Missing Damper Rod

[mijohnso]

So, after replacing my broken anti-dive unit with a new one (thanks Scooterbob), I bled the brakes (thanks carsick) and popped the cap off of my fork leg (again, thanks carsick), expecting to have to deal with a stupid damper rod, fiddling incessantly with a 3' long D shaped rod. To my surprise, there was no damper rod! Looks like one of the PO's chopped it off (there is some remnants of it still attached to the cap).

My question: what has this done to my suspension? Am I just missing the adjustability of the preload, or is it something more serious? I am planning on getting a new front end setup anyways, and it looks like I will have to get new uppers as well as lowers...

[andyb]

It means that your preload adjusters still work, but the damping adjustment on that side does not.  You'll have to manually adjust it with the fork apart to whatever you want, and match the other to it.

[carsick]

HaHa Mike! Trick or treat!
Holy cow, it just keeps on going with your troubles, doesn't it? I guess that's one way to avoid wasting time on reassembly. Keeps you safe though, all this fixing and not riding. If you would like, I can donate my damper rods to your endeavor. I did not consider the possibility of butchering when I was describing the fork internals. Wonder if it was the same shop that dropped the bike? Also wondering if it was cut to install cartridge emulators?

[racerman_27410]

might already have emulators inside the forks..... thats the only reason i know of to cut the adjuster rod off.


pull the spring and see if the emulator is down in there sitting on top of the damper rod.

KOokalooo!

[Scooterbob]

I can donate rods too if needed. Just let me know. I have the whole assembly except the anti-dive units. (ones with bent tubes, but rest is good)

[andyb]

Heh, you want to give him your bent rod....

[Scooterbob]

My rod is straight. My tube is bent. 

[carsick]

pull the spring and see if the emulator is down in there sitting on top of the damper rod.

KOokalooo!

Can you direct to a photographic reference? I (or Mike, sorry to butt in) wouldn't know what an emulator looks like from the top. And why would the emulator be on top of the damper rod if the rod had been cut out?
Doug

[markmartin]

You would see a view similar to the bottom right picture.  The emulator sits on top of the damper rod with the screw and spring facing up.

It sounds like it's the damper adjuster rod that has been cut, ----the damper rod is still in your fork slider, holding the fork together.


If you pull the  cap and attached (cut) damper adjuster rod, spring, and spacer (if you have a spacer) out of the fork tube you should be able to get a good look.

If you want to, you can reach down there with a telescoping magnet and slide the emulator right up the tube. (assuming you have one) A piece of 12ga or similar wire with the end bent at a 90* , used to hook onto the little spring on the emulator will work also.

For reference, check this link for pictures of the parts and where they are located. http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=1911.0

Mark

[carsick]

Ah thanks Mark, terminology trouble on my end. BTW I had forgotten what a great write up you did, nice job man!
Doug

[mijohnso]

Your right, it is just the adjuster rod. I did look in there when I found that it was missing, and I don't think it had an emulator. There was a disk that looked similar to an emulator (round with three slots) but it had a D shaped (read adjuster rod shaped) hole in the middle. Maybe I could get some emulators and solve any adjustability problems? Not sure what emulators do  ...

[andyb]

Emulators take a damper rod fork and make it act as if it's a cartridge fork.  A bit of a bother to pull apart a few times to get it set up really right, but once you've got it nailed, you probably won't really desire adjusting it further.

The bit you were seeing was in fact the bit that the adjusters control in a standard damper rod fork.

[RichBaker]

So, after replacing my broken anti-dive unit with a new one (thanks Scooterbob), I bled the brakes (thanks carsick) and popped the cap off of my fork leg (again, thanks carsick), expecting to have to deal with a stupid damper rod, fiddling incessantly with a 3' long D shaped rod. To my surprise, there was no damper rod! Looks like one of the PO's chopped it off (there is some remnants of it still attached to the cap).

My question: what has this done to my suspension? Am I just missing the adjustability of the preload, or is it something more serious? I am planning on getting a new front end setup anyways, and it looks like I will have to get new uppers as well as lowers...

That is not the damper rod.... it's the rebound adjuster rod.  Only thing it affects is adjustment of the rebound damping....

It was most likely removed because Gold Valve Emulators were installed.... That's a good thing!  I wouldn't worry about it, but would make sure the emulators are in place, and I'd replace the fluid and seals and bushings at the same time, just know what I had.

[andyb]

If there's only one missing, my guess is that someone bent the crap out of it while servicing the forks previously and hacked it off.  The other guess would be that they picked one up on ebay because the original wasn't servicable and recieved it bent/useless and cut it off or got it already chopped up, possibly due to someone else's emulator install.

If both are missing, then emulators are quite likely already there.

If it's missing, it's a good time to install emulators of your own, you already have it broken, you've been inside them already, and it's not really all that hard....