FINALLY got my Swinger mounted...

[Matno]

After a very LONG wait, I finally got the shock mounts for my new Swinger 3-way rear shock. I had posted on MTBR regarding pricing for the mounts, and Charles Coker of HammerHead bikes in Austin (Not to be confused with the HammmerHead disc brake adaptor for Proflexes!) generously offered to mail me some. He has a good reputation on that forum and runs a very nice bike shop with custom made and designed Titus frames.

However, he didn't have the right size for the bottom of my shock, only the top, so he said he would just machine a top one down to fit the bottom. $17 shipped (He said $15, I threw in the extra $2 for PayPal fees, or whatever). I think to myself, great deal. But no, he said he forgot about me for four weeks (in spite of several emails to which he did not respond) and only responded when I posted on MTBR (nicely). Another two weeks went by and finally I got the mounts. Okay, so I waited 6 weeks. Technically, I wasn't supposed to ride due to a broken shoulder anyway (although that has felt fine for a month now).

But for a guy who runs a high-end bike shop that custom designs Titus frames, he sure did a CRAPPY job. I could have done better with my Dremel and bare hands. "Machined" my eye. The ends he ground down aren't even flat. (Well, they're mostly flat, just not parallel to each other!) Looks more like hack-sawed, and to make it worse, he must have clamped the bearing surfaces with sharp-toothed pliers! They look like crap with deep gouges all over them, and they barely fit in the shock. I doubt they can pivot much at all. On the other hand, the brand new ones that came with the shock were super tight too. Is that normal? My other shocks pivot smoothly around that, and it seems the motion of the shock would be limited by sticky bushings in the mounts, wouldn't they?

At any rate, now I'm going to have to find someone I can borrow a shock pump from so I can get this thing set up. (My shock pump gauge is way off, so I never know exactly how much pressure I'm putting in). At least the shock looks good (and the grooves in my swingarm mounts are beautiful!)

[Ionit]

I don't think you have to worry about the bushings not spinning freely. I never hade a free spinning mount since... well ever. You can use the bushing but you will probably need to tighten the bolt a little less then you are used to. You could also try grinding the mount to get the ends parallel and use some washers to shim the right fit.

[Old Proflexer]

my experience is the bushings should be very, very snug - many i've been unable to move freely but work well on the bike - too loose can create wear.

can you use the bushings supplied and shim them out to the correct width? (I use the fox bushings and i shim my lower mount - in fact i shim the upper mount as well with some shocks)

in my gallery i think you can see that on some of the rear shock pics
http://idriders.com/cgi-bin/album_k2.pl?photo=Old_Proflexer/Fox_Float_Talas_Rear_Mounted.JPG

OP

[Matno]

my experience is the bushings should be very, very snug - many i've been unable to move freely but work well on the bike - too loose can create wear.

I'm not talking about snug between the bike's mounts, I'm talking about snug in the shock eyelets. On 3 of my previous shocks I noticed that they had a noticeable sensation of stiction. Upon checking the shocks, I noticed the bushing/bearing surfaces were slightly dirty and very tight. I cleaned them up thoroughly with a rag, which allowed them to pivot smoothly in the eyelets and VOILA! The "stiction" went away completely. Since then, I've always kept those mounts spotlessly clean.

That's why I'm a little concerned about these bushings fitting so tightly into the shock. I've always thought they should be clamped tightly into the frame, but the shock mount to shock interface should be free to pivot (not the same thing as loose). Am I wrong? Not to mention that if they do pivot (and SOMETHING HAS TO PIVOT) they will probably scratch my eyelet bearings due to the gouges on their surfaces...

Oh well, I'll give it a try over the weekend and see how she rides!

[Ionit]

Maybe someone could make one for you. If you say it will ride allot better then  you are probably right. The ride will most likely be bothersome to you anyway. Get it right so you will have peace of mind.

To lath an aluminium mount would be worth the work.

[Old Proflexer]

most of my bushings are 'very' snug - difficult to move with finger pressure when inserted in the hole - and i don't have a problem with stiction that i notice.  i'll have to sometimes use some pliers or such to get them out.

when one can move them freely, it might be getting near time to replace them and/or a new steel spring clip insert.

in fact, you may try new inserts with the stock bushings and see if the fit is more to your liking.  a lot of shops can swap them out - i ended up buying a spring clip insert and removal tool from a supergo mechanic that machined some extras for his mechanics and i bought one of his extras, so i do my own.  most big shops have a 'fox box' with a variety of bushings and steel inserts -

OP

[Matno]

Only problem is the Manitou stuff is a different diameter than anyone else's, so the "Fox box" won't do me much good... The Manitous are new enough that not many have the spare parts for them yet. None of the dealers in my area are Manitou dealers anyway...

One more question: Are shock mounts supposed to be tight on the bolts that go through them? Mine have always been a little loose (i.e. if I pick up the bike by the saddle quickly, there's a "clunk"). Originally, I just wrapped the bolts in teflon tape, which worked fine. I'll have to get some more. I'm just curious if they're all like that or if mine are just worn down...

[shovelon]

Oh Oh,



You might have the 8 mm bolt holes. They should be 6 mm. And yes the manitou bushings are designed with a slight interference fit. Lube with some grease and squeze them in with your hands. Use pliers and grip with newspaper to get them out.



Let me know if you need bushings as I bought 2 spare sets. They need some faceing to fit but I have a 4000 frame and an Oz as well as a 957 for reference.



Terry

[Matno]

You might have the 8 mm bolt holes. They should be 6 mm. And yes the manitou bushings are designed with a slight interference fit.

Let me know if you need bushings as I bought 2 spare sets.

Thanks Terry. I think these ones will work okay. I'm assuming that the aluminum in the bushings (I got the 2 piece aluminum ones) is softer than the metal in the eyelet, so I doubt I'll do any damage by running as is. Rode it this morning and the ride seems pretty nice. Definitely needs to get dialed in, but it felt promising.

I do have the 6mm bolt holes. The bushings that came with the shock were 8mm, otherwise, I would have just shimmed them on the sides and not bothered with the hassle of ordering new ones. Maybe I'll go ride again in the morning (if it's not raining still!) and see what I can do. Kind of hard to adjust things just right with a shock pump that "zeros" at 50 psi and doesn't seem to have a linear relationship to its own gauge! However, it is consistent, so if I pump it up to, say 200psi one time, then 210 psi the next, I'll know it's a little bit more! (I double checked that with another pump, and 200 psi on mine is closer to 100 on a good pump).

One of these days, I'm going to have to go all out and buy a new shock pump for $16. Dang I'm cheap!

[Carbon_Angus]

Matno

when it's on and right , send us the picture. if I do ever modify the rear shock on my Oz, i'm pretty sure i'd go that route. do you still need to cut/modify the lower mounting bracket on the swingarm?

Angus (the 90% road rider)
[smiley=beer.gif]

[Matno]

See my other post for pics

--Matno (also a 90% road rider these days...)