race tech fork problem

[bladerunner]

   I  just  installed a racetech gold valve /spring  system on my 2001  e glide.  Very happy with the way it works , smooth and no more diving    ....however when I brake hard , and the forks rebound I hear a  click  . Checked all the obvious  culprits .. not the brakes or rotors and the  neck bearing  is good.  I thought it might be the valves  clacking down on the dampener rod . So I called Racetech  ...the   racetec tech... seemed to think it was the spacer tube, the one you have to cut to length..it`s only .035 wall thickness.  It   looked a little light to me but  it was in the kit, and  I haven't heard any one else  having issues with this sooo ..  I went ahead and used it .  The Racetech tech ... said he has had a few complaints  about this  and recommend  PVC tubing.. in place of the alloy  tube ...  any one else  heard of this  ?  .................bladerunner

[FSG]

Use of thick wall PVC tubing is not uncommon, especially in the dirt bike world.

Another HTT discussion 'Front Forks' is HERE

[bladerunner]

 I followed that post as I was in the process of ordering my  springs ...the thing that  pi$$es me off is  if we need to use something other than the thinwall tube that is in the kit , then why don`t they tell us...  the Racetech tech said this was a known issue...he was going to talk to the owner   of the company....  ,, more snow tomorrow   , guess I`ll go back in  and check it out.......bladerunner

[AllanW]

Did you ever get it squared away?

Allan

[bladerunner]

 Well ... I think so . I went back in the tubes  and installed a   PVC  spacer tube . I also added  1/4 inch more spacer  tube . My initial sag was a little more than  I liked . When I pump the suspension in the garage  , It seems to be  ok. ...Tomorrow`s temp   will warm up to  a balmy 29 Fahrenheit . Might try for a short ride around "the block " . Aside from the noise  I am very happy with the results... we`ll get er` fig`erd   out  .....bladerunner

[AllanW]

I'm going to put the same kit in my 00 e-glide in the morning, what size PVC did you use? How long did your spacers end up being?

Thanks
Allan

[bladerunner]

 I don`t remember the exact length, I lowered 1 inch, and used the  Gold valves,..but they call for 1 inch preload . The first time , I thought I had too much sag, so the second time I added a 1/4 inch.  I think I was around  2 1/2 ?  Follow the directions  , your spring might be slightly different. However  start out w / a PVC tube  instead of the aluminum that they furnish w/ the kit ....................good luck ...bladerunner

[Admiral Akbar]

I used the aluminum tube and don't get the sound. It might be because I didn't lower the front end and used 1.4 inches of preload. It's my bet that on rebound with longer topout spring (used to get 1 inch lower) that you unload the compression spring enough that the spacer can rattle. Max.

[bladerunner]

   
         Max,          You could be right . I was thinking that the valve body  was "clacking" on rebound. Also I didn`t like only one inch of  preload...........bladerunner

[Dennis The Menace]

I am going to install my springs once I get the chrome fork lowers I have ordered.  Which will hold up longer--the thin wall tubing I got with the springs, or PVC tubing?

I finally figured out my preload and just need to tear the forks down and install in the new lowers when they come...no small task on a FLTR.

menace

[bladerunner]

 Dennis , I don`t have an answer for the tube , but I know the pvc works ok.  Max raised some good points  , and got me think`n ...In the text section of the instructions it says  preload  1 inch. If you  go to the last page , a  " chart" says 3/4 to 1 3/4.... With the stack up of my parts , with the longer top off spring,  ( I lowered 1 inch) , I  think I might need 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 preload  to take some of the slack out of the springs at rest . With the stock ride height  you may be ok . The reason  I like to do my own work   is that I know it will be done right , the first time ...or the second ...or ...you know... ....bladerunner

[AllanW]

Well I started putting my race tech springs and valves in but only made it to the first stage of rebuild, because the top out springs were .054 bigger than the stock ones that came out. So I call race tech and get the tech department and they say oh yea we got a bad batch, just grind them down on a belt sander! If you dont want to do that send them back and we will sand them down for ya! I told that ain't gonna happen, finally got to talk to some chick named Christy and told her the whole story and she could not believe what the tech department had told me. Anyway she is over nighting them to me.
Sorry for the rant

Allan

[bladerunner]

 Yep , my replacement  set was too big also .I  reused the ones  that where already in  ........bladerunner