Cheap eBay shocks.. Yay or nay

The Jimbonaut said:
I'm looking at some shock options as well, did you see these? -

http://www.tecbikepartsusa.com/Classic_Japanese_Motorcycle_Shocks_s/1829.htm

From a company called TEC, and from what I can tell they're a good alternative to the RFY shocks
Click to expand...

I have a set of those on my 360

Having spent too much on the bike and wanting to replace the original/rusty/crap shocks on the bike i thought i'd try the TEC shocks, as they are only £50 here in the UK and i could pick up a set at a local bike mart event.

They actually work pretty well, very well for the price!

Hth

Steve
 
I understand the clevis mount on the RFY is wider than it needs to be so there's a chance of pinching the end when installed which leads to the clevis end breaking. Eye to eye ends are a better solution. I pity a guy who's main objective and criteria is low price when building a bike. Do you plan on riding with a $5 helmet? These shocks can be corrected as mention by a few here, but out of the box they are only good for light weight bikes and riders. TEC for the money is a much better choice than the RFY.
 
The Jimbonaut said:
I'm looking at some shock options as well, did you see these? -

http://www.tecbikepartsusa.com/Classic_Japanese_Motorcycle_Shocks_s/1829.htm

From a company called TEC, and from what I can tell they're a good alternative to the RFY shocks
Click to expand...

Feel free to send me a PM or an email if you have questions regarding RFY units. Lot's of mis-information goes around and there's no point in trying to correct people.
 
Personally I have only one problem with RFY shocks and that is limited travel for some applications (although if I can find correct hard chrome rod I'll just make new longer damper rods to use full travel of cylinder.) Apart from that, re-oil and re-gas they are at least as good as $300.00 shocks and with some extra work drilling and fitting adjusters can be on par with $500.00+ shocks (but, paying someone else to do it would probably cost more than $500 ;D )
 
There are a variety of shaft lengths out there already. I'm not sure you really need to make a set.
 
Sav0r said:
There are a variety of shaft lengths out there already. I'm not sure you really need to make a set.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I haven't been keeping up to date last few years
Thanks
 
I am also working on a new head seal and linear bearing that is a single combined unit and will use o-rings and a dust wiper. This gets rid of the flawed seal that comes stock. It will come with shafts and a high flow piston and will optimize the shock in all dimensions. Should really take the shock to the next level. It won't be super cheap, but it will be way cheaper than a set of Ohlins, or Works, and even YSS.
 
Sav0r said:
I am also working on a new head seal and linear bearing that is a single combined unit and will use o-rings and a dust wiper. This gets rid of the flawed seal that comes stock. It will come with shafts and a high flow piston and will optimize the shock in all dimensions. Should really take the shock to the next level. It won't be super cheap, but it will be way cheaper than a set of Ohlins, or Works, and even YSS.
Click to expand...

bravo
are you familiar with igus ?they have some interesting products mostly plastics replacing metal bushings and bearings amongst other things
i got a pair of ready made swinger bushings for 15 bucks and the iglide material is so slick and incredibly strong
 
I did a quick google because I had never heard of the brand or product and it looks pretty cool. I'll have to do some more reading on it.
 
Sav0r said:
I did a quick google because I had never heard of the brand or product and it looks pretty cool. I'll have to do some more reading on it.
Click to expand...
i think they are newish in usa the staff has been very helpful josh lewis,up in portland ,is who i can recomend if you want samples and a pro to deal ,with
i was curios if one of the more heat resistant grades would work for an app the 350 twin plain cam bushes
i related the cam rpm @ max of 5000+ and possible peak temps of 400f and constant in the 250-300 f area and the engineer said its close but proly not feasable ,just as i thought, he was concerned about the material maintaining shape in the press fit

they offered to send free samples of anything but i said that testing for cam bushings,is too far invloved for me and it can be costly
if they are very confident it would work is when i could afford to try it

the other interesting product i am starting to use for fabbing shock rods is nitro rod
 
crazypj said:
OK, what is nito rod? :-\

nitro sorry as in nitrided i figger http://www.teamtubellc.com/en/products/round-bar-products/nitro-bar.aspx







the igus stuff is trick too i hated the thought of steam age bronze swinger bushes thesde guys had ready made to fit the honda twin swinger
http://www.igus.com/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=gadUS75&gclid=Cj0KEQiA6_TBBRDInaPjhcelt5oBEiQApPeTF1Py0d7KiFq1g4fuZf7K8WFA9S255ht7NEuFB52roGAaAr5G8P8HAQ

the only caviot was they were to far oversise on the press fit,flanged bushes so the hole was cone shaped after press
once i realized that i skinnied them down a bit
they were tight as you can imagine and i knocked em out with a rough looking punch i mean had to slam them multiple times hard as fook just to get them started coming out
i thought for sure they would be all bunged up, cracked and whatnot,shit bronze or delrin would be way bad this igus stuff not even a mark on it
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for link, it just happens to be exactly what I'm looking for.
I would never have thought to search for tubes though ;D
 
yer welcome if you are doing a shock and need to fab a pair of rods shout at me i have the 1/2 nitro and martin fluid powerr seals and du bushes ..,.,soon but i want to try the igus for the rod bush linear recip app
its pretty easy to convert a shock seal head from say 12mm to 1/2 rod,see bonus is better rod better seals
the chrome rod you can turn it down just get under it a tiny bit
that nitro,its hard nope it screams grind me i just mark the ends and flapper wheel whilst spinning
1/2 20 thread? no problem single point treading once ground i go .008"+ under for od at threads
 
Great link indeed.

I haven't tried machining any of the coated materials but figured it would be tough.

What about center drilling? Still tough? It's a lot easier to use a shoulder bolt to mount your piston to the shaft than machine shafts every time. You just have to machine the piston to fit tight on that bolt and if you can find a ground bolt even better.
 
Sav0r said:
Great link indeed.

I haven't tried machining any of the coated materials but figured it would be tough.

What about center drilling? Still tough? It's a lot easier to use a shoulder bolt to mount your piston to the shaft than machine shafts every time. You just have to machine the piston to fit tight on that bolt and if you can find a ground bolt even better.
Click to expand...
it turns fine just like the chrome and center drills nice but it doesnt deep drill ,tap out or sweet- turn like stressproof,nope
it iis a little hairy/sticky , its 1045 or so cold rolled, after all
i actually hate drilling and tapping stock like that ,in my opinion and experience its more work than turning down and threading...more tedious making sure the drill aint walerin' around..
. i dont get fiddly try to turn aaa class threads only 4 passes for a 20 0r 24 pitch takes 3 minutes then chase/size with quality die, shamelessly cheat and never measuring threads that is the key never thread on size material just you get to know at a givin diameter what the thread form is doing, peaked or truncated in relation to what it needs to be at slightly reduced diameter(truncated) if you peak-out the threads cutting say .368 for 3/8-24, they gonna be loose
the other extremely viable solution a small variation on bolted is a nice near precision stud locked in place with retainer loctite for fab or repair
then a builder still has a conveiniunt piston/valving stacking post
there is a lot more care must be taking when drilling and tapping a hole that needs be spot on dead center a good fit so the threads auto center the bolt and ideally a section at enterance reamed to bolt shank
i like getting a fine repeatablke turning setup and rolling thru a brick of rods then do all the threading later it goes real fast dont even need pay very close attention
but that just me
 
Your 'cheat' is the simplest way to thread chromed bar.
I used to repair hydraulic rams on construction equipment, tough stuff but not too bad once the hard chrome surface is removed although I think the cyanide salts used in plating hardened the surface relatively deep in the steel.
Didn't have dies for the 1"~3" dia piston rods I made though so had to make 'nice' threads. 8)
 
xb33bsa said:
it turns fine just like the chrome and center drills nice but it doesnt deep drill ,tap out or sweet- turn like stressproof,nope
it iis a little hairy/sticky , its 1045 or so cold rolled, after all
i actually hate drilling and tapping stock like that ,in my opinion and experience its more work than turning down and threading...more tedious making sure the drill aint walerin' around..
. i dont get fiddly try to turn aaa class threads only 4 passes for a 20 0r 24 pitch takes 3 minutes then chase/size with quality die, shamelessly cheat and never measuring threads that is the key never thread on size material just you get to know at a givin diameter what the thread form is doing, peaked or truncated in relation to what it needs to be at slightly reduced diameter(truncated) if you peak-out the threads cutting say .368 for 3/8-24, they gonna be loose
the other extremely viable solution a small variation on bolted is a nice near precision stud locked in place with retainer loctite for fab or repair
then a builder still has a conveiniunt piston/valving stacking post
there is a lot more care must be taking when drilling and tapping a hole that needs be spot on dead center a good fit so the threads auto center the bolt and ideally a section at enterance reamed to bolt shank
i like getting a fine repeatablke turning setup and rolling thru a brick of rods then do all the threading later it goes real fast dont even need pay very close attention
but that just me
Click to expand...

The stud is a good solution as well. In that vein you should always cut a shoulder on the rod, then center drill and tap for a bolt (or stud). The piston would rest on the shoulder for precision location, but using a bolt gives you the range of shim stacking you spoke of. Many ways to skin a cat. I might buy some of that nitride rod and mill turn it. I don't own a lathe unfortunately.
 
Sav0r said:
The stud is a good solution as well. In that vein you should always cut a shoulder on the rod, then center drill and tap for a bolt (or stud). The piston would rest on the shoulder for precision location, but using a bolt gives you the range of shim stacking you spoke of. Many ways to skin a cat. I might buy some of that nitride rod and mill turn it. I don't own a lathe unfortunately.
Click to expand...
if you have or made a deep collet then you could do some precision turning in the vertical mill for short tuns not requiring a stabilising center
i have done it with very short parts
just use the mill vice to grab the cutting tool very easy to get it positioned correctly just below centerline ,the other flat axis for feed/depth of cut and quill feed the work using the quill stops and a dial indicator to show the upcoming stop
turning drilling tapping and facing (small diameters)can all be accomplished quite efficiently in the vertical mill
the nitro i found it needs the skin ground off before turning
 
I actually have mill turn software that I can run my machine (CNC) with. That's usually how I make pistons. Turn the piston OD, center drill, then part. Then mount to a fixture plate and mill the rest. Not optimal, I'd rather have a lathe, but it works quite well actually. The milling process, being on both sides, takes longer than the lathe part by a long shot. And I have to use small end mills, .2" or less usually, so feeds are slow with my 6k spindle. I need to invest in a high RPM spindle (10k or better) if I am going to more than just a few at a time.
 
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