shock rebuild kits?

[MadKaw]

need to rebuild the rear shock on the 93 500, having a hard time finding 1. checked rocky mountain, bike bandit...

any ideas?

[don46]

You can get the parts through White Bros., the parts you'll probaably replace would be the seal, and maybe the piston band. If you need shims I would have it rebuilt. Do you have nitrogen to re-charge it after the oil change?

[MadKaw]

I'm not doin it, its at the KTM shop here to get done, but he can't find a kit for it. tryin to get it for him to get this done

[hughes]

Here's a seal kit.

 http://www.rockymountainatv.com/productDetail.do?navType=type&webTypeId=129&navTitle=Suspension&webCatId=13&allVehParts=true&vehicleType=&pageLinkUri=&prodFamilyId=5897

[don46]

what kind of a kit are you looking for? I don't think I've ever seen a kit per se for rebuilding the shocks, primarily because  most people can't do it. Assuming the bladder is OK the only other wear parts are the seal, piston band and the shims. If your KTM shop can't get the parts I would send it someplace else, those shocks are common to many years of kawi, yamaha, and some honda.

[MadKaw]

he found the bumper stop on his computer, but that was it. I found the seal kit in the link above, but didn't know if there was other stuff that need replaced. just trying to get the right stuff in his hands.

[don46]

don't know your guy, but I would take it a place that does the work, they will have any parts your going to need and will have rebuilt 100's so they know what's going on. If you guy tears it apart and finds other parts needed then your going to have to wait till they are found and ordered. I don't know but a guy that can't find the parts, I wouldn't let him into my stuff, just my .02

[Polar-Bus]

don't know your guy, but I would take it a place that does the work, they will have any parts your going to need and will have rebuilt 100's so they know what's going on. If you guy tears it apart and finds other parts needed then your going to have to wait till they are found and ordered. I don't know but a guy that can't find the parts, I wouldn't let him into my stuff, just my .02

GREAT advice. I will tear into anything on my bikes EXCEPT shocks. I work for a Kawi dealer, and their lead tech previously worked for Factory Connection. He has rebuilt 3 shocks for me. He always commnets to me that rebuilding Kayaba shocks takes a deep amount of knowledge.

[hughes]

Shocks are not that hard to rebuild. If you can't perfrom the work yourself then find the correct people to perform it for you. Suspension shops know where to get the parts or have them in stock. Are you sure this dude can service your shock? I got lucky and had local guy did my shock while I watched and asked question. Since then I have replaced the fluid twice and the seals myself, just taking it to him to have the bladder charged up. Good luck with the repair.

[MadKaw]

the kawasaki dealer thats closest to mesays they don't do them at all, but that they send them to this KTM dealer to do theirs. my buddy took it down there to get done for me, but the guy told him that he didn't have the part numbers in his computer, ecept for the bumper stop.

[don46]

I would say that just about anybody could rebuild a shock, now comes the distinction, do you just want it rebuilt or do you want it rebuilt right? The trickey part is to insure all the air is removed from both sides of the shock, do do it right you need special tools. I do my own shocks and have for many years, and during that time I've made my mistakes to, over time I've acquired the necessary tools to do it right, now I change oil at least twice a year on my bikes, and more often on the race bikes.

[hughes]

It took me a few times to build them right. Getting the air out of the system is a trade secert that I learned the hard way.

[c-152]

Last year I tore my bike down to the frame, rebuilt the bike, replaced rings, fork seals, installed a new carb kit, and everything else - I am pretty (not greatly) inclined when it comes to mechanics but did not feel confident enough to tear into the rear shock and now it needs done - I would like to do it myself but I do not want my bike down long because I srewed it up - Whats this trade secret to blead the air out (come on you know you are just dying to tell me)  If it sound to complex, I will take it to a shop to make sure it is done right. 

[JoeO]

According to KYB the KX500 1994-2004 uses the following KYB Service kit 129994600801 (If available) to rebuild the rear shock. 

FYI this is the same Service kit KYB has listed (129994600801) for 1995-2001 Honda CR500!

Pivot Works makes a Shock Rebuild Kit for the CR500 it is part number PWSHR-H04-000 for the 1996 - 2001 Honda CR 500R.

I also confirmed with on Race Tech's web site the parts needed to rebuild the shock on a 2004 KX500 are the same for a 97-2001 CR500 (except the lower bumper).  But I think Race tech uses a heavy duty bumper part number for the CR500s.

Why a 97 CR500 - because that is my other bike.

I'm planning on rebuilding my KX500 shock soon and just happen to have the Pivot Works PWSHR-H04-000 Shock Rebuild Kit for my 97 CR500 so I will compare the parts from the KX to the CR rebuild kit to see if it is compatible.

Stay Tuned and will let everyone know how it turns out!

JoeO

[JoeO]

Just finished rebuilding the rear shock.

The Pivot Works Kit for the CR500 is NOT perfect for the the KX. The o-rings, bladder, c-clips and rear bumper all worked fine.

I ended up buying a "All Balls" shock head for the KX.  Here is a picture comparing all of them... Left is the one that came out of the shock, middle one is Pivot Works for CR500 kit and right is All Balls for KX500 (see all balls label)



Please note that All Balls model has a longer inner bushing than the other two (even the one that came out of the KX)!



Please note that All Balls model has hole in the side... others don't.

"""""Sorry the picture is getting messed up and it is reversed... tried several time to correct it with no luck!!!

I used the All Balls one because I wanted to save the Pivot Work for my 97CR500.  But I think the Pivot Works one will have worked fine... it looked the same as the one that came out of my KX500.

Piston Band/Valve as it was removed from shock and document how the piston valve goes.







Note: the piston band that came with the Pivot works kit was too "wide" I think it is 46mm x 12mm.  It needed to be about 10mm.  I measured the old band and it was 46mm x 10mm!  But they only sell 46mmx12mm or 44mmx10mm bands!  According to Racetech and KYB the CR and 2004 KX uses the same band 46x12!!!  Maybe I have a different piston?  KYB manual says all KX have the 44 dia piston but it also says it uses the 46x12 band for the 2004 KX500... hmmmm!  Maybe this is the main difference between why the CR kit cannot be used for the KX?  Or the KYB and RaceTech stuff is incorrect?

Sine the old one was 46mm I sanded down one side of the new 46mm band until it was 10mm wide so it fit in the piston valve groove... took about 10 minutes and I went slow and used 800 grit paper.  There is an o-ring behind the band so the band does "give" a little.  I test fitted the piston with the new band and it went inside the shock body without forcing anything! So either someone did the same thing I did during the last rebuild, or my shock body is worn to a point that a 46mm dia will work, or someone put the wrong piston in the rear shock!

All Cleaned up and ready to be but back together.  Everything went back together snugly and did not have to force anything.  So I hope the 46mm band will work!  I added 80PSI of air and the rod came out nice and smoothly and no binding!  If the band was too large I think I would have seen some binding issues.

Next time I will order both sizes (they are about $10 each) to have them both.



added the fluid and bleed everything per the manual and this web site.  Everything held with no leaks.

Notes:  Get the shock bullet from tusk or race tech to install the shock head... well worth the $12.  I also purchased the race tech head installer tool for $35... could have done without or made my own, but it made my life a lot easier.  I also purchased the piston band installer tool for $17 of the internet which made putting the piston band on take 1 min.  Others on the internet say it takes 20 min by hand to install the band. Then I placed electrical tape around the band as tight as possible to reform the piston band back on the piston (let it sit for about an hour before taking the tape off).  Also don't forget to replace the o-ring under the piston band... mine only had 1 o-ring others said they had 2.

Grinding off the top of the old bolt was nerve-racking just go slow until you can see the entire shaft.  I used an impact to finally get the nut off and then used 12-1.5mm (I think) die to redress the threads.  Make sure the new nut goes on smooth and by hand... don't force it! Used the new bolt from the kit and torqued it and used red locktite and let it sit overnight to cure.

I used the Honda ss-7 suspension oil it is 5w and I had a new bottle already so I used it.  Many people use 10w.

Overall I think the Shock Kit for the CR500 worked on my bike with some modifications to the piston band.  But I'm not sure whether my shock had the oem piston or head seal. So I can't say with 100% it will work on all of the new KX500.  Sorry

JoeO