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How high does the bike need to be lifted to remove the front forks? I've got a cheapo jack from a couple of bikes ago and I'm concerned that pulling the weight off the front end will cause the bike to become unstable on the jack. Thought of shimming up the rear with blocks as i lift the bike. Also looking for suggestions on the best way to utilize the tie downs on the jack?
I typically only lift the bike enough for fluid changes and cleaning. Maxing the lift is a bit scary to me.
on a old sears jack with my Suzuki marauder i took the front fairing, wheel off no problem. took off 1 fork tube no problem. second fork tube bike went straight back on it's rear wheel. i was puckered for days. luckily i strapped the bike to the lift so it all stayed as one just rolled back onto the tire. after pulling my drawers out I rolled it back to normal position and slide some 2x4's under the back tire to keep it in its proper position. that jack won't ever go under my sg.
Just did my exchanged my forks over the weekend, I have a V-lift that is about 8" high when in the stand is up. I removed front wheel, fender and forks easily with enough clearance. The rear wheel was up so I just slipped a 2x4 under it to stabilize the bike. I torqued everything to spec and the bike didn't move.
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No problem doing the forks on a good jack. 
