I hav'nt got the shocks off the grizz yet....cause I can't figure out how you take the springs off the shock to change them to the highlifter springs I bought. Any suggestions? I can feel a slot around the back side of the top plate but can't figure out what that has to do with it. Any help/tips would be appreciated.... thanks..

 

Not personally familiar with your particular machine, so I am speaking genreically here. You need some way to compress the spring. I use a (expensive) tool that I bought from White Bros., and have found it to be indispensible. You could build one easily youself, if you have some basic metal working skills.

Anyway, you compress the spring, then slide off the slotted plate. Carefully release the spring, replace it with the new one, and do it all in reverse to reassemble it.

 

Ok...I understand now....theres a smaller diameter plate on top of the plate with the slot....and the slot goes all the way thru the plate to the center of the diameter. Hmm....now I gotta get creative with how to get the travel out of that spring without letting it fly off in my face. I'm kinda creative, but have no welding facilities. I do have some metal stock around I might be able to make some kind of press arm out of though by putting a pivot point at the end....thanks. If anyone has any great idea I'm all ears.....

 

I don't like this method, but you can give it a try. Have a couple of your friends sit on the quad so the suspension completely bottoms out. This compresses the spring, and while it is compressed find a way to tie it down in the compressed position. I have used zip ties in the past, etc. This works ok if you are just adjusting something, but then there is the problem of how do you compress the new spring when you want to put it on???

 

This used to be my wifes job before dirt bikes went to single shocks. What I would do is use 2 long screwdrivers and put them thru the spring opposing each other so that each end had a blade and a handle. I would place the end of the shock against a door jam and push down on the screwdrivers while the wife would remove the clip. She got really good at it but hasnt had to do it for about 25 years now. She says that she doesnt miss the job much.

 

Or you could go to Autozone and rent a strut spring compressor and not kill anyone.They rent tools for a deposit and return your money when you bring it back. The right tool makes every job eassier and much more enjoyable. Just a thought

 

Would a spring compressor for a car spring work? Ive never looked at one that close.

 

I use , what they call a strut compressor. Some springs are to small, then you need to use the ones that look like a big visegrips with small u cups on the end. If you ask they may let you go behind the counter and look at what they have.

 

Wow....you guys come up with some good stuff! I have spring compressors for the cars....and they're too big. However, on another site I found a picture of the highlifter tool, and it can be duplicated in theory using two pieces of angle iron bolted to a 2 x 8 to hold the shock in position, and using a leverage arm against a pivot point to take the load off the shocks and change the springs. It would appear important to use a strap of some sort to hold the spring down as you go through the process....but I happen to be fortunate enough to have some scrap aluminum angle material around that is a piece of cake to drill thru. And it has thick walls....so thanks to the picture I found I should be able to make a simple press to change them over. However....I especially liked the idea of putting some extra bodies on top of the quad and strapping the springs down once they're compressed...but the problem of putting the new springs on in that situation was impossible to solve....thanks to everyone. I'm pretty sure I can pull this off...

 

I tried to find the tool I bought in the White Bros. catalog, but couldn't find any place to search for tools. Anyway, if you could see a picture of it, you could probably make one in a few minutes.