Does this seem odd?

[Darrell]

While changing the fork oil on my 94 Wombat I decided to pull out the spacers, underneath the cap nut, to have a looksee at them. The situation doesn't seem right to me.

I got quite a surprise when I thought what might be a 1" spacer, or less, is actually 6", and fabricated like a giant roll pin. The current length of the fork springs is 15.25", which I assume may have been at least 15.5 to 16" when new. It goes without saying that the combined length of the long spacer and short spring is approx. 21.25".

This short spring and long spacer scenario doesn't jive with any schematic or exploded view that I've seen. Are these possibly Ace 100 springs with extra long spacers to compensate? Did Kayaba run out of the correct springs one day and come up with this combo to keep the line moving and the orders filled? To my knowledge the PO did not do any wrenching at all to this bike.

I wonder what conclusions the collective wisdom of the Hodaka Think-Tank might arrive at about this.

[MWL]

That is the correct parts. The spacer is item 8 on the parts schematic, part number 938759a.

[Darrell]

Thanks for the confirmation that the situation is normal, Mike.

The schematic images make the spacer look shorter and the spring longer -- but I guess it's also a diagrammatic rather than a scale representation. Actually these are the first forks I've come across that have factory installed top spacers.

[bchappy]

The 03 Wombat has a short spacer at the top of the spring. I don't have on to measure but probably a little over an inch.

[Bullfrog]

Yes it does seem odd, doesn't it. But there is a strong engineering and economic case for the situation being as you found it. (Note: The suspension manufacturer made the design decisions for the "short" spring and the "long" roll-pin type light weight spacer.) I think I feel a Resonator Revisited article coming on - though it will be the spring issue at the soonest, since the up-coming issue is being edited for publication as we speak.
Ed