Another Shock Question

[sid]

Hi

As you are all probably aware by now Id like to put a spring on the rear of my 954 , will need to do a bit of tweeking as I need an oil shock as I dont think the one on mine is damped .

Anyway back to the point , is this shock supposed to be oil damped , or do I still need to find another shock ? Dont seem to be getting that far   Quite frustrating  



Cheers all

[shovelon]

That looks like an ODS to me. If you take off the MCUs, I think there is a cap and seal over the shaft. With a spanner(or visegrip in my case) the cap can be removed and simple o-rings can be changed to hold the oil. It would be your choice of oil to use at that point. Callum at RDS sell steel spring conversion kits if you want to go that route.

Terry

[Colin]

That looks like an ODS to me. If you take off the MCUs, I think there is a cap and seal over the shaft. With a spanner(or visegrip in my case) the cap can be removed and simple o-rings can be changed to hold the oil. It would be your choice of oil to use at that point. Callum at RDS sell steel spring conversion kits if you want to go that route.

Terry

IMHO I don't think that that shock is an ODS.

All ODS's that I have seen have a gold body colour.

Here's a piccie of one of my rear ODS's with a Ti spring:


What I believe you have there is a shock from a x55 style bike, I'm not very knowledgeable on them, as I don't have one, but I believe that they have a basic grease pot damping in the silver can but it's mainly the friction of the MCU's on the shaft that cause damping. Thus removing them and replacing them with a spring would result in a PoGo Stick as there would be little if any damping.

I'm sure Callum can comment further when he's back from his SS race.

Col.

[orange]

Isn't it one of those GDT (Girvin Damping Technology) shocks?

[Thunderchild]

It has been along time since I disassembled one of those, but I will eat some vegies and try to remember.  That shock has an internal tall rubber ring, which slides up and down in the silver shaft, that is suppose to give you some non-adjustable friction damping.  Grease it and you have no damping.  On my old 855, i replaced them several times.  The rubber ring will wear out over time = less damping.  Like you had much anyway.  Also there is a little bouncy ball, in the day advertised as a sad ball, that is your top out protector.  Push out the top bolt holder and the cap will come off.  Out will roll the ball.  Pieces of the rubber ring might follow.  You need a long 4mm allen to dissassemble the shock to get to the internals. 

Thunderchild

[DugB]

That's not a GDT...didn't the GDT come after the ODS for a short period of time, before the Noleen's were fitted? The GDT is a black unit...I do think what you have is from an x55 bike.

[sid]

Alas , Thunderchild was correct , thanks everyone for the help, took it apart today , on a good note it is in superb condition , just no good for me   Will continue with  my quest to put a rear shock or is that a real shock to my 954  

heres a pic to refresh what i have at present any ideas welcome to what i could do , apart from pogoing






cheers

[shovelon]

Alas , Thunderchild was correct , thanks everyone for the help, took it apart today , on a good note it is in superb condition , just no good for me   Will continue with  my quest to put a rear shock or is that a real shock to my 954  

heres a pic to refresh what i have at present any ideas welcome to what i could do , apart from pogoing






cheers

Can't you take this one apart?
It looks pretty clean to me?  It just may have oil in it?

I see what you mean about ODS being all gold. I will remember that.

[Colin]

Alas , Thunderchild was correct , thanks everyone for the help, took it apart today , on a good note it is in superb condition , just no good for me   Will continue with  my quest to put a rear shock or is that a real shock to my 954  

heres a pic to refresh what i have at present any ideas welcome to what i could do , apart from pogoing




cheers

Deffo not a GDT, they're black.

Thanks Thunderchild for bailing me out and providing some "real" expert advice on the x55 Shock.

What diameter is that existing gold (non-ODS) Shock?

Maybe you could clamp the body of an ODS in a like manner and thus upgrade to 1996 period damping!

Col.

[rapiddescent]

Anyway back to the point , is this shock supposed to be oil damped , or do I still need to find another shock ? Dont seem to be getting that far   Quite frustrating  

that's a shock from an 855. it is missing the spacer between the yellow elastomers and it is not oil dampened.  The piston rod had a slightly rough grading and this sort of acted like a damper but the 855/955 was well known to 'pogo' along.  The 1995 series of 856/956 brought out the oil dampened shock - it has a gold metal body and has a black adjuster barrel.  After that came the GDT and then the noleen NR2/4 etc.

The GDT was only spec'd on a small number of Animals (Pre-Y, same shape as 856), one of the X-series (UK only) bikes and some of the late 856's.  Late 956's had short noleen NR2's.  the GDT had a yellow spring and a black metal body.