Centerstand spring....arrggghhh!

[John Schmidt]

I've run out of coils on the spring to install washers and I'm still nearly 1/4" short. Using brute force is no longer an option for this old man so I experimented with making a tool to stretch the spring to the needed length. It worked....but didn't. I could get it in position but the hooks on the end of the springs weren't long enought to engage the holes when still in the stretcher....so back to the drawing board. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Personally, I'm wondering if a sligtly weaker spring would suffice. I don't want to remove the CS just to install that fool spring but appears I may have to. 

[Jess from VA]

How about just wire the thing up tight.

Then on the rare occasion you want to use it, cut the wire?

[The emperor has no clothes]

I've run out of coils on the spring to install washers and I'm still nearly 1/4" short. Using brute force is no longer an option for this old man so I experimented with making a tool to stretch the spring to the needed length. It worked....but didn't. I could get it in position but the hooks on the end of the springs weren't long enought to engage the holes when still in the stretcher....so back to the drawing board. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Personally, I'm wondering if a sligtly weaker spring would suffice. I don't want to remove the CS just to install that fool spring but appears I may have to. 

John, removing and reinstalling the center stand is not as bad as it may seem. If it makes you feel any better, that was the only way I could get the spring back on also. There just doesn't seem to be enough room on the hook otherwise.

[Willow]

Thicker spacers (washers or coins).

[Robert]

I am not really sure about what your dealing with but a few suggestions.

If the spring is to short to catch, take a wire and make a loop, spring end in one side and the tab or hole it hooks on to on the other and tie it like you would tie your shoes. Leave enough wire to be able to pull with both hands and tie it at the end. It can be secured permanently this way also.

Take a coat hanger or piece of heavy wire and make an extension the length you need to go between the spring and the fastening point and hook the spring to one end and whatever the other end fastens to.  Once on you can bend the extension to tension the spring to the desired tension and keep this extension on.

Make a j hook with a big handle and use 2 hands to pull and catch the spring.

Take a piece of wood for a handle and use some strong but thin wire and pull the spring.

Take a piece of wood and put a piece of wire around it and hook it to the spring and use the wood to lever it onto the point it fastens onto.

A brake spring tool should work also, like for the old fashioned brake drums.

[cookiedough]

not sure it will work on centerstand, but the side bolt spring wedging in coins nickles or quarters, etc. works to extend the spring further outward.  cannot hurt to try 10-15 coins whatever works pennies or nickels or quarters or so wedged in between coils if you need more length?  If not coins,  how about some washers of varying width/sizing? 

NO worries,  i spent 6 hours hammering a stuck on rotor gave up all over a 3 dollar broken off lug nut bolt of which I have to pound out but before I pound it inward have to get the darn rotor off to make room for the lug nut bolt to put back in a new one.

[da prez]

  I am not familiar with the center stand configuration , but a brake spring installation for a truck should work. If you can't find one locally , I can send you one to use.

                                                da prez

[The emperor has no clothes]

  I am not familiar with the center stand configuration , but a brake spring installation for a truck should work. If you can't find one locally , I can send you one to use.

                                                da prez

The issue I had was not in getting it stretched to enough length, but in getting it turned enough while stretched to get it hooked. It was just a lot easier to remove the whole thing first.

[gordonv]

I need to think about this a little I'll correct this if I figure out something else, but I think I removed the stand from the bracket (2 nuts), placed the spring on it in the upright position (non stretched), then pulled/shifted it back onto it's mounting studs, or used the washer trick in this position, less required.

It was easy to do while on the side stand.

[SpidyJ]

Use a bungee cord to hold it up until you get it fixed.  I  couldn't fix mine without removing it and that is a pita of course.
 

[John Schmidt]

GOT IT! After close study of the bracket the spring hooks into on the stand, it appeared the sharp square corners on the stand were what was preventing the spring from hooking/slipping into place. I removed the stand and rounded off the corners on both sides. Next, since I'm removing the Viking exhaust anyway I went ahead and removed the left muffler which afforded me additional flexibility moving the stand up & down while trying to hook up the spring. In the end I had success and by extending the spring by moving the stand I was able to remove all the washers I had used to extend the spring....many actually fell out. Next step...remove the Viking exhaust and reinstall my prior unit, the Vikings will be advertised in the near future.