it there just for this picture.

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[JohnBG]

Viola! The shock is removed from the springs. Now the fun part... ;)

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