Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Triumph bulletin board Centre stand spring fitting

I knew I'd lost some strength since getting Lyme disease (you get this if bitten by an infected deer tick, for anyone who doesn't know. It's bad news and worth trying to avoid). But I must have lost more strength than I'd realised. I can hardly stretch the centre stand spring for my T160 at all. With my OIF bikes I've put a cable tie through one end, hooked the other end in place, and just pulled on the cable tie until I could shift the spring into place. No chance this time.

So, I'm wondering what tricks people have? I tried putting pennies between the coils but just buggered the spring up doing that (you have to bend the spring so much, after about 4 pennies have been inserted, that you distort a coil, permanently lengthening the spring and making it useless). I wish I could think of some clever special tool that would stretch the spring, hold it stretched, and let me fit it.

Trouble with these T160 springs is the loops at the ends are curved not far off closed, so to get the lower one onto the loop on the stand is impossible unless you do it at the start. Which means you have to get the upper end over the hook on the frame, no other choice. Which makes pulling almost impossible, as there's bloody great engine in the way.

i bought one of these from motion pro



https://www.ebay.com/p/Motion-Pro-0...ok/529873628?iid=113007129033&chn=ps

Thanks Kevin. Oddly enough, I've just ordered something almost identical in the hope it will do the trick. If you found yours did, hopefully I'll find mine does too.

i think i've only used it on a sidestand so far. can't remember how i did the center stand. it's been years since i had it off.

I also have the spring hook tool. It's the easiest way to do it.

Another way to fit a centre stand spring is to remove the stand pivot bolts, connect both ends of the spring then lever the stand back into position and replace the bolts.

Removing the pivot bolt method is how I've managed the centre stand spring on T140's. I've used the washer method to replace sidestand springs, without compromising the spring. I place the washers alternatively between the coils .

The last time I fitted a centre stand spring, I used a motorcycle ratchet tie-down strap anchored on one end to the ball hitch on my truck and the other end hooked to a T handled spring pulling tool like the one pictured above. Worked phenomenally

Used pennies and rope.

Here are a couple of spring puller designs -

www.hermit.cc/mania/britlink/articles/tech/hans_wdm20/puller/index.htm

I've always just taken the stand off, put the spring in place and stretched using the stand as a lever until you can get the bolts back in.

I think a combination of pulling using the T handled puller (possibly with the aid of a ratchet strap - good idea there Jon), and a better spring will do the trick.

I've found an OIF c/stand spring and its ends are less back-curved. This one would be possible to pull backward (the upper end fitted over the hook on the frame), and still be possible to get the end into the loop on the stand. No chance of that with the spring I was struggling with yesterday. I had to open the end up just to get it onto the stand's loop without any tension on it. Seems there are some duff springs out there.

OK, having done a bit of Ebay research I've found that there are at least two types of T160 centrestand spring being sold under the 82-4671 part number. This link shows the type I ended up with:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/82-4671-BSA-A75-TRIUMPH-T120-T140-T150-BONNEVILLE-TRIDENT-CENTRE-STAND-SPRING/232770969184?hash=item36323b1e60:g:Xz8AAOxyuOtRZRaX
And this link shows a spring under the same part number but with quite different ends (which look as if they will actually fit, unlike the one I struggled with yesterday):-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIUMPH-T100-T120-T140-T150-CENTRE-STAND-SPRING-PN-82-3617-82-4671-BIN-317/162633762554?hash=item25ddba46fa:g:kPkAAOSwLgNaX02m

Apologies if these links don't show up as live, but they ought to work if copied & pasted.

I hope I;m not alone in recognising a significant difference?

I made a T handle puller - simple except the formed end has to be hardened. I heated it and quenched it in heavily concentrated brine solution. But lately I've found a brake spring tool works very nicely. Hook one end and put the spring on the brake tool and slide the spring into place. Looks something like this one...
The tapered end rests on the spring pin and you lift the tool until the spring slides down the taper and onto the pin...

Sorry, I can't resist.

As you said with my starting problems. Kick it harder!

An excellent tool! For both the Center-Stand and the Kick-Stand Springs.

Ok, That may be a fine tool for your lawn tractor spring but it is not needed for this. I struggled with this problem myself, using the coins, etc. Until finally, finally I realized you can, as mentioned, use the stand itself. It is bit of a sequence puzzle, but one worth solving.

Sorry to hear about your Lyme's. Does this mean you can't leap in the air to kickstart anymore?

If it does, then welcome to humanity.

I've worked out a great way to use the coins trick. I put the new spring between the frame and the lifting arm of my small trolley jack and jack it so the coils are far enough apart to slide coins in. It works a treat this way - I got 16 pennies in my new spring which stretches it enough to just drop it over the hooks.

Lyme disease is certainly worth putting some effort into avoiding. I would have done if I'd known anything about it. I know all about it now! Luckily, the treatment seems to have worked, but I've lost a lot of strength in my arms. No problem kickstarting though - but maybe I will have with the T160, as their kickstarts are weird, and tend to fold under at the bottom of the stroke.

Drill and tap two holes in the top of the jaws of a bench vise. Screw in two set/grub screws. Hook the springs to the set screws, spread the spring by opening the vise jaws and insert coins on either side of the spring to keep the spring from curving. I recall using dimes. Works very well.

This is how I did the side stands and center stands on both my bikes, It works fine.

+1. Works well for me.