carbon frame build up, status report

[chainsaw]

well,  after a lot of thought, effort, money and time, I have installed all my parts, mad all my adjustments, i only  have to add one last bolt and I am finished, will take pics and post them.

but....

that last bolt is a bitch!

I took  the Stratos Expert off of my 5000 and bolted up the top mounting bolt, no problem ( it is installed upside down on both bikes)... but... I can not line up the hole on the bottom mount. I have tried and tried. I looked at the bottom shock mount on both the 5500 and the 5000 frame and they are both IDENTICAL!!!!  I have started to dremmel away a little of the shock mount on the carbon arm, so that it can drop down lower.... that is the problem... the hole on the shock is to high for the hole in the mount..... I have quit for  the day. I want to be sure that this is the way to go before I dremmel out some more metal.  

I can not figure out why there is a diffence between the  two bikes and why this one last bolt in this project refuses to install. How FRUSTRATING!

[junkster]

Hi,
   post some closeup pics of the set up. Will be able to see exactly what ya mean that way. It could be the upper mount part of the shock is being restricted by part of the frame perhaps. Usually is something like that when all else checks out. I mounted a Stratos Air/oil XC pro (obviously diff from the Expert), on my 5000 and had to mod upper and lower mounts.

cheers,
Dan

[chainsaw]

I took this shock off my 5000, it fit perfectly on it.

ok, I took the shock off my Carbon 5500/4500 and then mounted the bottom mount first... and no problem. but when I swung it forward to bolt into the upper mount behind where the seat stay of top tube come together, it would not swing forward near enough to meet up with the bolt hole.

there is just too much material in the way in the bottom shock mount, or  on the body of the shock. I have to remove material from either the mount or the shock body. I really don't want to do that. maybe I should consider a different shock. but I have already spent so much money.

I am going to have to mull this over

[chainsaw]

ok, I solved the problem and mounted the shock. Here is how:

I looked at photos of bikes in the Gallery section and found Asylum Inc's 5500 frame with a Stratos Helix Expert like mine installed. but his was "upside down", w/ valve on  bottom, magenta dial on top. I had always ridden mind upside down from that on my 5000 with no problems. I had forgotten how interchangeable the bushings are.

this  is when I found out that the 5000 frame's shock mount is  narrower than the one on on the 4500/5500. So I had to had a couple of washers and there  is still some slop. Guess I will call Stratos and order a wider bushing. Hope they have one. in the mean time it is installed.

Now I was planning to put the Noleen shock from the 5500 onto the 5000 and let it be my back up bike.... but it's bushing is too wide and  doesn't appear to  be removeable.

How can I get that Noleen to fit onto my 5000? anyone know?

glad I checked out the gallery before I started dremmeling out metal from the mount or the shock!

[Simon]

Glad you've sorted it,
looking forward to seeing the finished bike.
the Noleen bushes are removable yours are just a bit tight thats all,
try clamping one side of the bush in a vice (wrap some protective material on the edge to avoid scratching the surface),move the shock back and forth eg turning the bush around the bearing, at the same time apply plenty of penetrating lubricant,
very quickly it will free off and work its way out,
carryout the same to the other side,avoid using hammers punches or any form off force.
Once you've removed them you can file the faces down evenly (removing the same amount of meterial from each side),do this until the correct width is achived.
Simon.  

[jazclrint]

These carbon builds can be . . . finished?!