Just needing someone to verify that the front shocks should have resistance to compression and the shaft should not stay compressed like this.

They are probably dead. Mine are like that LOL.
If you fully extend the shock and then push down on it -- does the shaft "drop" a bit before you then suddenly hear air cavitation ?? If you do it's done. It means there is still some oil in it but the drop tells you that some leaked out. I believe these should be gas filled a bit just like the rears are.

Here they are on video....

https://youtu.be/yHiq3HYLYvQ

Just watched that video.
That's what mine do as well and I can hear the cavitation when you pull them out. My opinion is they are shot. I still run mine though.

Thanks CO. I suppose I'm going to do the same. Would love to have something better but can't do it at this point. Just gonna run these and see how it goes.

On a side note, got the UHMW today for the spacers and the new springs are due here on Thursday so should have the rears together this weekend.

It appears we are both cheap baturdds.
In my opinion the most important suspension on an oddy is the rear.
It is virtually non existent with those stock rear springs. Once they are replaced it is a totally different machine.
The reason I still run my front shocks is because there is no way in hell I will spend that kind of money for aftermarket shocks and because they still have some rebound control. The front springs will take care of the compression. Good enough for me.

Edit: By the way -- I still have not made a real effort to try to find replacement shocks for the front end of our machines. I may do that in the near future. Tonight I am actually working on a spring rate tester and I am going to get the real spring rate of the rear springs on a stock oddy. I will post. I'm still working on that set up so if I do post it then it will be posted very late tonight.

I find my cheap batturdd self very tempted by these sorts of things. Considering that apparently all the front shocks are basically junk with a spring on them, how much of a risk would it even be?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273095687871



https://www.amazon.com/Mallofusa-Motorcycle-Absorber-Universal-Strength/dp/B07FYF9TSY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=26PWL926BMOH4&keywords=mallofusa%2Bshocks&qid=1551238143&s=gateway&sprefix=mallofusa%2Bsh%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-3&th=1

Well I have some bad news tonight on this.

1) Those shocks you pictured there are probably junk.
I say that because those Chinese shocks have been tried here before and apparently they break -- sometimes on the first ride. I don't remember the posts. They weren't the exact ones you picture there but they were similar with the red springs.

2) I have owned my oddys for years and have only now been able to test spring rates.
In the beginning I was just to busy rebuilding engines and blowing them up until I figured it out.
To the best of my knowledge NO ONE has documented stock spring rate or documented after market springs and posted it here. The only one who has ever given any kind of spring rate was Lee. He is a Honda engineer (he works for them) and he said the stock oddy was 223 lbs/in on the rear. He was close. Lee has not been on this site for one year now. I am not sure if he trolls us though (looks but don't sign in).
I have measured that they are actually 210 lbs/in in that other thread I got going here.
The bad news is that tonight I got a chance to measure my brothers after market springs that someone put on his machine before I bought it. I know I told you I thought they were 170 lbs/in but when I tested them they came in at 135 lbs/in. Sorry about the misinformation but I didn't know. That means the info I gave you was out by 25 lbs. I will post the pics in the other thread in a few minutes.

Edit: It almost looks like you take your body weight and that's the rear spring rate on the oddy - LOL.
Edit again: Yes those are 320mm shocks but what is the stroke ?? They don't specify that. You can actually run longer shocks on the front of an oddy but NOT the back or you will get U-joint bind.

The 180's I have coming have to be better than the originals. I'll start there and see how it goes.

Forgive me, I can't find where the post was about the brand of spring you are ordering was. I believe they were from summit? Am considering trying them as well.

Thanks!

Here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18447

I will try to get more info on my set up on my brothers machine and post it later today or tonight.

Excellent. If I end up keeping my extra Oddys I will try these.

CO I know you are resistant to send parts, but Terry if you have success in spacers, could I possibly ask you for some help on a pair or two if it works out?

Let me see how it goes with the first set. I have the material for the spacers and the springs are supposed to be here tomorrow. I plan to make work on the project over the weekend. I'll report in the original thread.