Gold valve fitment issue precaution

[KingDaddyX]

I’m in the process of installing gold valves in the fork and I noticed something I haven’t seen addressed that potentially could be a big issue. The base of the valve post has a small bevel, in the race tech instructions and also in the only you tube video I found of someone installing gold valves, it is said that a shim can be used as the base. I don’t think an unmodified shim should be used because the ID isn’t large enough to clear the bevel on the post base and it leaves a small gap and a very small contact point for all of the forces of the stack opening to be applied to. I believe the shim stack can become loose after use.
The stock valve stack has a corresponding bevel and sits flat. The rebound valve washer also has a bevel, and since I used the rebound valve nut to hold my stack down it was available to use as a base.

Please critique my stack as you see fit! I had to use a lot of shims and the rebound washer to get the height correct.

[KDXGarage]

I'll have to check my old pictures, but that looks way wrong right now to me.

[KDXGarage]

Here's a pic I took in 2006. Maybe they changed items since back then?

There is no rebound side. The top is a check plate and spring. The rebound piston and valving is on the end of the rod (the 10 mm rod).

oldgold - Copy.jpg (50.37 KiB) Viewed 4624 times

[billie_morini]

very interesting!

[brademan76]

I recently installed them per racetechs instructions and they looked just like KDXGarage's photo above

[KDXGarage]

brademan76, did yours have the brass colored spacer on the bottom like mine? Thanks

[brademan76]

Yes it did. It also came with the black one KingDaddy has pictured, but that is for a different type of cartridge/fork I believe. Instructions should clarify that.

[KDXGarage]

Thanks for the info. The real old ones did not have a black piece. I was wondering if that was how they were now or what.

[KingDaddyX]

Brademan76 mine did not come with the brass bottom spacer as seen above. The black piece is if you were to use a regular nut. I think rt instructions call it a spring washer. I just used it as a bottom spacer because it had the bevel I wanted and it was over twice the height of the baseplate, then I finished lengthening the stack with leftover washers in descending order as to give the valve stack as much room as possible. Probably doesn’t matter at all, but i figured it would be easier to keep up with the extras if they are in the fork haha. I have reasoning to everything I did, however it may be faulty logic!

New member first post so if I post or do anything out of place please let me know.

[KingDaddyX]

I recently installed them per racetechs instructions and they looked just like KDXGarage's photo above

I purchased my kit last year around this time. From western power sports or parts unlimited directly and I got no fancy spacer, the guy in the you tube video didn’t have one either I guess. It would be the very obvious solution to my dilemma if I had seen it in my kit. Rave tech does say shims can be used as a base in both the instructions for the shock and forks, that was a red flag to me that many other people could have easily overlooked the issue.
The dealership I was working for gave me a 5 day notice they were going to sell out and so I panic bought a ton of bike parts at cost and I’m just now getting to putting them all on so I’m screwed If something isn’t right.

[KDXGarage]

Do you have a spring for the check plate? I can not see from the picture.

I had at least one set that was so old it came with a VHS cassette with a video on how to install them.

[brademan76]

Should've gotten kit FMGV 2040.

[KingDaddyX]

Should've gotten kit FMGV 2040.

I do, and I just noticed that it’s even dated 2024.

[KingDaddyX]

Do you have a spring for the check plate? I can not see from the picture.

I had at least one set that was so old it came with a VHS cassette with a video on how to install them.

I do have the spring installed and working.

These came with dvds . They were free but missing the codes. I guess they aren’t good for much the way they are.

[KDXGarage]

Without the code or the old printed chart (which is 20 years or so old), one is just guessing or seeing what someone else did (hoping they used the chart.

One used to get a whopping 5 minutes of access to their site to see the stacks with the code.

[KingDaddyX]

Without the code or the old printed chart (which is 20 years or so old), one is just guessing or seeing what someone else did (hoping they used the chart.

One used to get a whopping 5 minutes of access to their site to see the stacks with the code.

5 minutes! That’s an insane amount of pressure, or I’m putting way too much time into my suspension. $200 for 5 minutes she must be some lady..