Difference between 855 and 856 frames

[Carbonman1]

Hey old heads,  what is the real difference between the 855 and 856 frames besides the shock to rear arm mount?  Were there improvements in frame strength?

[Simon]

I have a couple of 856'es and and 855 frameset
and I can't see any difference between the two
though I do beleive the later 856 had the hole removed on (what would normally be the) seat tube and a headset gusset added.

Simon.

[kiwi]

i think(repeat think) the 856 had a bit of gussetting lower head tube ,and maybe more welding around the wingarm mount "box"

[rapiddescent]

from old 855-head discussions:

There are 3 designs:
+ the 855
+ the 856
+ and the 855.834329864293642

The 855.(random digits) was an old 855head joke because we realised that the 855 had a 'bugfix release'  mid way through production that made the frame more 856 like but had an old 855 shock and strut on board.

frame:
+ the weakspots on the 855 frame were
-- on the WAY LARGE frame at the seat tube/top tube.
-- at the swingarm pivot

swingarm
-- left hand dropout
+ seat stay (rising up to hold the shock) had a flat surface to bolt the shock onto.  this was changed with the 856 to become a cone fitting.

shock
+ the 856 had a ODS (oil dampened System) shock that had 30wt oil and 2 MCU's.  

fork
+ the front fork on the 855 was a vector 1 with the old non-ODS shock and a stem attachment for the vector fork.  the 856 had a different design vector II fork that had ODS and the top link attached to the headtube.

The 855 outsold the 856 in North America, but the 856 outsold the 855 in europe by many times.  this was largely due to the 855 being widely distributed in the USA and then people not wanting to upgrade to a bike that looked the same - in europe we really only got the 856 in volumes.  856 was launched in EU in November 1995 (this is when I got mine)  

ooooh.  just over 10 years ago!

callum
rds

[Carbonman1]

Thanks guys,  I run across tha 855's from time to time but I tend to hold out for the x56 types.  I truely loved the blue and yellow 756 that I stupidly sold some time ago.  I just might try to "come home again" if I see a nice medium out there.  Happy Xmas to all....!

[Colin]

my 2p (2c) worth................I think there's also an 856 Bug-fix edition.

My XP-X is a "late" (March '97) 856 medium frame and it definately has these differences:

a) No through hole in the seat tube used for canti's.

b) Gusset piece welded on the underside of the down tube to head tube join.

c) More robust swing-arm mounting pillar.

wich all appear to be different on this 856 in the '97 catalogue ?



Wow! and I didn't remember they did a 956!

Col.

[loaded]

Does anyone know if there was any frame differnce between and 855 and a 955??

[will]

To the "bugfix" on the 856's...

Somewhere along the way the changed the pivot point drill through. It looks like they missed a dynamic dimension on the early models and had to bore the pivot off center to avoid crashing the swingarm.

My "newer" 856 (made in Taiwan) has the pivot bore centered.

I suspect there was a lot of "informal engineering" (Hey let's try moving this part of the jig over this way just a little...) going on in 1996!

[rapiddescent]

The 956 in the picture above is the first one I have ever seen like that.  All the 956 I saw were lighter versions of the 856 frame - the frame above looks like a 957 with ODS shocks!!!  Most 957's came with noleen NR-4 shocks.

how odd.
callum
rds

[sammydog]

Does anyone know if there was any frame differnce between and 855 and a 955??

Loaded, I have an 855 and 955 and other than colour, there isn't any differences that I can tell. Brand new though they did come spec'd very differently, I got them frame only though and built them identical.

Interestingly enough, both my 855 and 955 originally came with the 856 strut.

I've been told that the frames were made of different materials, but I have never been able to confirm this.