ohlins rear spring swap out

Should be ok but remember preload settings you currently have will need to be reset to cater for the new springs different rate and potentially different open length. I'd imagine your going to need more preload than you have currently if you've been trying to compensate for too stiff a spring. You might need to ferkle a little with comp and rebound damping too to better match the fitted spring, my thoughts would be less rebound as the softer spring wont kick back as hard (so doesnt need restraining as much) and maybe more comp (if this was backed off to help work with the previous stiff spring) or take it to a specialist to get it all set up...

 

Hi Duke,

Have you got the showa out yet?

If not don't mess around and waste time trying to squeeze it out under the cross member above it, it won't fit out.

I f*cked about for ages on the advice and recommendations given by others.

If you want a step by step of what I did when I changed mine to an ohlins unit, just let me know. It's easy if you just bite the bullet and its far quicker.

 

No problem m8,

This is the tale of my experience.....There will be other methods for most stages and will propbaly invoke other 'you don't want to do it like that do it like this' comments.....I got most of them and tried most of them the first time....anyway this is what worked for me on my848.

I put the bike on my ABBA stand to take the weight off the shock, with a paving stone under it's feet to ensure enough height (I was advised to hang the back of the bike up from the garage roof)

Remove the left footrest hanger, there's a black grommet behind it that gives access to the lower shock mounting bolt, you'll need either a long reach Allen key or a long 1/4 drive Allen socket to reach in there. Crack it loose.

Remove the lower ride height tie rod bolt and then remove the top bolt from the shock linkage. Remove the tie rod.

Loosen the linkage bolt that goes through the frame, take the weight of the rear wheel as you remove the bolt, as it will drop down.

You can now pivot the shock backwards to get at it's top mounting bolt to the linkage more easily, remove it and remove the linkage. (you could leave it connected and remove it when you have the shock out)

Take the bottom shock bolt right out now and.......tada!!! The shock can come out......Like f*ck it can.....

At this point I had advice from lots of people with loads of methods to get the additional 10mm clearance I needed to clear the top frame member.

These ranged from prising the shock out, compressing the shock by hand as you pull it out (like no way did the idiot who swore blind he did this to get his out, did this)' dropping the swing arm pivot bolt out and lower the arm 10mm to get the clearance needed (this would work, but my abba stand was in the swing arm pivot bolt hole, and I didn't want to re jig my support set up.)

I was told to remove the rear wheel to allow the rear to drop lower down, my rear wheel was still miles in the air. (I had the stand on top of a paving stone remember)

At this point I realised the swing arm was lowered all the way down till it sat on the exhaust mid section collector type bit.

That's what was stopping me getting the clearance.... I messed about for ages, trying all sorts and there was no way mine was coming out.

Cans off.....exhaust springs off, 5mm bolt out from blue rubber mount and pulled the mid pipe off, leaving it connected to the servo cables.

Swing arm dropped down further and the shock now lifts right out...easy, bloody Ducati design.

I replaced my full shock and fitted a ride height adjuster at the same time.

The spring on your old shock is easy to remove....if you use a spring compressor, if not forget it.

I have a set of spring compressors (now't fancy, they just look like a scale model of a car spring compressor). I can post mine out to you to borrow if that's any help to you, but not till after Wednesday tho, when I get home, as I'm still in sunny Scunny till then.

I think that's everything....but that is from memory, without looking at my bike.

I did a proper bolt by bolt (including spanner sizes) guide on that other pesky Ducati forum at the time I did it.

I also put duct tape on my frame around the bolt holes to avoid any marks from slipping spanners.....but I'm a fanny like that.

I'll PM you my number, if there's owt I've forgotten when you go to do it, just give me a bell.

Anth