lnewlf
Well-known member
so basically the collar might be to short for the Penske clevis....easy phix as above..
new Penske coming
new Penske coming
Broken Penske Clevis.
- Thread starter Cav47
- Start date
Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:
I was pricing the Penske 8983 with a Dealer/Installer,
who claimed no knowledge of this recent clevis breakage issue.
So, I visited the Penske website, and of course there is no update.
Could it be that Penske is quietly letting this clevis design stand, unimproved ?
I am not buying a damper with this clevis design.
who claimed no knowledge of this recent clevis breakage issue.
So, I visited the Penske website, and of course there is no update.
Could it be that Penske is quietly letting this clevis design stand, unimproved ?
I am not buying a damper with this clevis design.
Not only is that possible, it is also quite likely. That shock is adapted, sold and used on many different models of motorcycle. The FJR application (only one we know has that problem) is probably one of their smaller ones.
If you don't want to address it yourself using one of the methods described earlier in this thread, then you'd probably be best off looking for some other brand of shock.
If you don't want to address it yourself using one of the methods described earlier in this thread, then you'd probably be best off looking for some other brand of shock.
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Yes, I was thinking the same thing.
The Ohlins clevis looks quite similar, but the threaded section terminates into a nicely radiused fillet.
The RaceTech clevis looks great, but my one experience with their service was enough.
Guess I was hoping for a Penske authorized & tested fix, at minimum.
The Ohlins clevis looks quite similar, but the threaded section terminates into a nicely radiused fillet.
The RaceTech clevis looks great, but my one experience with their service was enough.
Guess I was hoping for a Penske authorized & tested fix, at minimum.
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HotRodZilla
GOD BLESS AMERICA
If the fix for a Penske is cheap and easy, why not just buy one? We buy lots of things for these bikes that have to be modified, just a little. If that shock is FJR specific and it's not correct, I can see the issue, but if Fred is correct and it's the same part for different applications, get the shock you want, and spend 5 minutes making it work correctly for you.
Just my opinion though.
Just my opinion though.
escapefjrtist
Searching for Dry Roads
...
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Niehart
Pie Smuggler
If I could be sure all the breakage was due to the clevis bending stress, and therefore the bending stress was the root cause, then perhaps fine.
But I read in this thread that following the Penske installation instructions causes this stress on the clevis. So, Penske's customers not reading this thread are just left at risk ?
However, post #245 identifies other design issues that point to another possible root cause.
Penske has the engineering and equipment to make an improvement,
Qualify that improvement with accelerated testing, and release the change.
But I read in this thread that following the Penske installation instructions causes this stress on the clevis. So, Penske's customers not reading this thread are just left at risk ?
However, post #245 identifies other design issues that point to another possible root cause.
Penske has the engineering and equipment to make an improvement,
Qualify that improvement with accelerated testing, and release the change.
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HelzBelz
HipHopLitePopMetalist
Just a small update as the Snow is stopping here in Bozeman soon, I hope.
I followed up with Eric at Penske to see if anything can be said to those of us without failures, but with concerns. Email was sent on 2/18. No reply yet.
I may call today, but I guess I don't know what to expect. I am going to move forward with the shaving the bolt head idea, might buy a new bolt to work on that.
My current bolt has been fastened since June 2016, and I know I had the slight gap before Torquing her down. (gap gone after that...)
I will likely video my loosening of that bolt, to see if the gap re-appears, just for shits and giggles.
Otherwise, I am dying to ride. (and to move to warmer climate as soon as the kideos are off to college (once is gone in two years, the other 4)
I followed up with Eric at Penske to see if anything can be said to those of us without failures, but with concerns. Email was sent on 2/18. No reply yet.
I may call today, but I guess I don't know what to expect. I am going to move forward with the shaving the bolt head idea, might buy a new bolt to work on that.
My current bolt has been fastened since June 2016, and I know I had the slight gap before Torquing her down. (gap gone after that...)
I will likely video my loosening of that bolt, to see if the gap re-appears, just for shits and giggles.
Otherwise, I am dying to ride. (and to move to warmer climate as soon as the kideos are off to college (once is gone in two years, the other 4)
Fontanaman
Robin Trower
Like HelzBelz I sent an email to Eric at about the same time. I haven't heard squat back and this from a company that said this was a high priority.
And I too will be getting my bolt machined down to rid myself if this
redneckj
Well-known member
I am assuming that this is the yamaha bolt part number that needs a little machine work done to it correct?
90109-10007-00 BOLT
SMR_SLT
Member
That's the one.
escapefjrtist
Searching for Dry Roads
...
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lnewlf
Well-known member
Agree...My Wilbers 641 should arrive on Tuesday along with the big storm...at less than $800 shipped it was cheaper than Penske too.. remote compression and rebound, no remote preload
ckuhns
Member
I have been shopping for a new rear shock for my FJR and have called Penske and the Wilbers importer in California. In speaking with the sales rep at Penske I asked about the broken Penske clevis and was told a revisted bolt was being made . I also did buy the Wilbers 641
HelzBelz
HipHopLitePopMetalist
Anyone know what that Outside and inside diameter of the inner race is? Could we either get a slightly longer replacement, or insert a washer that would fit inside the hole to extend the shoulder (or inner race depending on your point of view, or I guess more accurately "bridge the gap")
HelzBelz
HipHopLitePopMetalist
Took a glorious ride today. The whole time thinking about my pinched clevis and why Penske won't return my emails. Below is what I've decided over a coffee and almond croissant sandwiched between two very high spirited 40 mile rides to and from my favorite coffee place:
(There are a lot of replies to this thread, and a lot GREAT IDEAS on fixes. We definitely started weak and ended pretty strong. My summary below is my understanding of my Penske problem. Some of you may have already got to this from the previous replies, and some may have a had a hard time like I did. It took me some serious soul searching to fully comprehend the heart of the issue.)
1) my penske 8975 has a beefier clevis, especially BASED ON PHOTOS ONLY at the points of failure noted in the pics on here, then the more expensive Penske shocks.
2) my 8975 clevis is indeed pinched, and is in danger of failing just like all of this pics in here. And these failures are not related to poor material being used in the clevis, it is strictly due to piss poor R&D and quality of final fit for our models. The fact is the clevis should not be pinched. If it is not pinched the risk of failure drops 99.9%. It is the bending of this metal, that was not designed (obviously) to be bent, that is causing failure. It is Penske's mistake in ASSUMING the oem bolt and the shoulder on that bolt are both long enough to be installed at the FSM torque spec without pinching/bending the clevis. Their conversation with fontanaman confirms their misunderstanding of the issue at that time.
But now they've had quite a few months to work on this. We need a longer bolt, with a longer shoulder, to insure we don't pinch the clevis. Simple (sort of) because it needs to be engineered to specs that work this time. If everything does fit the way it should you theoretically could over torque that bolt and still not pinch the clevis.
The solutions here will work though, thanks to the good minds on the forum.
Funny thing to me is they are marketing these as FJR shocks, on their model specific pages. Yet the parts don't fit the way they need to. If I were them, I'd have removed the FJR pages. People are still buying these, and installing them, following Penske's instruction (to follow the Yamaha FSM's specs).
If people were simply buying Penske's shocks, and suffering failures, they could say they didn't "spec the product for that bike" and absolve themselves. But they have an FJR page....
(edited for grammar, and better clarity, not sure i got it all still)
(There are a lot of replies to this thread, and a lot GREAT IDEAS on fixes. We definitely started weak and ended pretty strong. My summary below is my understanding of my Penske problem. Some of you may have already got to this from the previous replies, and some may have a had a hard time like I did. It took me some serious soul searching to fully comprehend the heart of the issue.)
1) my penske 8975 has a beefier clevis, especially BASED ON PHOTOS ONLY at the points of failure noted in the pics on here, then the more expensive Penske shocks.
2) my 8975 clevis is indeed pinched, and is in danger of failing just like all of this pics in here. And these failures are not related to poor material being used in the clevis, it is strictly due to piss poor R&D and quality of final fit for our models. The fact is the clevis should not be pinched. If it is not pinched the risk of failure drops 99.9%. It is the bending of this metal, that was not designed (obviously) to be bent, that is causing failure. It is Penske's mistake in ASSUMING the oem bolt and the shoulder on that bolt are both long enough to be installed at the FSM torque spec without pinching/bending the clevis. Their conversation with fontanaman confirms their misunderstanding of the issue at that time.
But now they've had quite a few months to work on this. We need a longer bolt, with a longer shoulder, to insure we don't pinch the clevis. Simple (sort of) because it needs to be engineered to specs that work this time. If everything does fit the way it should you theoretically could over torque that bolt and still not pinch the clevis.
The solutions here will work though, thanks to the good minds on the forum.
Funny thing to me is they are marketing these as FJR shocks, on their model specific pages. Yet the parts don't fit the way they need to. If I were them, I'd have removed the FJR pages. People are still buying these, and installing them, following Penske's instruction (to follow the Yamaha FSM's specs).
If people were simply buying Penske's shocks, and suffering failures, they could say they didn't "spec the product for that bike" and absolve themselves. But they have an FJR page....
(edited for grammar, and better clarity, not sure i got it all still)
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TownsendsFJR1300
Well-known member
14 pages of this issue, several fixes by members suggested however Penske ignores e-mails and still no fix???
Are they waiting for someone to get hurt or just piss poor customer support?
Someone in R&D should have been fired, it doesn't take an engineer to see the potential failure point....
I know what I'll NEVER buy....
Are they waiting for someone to get hurt or just piss poor customer support?
Someone in R&D should have been fired, it doesn't take an engineer to see the potential failure point....
I know what I'll NEVER buy....
Viper Pilot
Well-known member
Sure glad I bought Ohlins!
and Wilburs.
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