Side stand spring tips and tricks help please

[kpke]

I am getting old and weak

Does anyone have any tips on stretching the side stand spring?

There must be some sort of a leverage trick to getting this thing attached.

Thanks.

[bitzz]

Hold the spring securely, in a vise, bend the spring, ram coins/washers into the coils. Repeat till it is the right length. Install. Pull the stand down, all the washers fall off.

[waltmil]

What works for me, remove the pivot bolt, attach the spring then use the sidestand as a lever to aline the bolt holes then put the bolt in.

[JonW]

Ive always done what Walt suggests... but bitzz's idea is genius.

[kpke]

but bitzz's idea is genius.

Agreed.

And I did just that. But amazingly after stacking every coil with pennies I came up about 1/4 inch short.

I taped the pennies as I put them in to keep them from falling out.




For your amusement




In the end I did it the Walt/Jon way. I am pretty sure that's what I did in the past.

Thanks for your help!!!

[RuZty]

Yep, what Walt said, works every time.

[Zedixe13]

And the stack of pennies will increase the value of your bike .

[expat]

Use a Phillips screwdriver, hook the spring onto the shank, place the vee at the tip of the driver against the boss the spring clips onto and lever it into place. Use a rag to cover the spring and catch it if it slips. Oh yeah, and mind your fingers!
Never fails for me!

[hondaror]

I use vise grips to stretch it on.