NR-4 damping control

[Thunderchild]

The damping control on the rear NR-4 from my 5000, has never shown much response.  It turns and it clicks, but it doesn't change the damping level.  No comparison to the fox on my Oz.  Anyone else have this problemwith this shock?  Is there a company out there that can fix it?  Not sure I want to send to Noleen if they are still able.  

Thunderchild

[Matno]

Don't waste your time... Seriously, the Noleen shocks are not that great to begin with, and even the best rebuild is still going to be a Noleen. (Think of how much better your Fox is). Plus, most Noleen repair places that have shown up on this board cost about $100. You can get a lot of really nice shocks on eBay for close to that amount. I've been very happy with all three of my rear shocks that I've used since the original SmartShock blew on an epic ride with Russ... (after just 3 months of riding on a brand new shock too). Does your NR-4 even have damping? Both the Noleens I rode lost their damping adjustment at the same time they lost all their oil and became pogo sticks.

I currently have 3 others: a Stratos Helix Pro with air-assist, rebound damping adjustment, and compression damping adjustment with lockout; a Risse Astro-5 with rebound/compression damping; and a Manitou Swinger 3-way with rebound damping and SPV.

My Stratos is probably my smoothest shock (and is for sale if anyone is interested - $100 o.b.o.) However, it is slightly shorter than stock length (7.875" instead of 8.25") which SLIGHTLY lowers the BB (I never noticed a difference in the head angle, although I'm sure there's a small one). The rebound damping on Stratos shocks is quite a bit slower than other shocks, so it doesn't have the same "springy" feel to it (i.e. it's hard to "preload" the shock to jump over a log because it doesn't bounce back as fast as say, a Fox Float). However, that same damping makes it very smooth on things like stutter bumps.  

The Risse on my spare 5000 has been smooth and reliable for 4 years now - I've NEVER had to add air. (In fact, I've never had to add air to ANY of my shocks). It was used when I bought it, and there was already some stiction at the top of the travel, but it's well above the normal sag point and is completely unnoticeable when riding. The damping adjustment on this one has quite a good range.

My current shock, a Manitou Swinger 3-way, is the only one that required modification of the bike (not the frame, but the swingarm). In spite of being a die-hard "I don't want to modify my frame" kind of guy who made my own bolt-on rear disc brake adaptor because I didn't want to drill holes for a Hammerhead-type adaptor, this modification didn't even faze me. Seriously minor material removed. Since you did the Hammerhead adaptor, I should think this would be no sweat for you - especially since it's from the swingarm anyway. It's not as plush as either of the other two, but it feels noticeably more efficient and is "plush enough." It's definitely my favorite of the 3 for that reason. I keep the SPV valve pretty soft, but you can adjust it quite a bit, depending on your preferences.