OzVMX Forum
Marque Remarks => Husqvarna => Topic started by: cloggy on August 23, 2011, 07:12:17 am
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I have a set of late Husky shocks, about 18.5". I bought them from ebay after being told they had 5.5" of travel but they don't. However they have good shafts and I have to decide whether to get them serviced and sell them on, or modify them for a KLX.
Two questions
Can the shocks be modified for more travel?
Can the ally swing arm mounts be unscrewed and be replaced with short mounts
The KLX springs will go straight on and original KLX shocks seem about a 15mm shorter with 5.9" of travel
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The ITC's were used on both WR/TE enduro and CR/XC/TC models. The WR/TE had less travel than the motocross versions. The ITC's had travel restricted internally on the enduro versions so I would imagine you can get them modified for the longer stroke. Husky had the ITC's mounted quite laid down and mid way along swing arm. I seem to recall KLX were mounted quite rearward with less lay down so travel might still be a squeeze. Measure twice - cut once ;D ;D
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the itc are travel linited by internal spacers, i have found 8 and 13 mm spacers inside, and ive used a 25mm spacer for dirt track itcs to lower them with big shims on rebound to slow things up for my 510.
No spacers makes a white frame HVA for me at 6'2 a tip toe proposition - not nice at all
i did try itcs on a klx(chassis) and i would say they not right with the std. white springs seemed -too stiff, and possibly over damped . didnt ride it though like that, ended up using standard dampers with stiffer ohlins springs.
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I have been down this exact track before and ITC shocks are definitely not good candidates to turn into KLX shocks. If you want to do it properly basically the only donor bits from the ITC shocks end up being the top mount, the reservoir canister,the shock body end cap and spring clips. Everything else would need to be changed and cant just be cut shorter or what ever because they are not like STD Ohlins. 82 Canam qualifier shocks are a bit better starting point.
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I am in the market for a set of ITC shocks if anyone is sitting on a working set. Sorry just hi jacked the thread. ;D
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Thanks very much everyone
Alistair has had ITCs modded for his KLX but I haven't checked how much travel he's getting. He's got at least 20 kilos on me so perhaps the standard damping and springs work for him
Getting more travel whilst shortening the overall shock seems mutually unlikely. The damping I could get sorted out at the service and I could use the KLX springs. Do the rods unscrew from the eyes?
On my running KLX I have 17.5"long 5.5"travel Ohlins off a Red Rocket that I picked up s/h at a show. I backed off the preload and they seem perfect. I dropped the yokes about 15mm and am pretty happy with it though it does sump now and then at speed. Red Rockets are the only UK bike that I can think of with that long a shock
My KLX won the twinshock class last weekend by dint of being the only machine that actually made it through all the tests at the Welsh Beacons rally. It was muddy and slipperyand very abrasive. Loads of guys were changing pads
I may well get the ITCs serviced and sell them
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Have you got Ohlins ITC's or Betor ITC's.....both companies made ITC shocks for Husqvarna..???
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Have you got Ohlins ITC's or Betor ITC's.....both companies made ITC shocks for Husqvarna..???
how do you tell the difference?
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They just look different. I have some ITC brochures already scanned on my computer i so i will aim to post some pics later. The top mount is one obvious difference i know that.
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the bottom eyes are just loctited onto the shafts. the length is so they the springs/retainers dont hit the swingarm when compressed on the white huskies
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In these particular examples
Betor ITC
- blue lower eyes
- different shape top mount
- no body protection sleeve
- silver body cap
- blue spring retainers
- long foam external bump stop
- less pre-load grooves
- made in Spain?
(https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1pgflcX-ULk82P35dP1l1TP6Ce0mB_3u2h5pb_-KKdLeuVCkmXgr7p7hxFkOKCfHOqXQ-1KwH8SSI/BETOR.JPG?psid=1)
Ohlins ITC
- gold lower eyes
- different shape top mount
- has body protection sleeve
- gold body end cap
- black spring retainers
- very short external rubber bump stop (you can hardly see it in the photo)
- more pre-load grooves
- made in Sweden
(https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1papXYeKE-ZO1uSLk1xXbyzWXp60rXUqR3bP9k0hXIA91k2CJNX3lI_OfR7CktHG2E3l-2qRqeguA/ohlins%20husky.JPG?psid=1)
I assume there could be differences internally too.
Main problem with trying put them on a KLX is that the bodies are too long, the lower eyes are too long, the shafts are too short, the springs are too stiff and the valving would not be right either. Being ITC's the bodies are not simple to shorten because 3/4 the way up the top you have the hydraulic bottoming out device. Brand new Ohlins bodies and shafts are cheap as though. You will be surprised. Thats from the USA though. About a year ago new bodies were on average $35 US, i could not believe it. Shafts were cheap too. if you have paid nothing or very little to get the ITC's then i guess you can afford to ditch all the wrong bits and replace with new bits to make them fit the KLX, but if you have already paid a couple hundred on buying them then i think its better to leave them for a husky owner and find some others that you dont need to change so many bits on or just get some specially made to suit.
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I have a set of ITC shocks that have been shortened and the bottom- out device removed with no ill- effects. They were cut down to 385mm for an RM 250T.
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I have the Ohlins version
4.5"travel 18.5" eye to eye
I could lose something over an inch by using shorter eyes; and if I could release another inch of internal travel I'd have 5.5" stroke shock of the right length . Using my KLX springs I'd have to get the damping backed off. Is altering damping difficult with these? I would be paying someone else to do it who has worked with ITCs in the past. I stress I haven't made a decisision, but the advice here is conflicting.
It comes down to this. Is there another 1" of travel to be got out of the shafts?
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The ITC's used there own type of piston different to the all the other Ohlins twinshocks. You need to do some calculations to make sure that increasing the travel does not allow the piston to run across the c-clip groove that holds in the bottoming out valve if you are going to remove that and try and increase travel. It is about 3/4 the way up the body. Maybe i should post a cut-away drawing of a ITC shock if you want?
It depends on what the ITC's are off too. WR's had an extra internal limiter from what ive read.
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The ITC's piston is actually the same as the other Ohlins but it has an extra smaller piston which slides into the bottoming cone in the shock body, both of which could be removed to make the same as conventional Ohlins but i think you'll come up short on the travel you need. They are short travel long bodied shocks that don't suit many bikes other than '83/'84 Husky's.
It is very easy to alter the shim stack to change the damping if needed.
NSR on this forum successfully shortened a pair for his SWM.
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Ok well my info says the ITC main piston is a different part number number. Im not saying you cant shorten them a certain amount, its just that when i wanted to do it for a KLX i quickly realised they were not the best donors for the job if the plan was to keep the original bodies and shafts. I was aiming to make them the same length and have the same travel as the original KLX shocks though and not just 'thats close enough, that will be alright'.
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Because of their length and short travel i really don't think they are suitable for anything other than '83 '84 Husky's.
The main piston looks the same as other ohlins pistons even though the part number is different, it may just have a small change to the piston face or port size.
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ITCs are great shocks and if you can fit them there worth it. I have shortened the body, shaft, and piston cup by 20mm.
The ITC setup is the same design as the PDS2 shock KTM used. After a lot of riding the only valve adjustment I have made was to take out some rebound dampening.
Here's whats in a WR shock.
(http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/NoelSR/027-3.jpg)
This is it shortened.
(http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/NoelSR/312.jpg)
It takes a bit of thinking about.
(http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/NoelSR/107.jpg)
(http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/NoelSR/110.jpg)
This was the last rebuild.
(http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/NoelSR/Resto%20SWM175/1412.jpg)
(http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/NoelSR/Resto%20SWM175/0412.jpg)
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They came up really good Noel.. what length are they now?
Those of us without access to a lathe it's probably easier to buy the earlier gold reservoir models which fit almost anything
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There 420mm. Yeah if you had to pay for the lathe work it would be a far bit.
threaded preload adjustment instead of just grooves .
I could have put theaded preload on, but I didn't think it was worth it.
same thing
Maybe, but I'd rather bring the originals back to life especially when they work as good as these.
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Yeah bringing the old ones back to life is fun 8), thats whats good about the Ohlins, they were real good back then and as long as they were not neglected and let go they can be made to be like new again and the modern Ohlins are not the same as the old ones to look at. Plus i just hate to see them go to waste, too much stuff gets stuff gets binned these days.
Also you can get the parts from the modern Ohlins to add threaded pre-load to the old ones. You can also add 3 way cam pre-load adjusters too. I will admit the clip grooves can be a pain but usually once you have it set it does not really need changing.
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I haven't found anything else that cross matches with 5.9" /18.25".
Am I correct in thinking that to get extra travel the body has to shortened rather than removing internal spacers? My shocks have just the one constant rate spring. Does that narrow it down to what model they originally were on? It would be helpful to know this if I were just to get them serviced and sell them on.
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I think you mean Worthing. I got your emulators from Kamar. Very good to deal with.
Well I've decided to get these serviced, sell them on and use the cash to buy a CCM airbox for my Mann, if it should fit, which seems more likely than the above.
Thanks everyone.