stroke length on coil shocks?

[pedro]

is the stroke measured to the top of the "bottom out elastomer" or the bottom of this elastomer.
I have a vanilla R which I thought had a 2" stroke, (measured to the top of the elastomer), but I have read posts referring to this shock as a 2.3" stroke shock.

[Simon]

Remove the shock and remove the spring, stroke the shaft through to one extreme and take measurement from a fixed point on the shocks body to a point on the shaft then stroke through to the other extreme and take measurement from the same fixed point and the same point on the shaft, the difference between the two measurments will give you your shocks stroke shouldn't take 10 minutes then you'll know. Simon [smiley=redface.gif]

[jimbo]

The Vanilla R in the 7.875 inch is available both in the 2.00 and 2.25 stroke.   More the stroke = more travel.  

[numbnuts]

I have an 8" van r and the spring it came with [from the factory i think] has 500 x 2.29 written on it so i always assumed the shock stroke was ~ 2.3. I remember someone once explaining some stuff about stroke of shock vs spring but i can't remember how it went. If they are not exact is it better to use a spring with a longer or shorter stroke than the shock?

[Simon]

Longer,example the Nr4 damper had 1.5" stroke with a 1.75 stroke spring, if the spring was shorter the coils would all bind together and become solid before the damper has bottomed out.Simon

[drtunit]

As to the shock travel, the measurement is for the available travel not including the elastomer compression. Depending on the spring manufacturer, the size may relate to the inside diameter and not the travel, err on the long side but then you may need to compress the spring to install it which will preload the spring but better than running into coil bind-either way get the right length of spring.

[bayarearider]

anyone know the stroke length of the NR-2 on worldcup frames?

thanks!  [smiley=beer.gif]

[kiwi]

1.75 in