Risse Adjustment Question

[DugB]

Hello all,

Does anyone have any instructions for the Risse shocks? I had a few of mine apart this weekend for oil changes and noticed that it's a pretty simple mechanism...I would like to do some home tuning and am wondering what elements inside dictate the shock behavior...

- there is this large aluminum bolt on the piston that holds on the washers/valves and the piston itself...does loosening this up, hence reducing the pressure on the washers/valves, have an impact?

- in one case the washers were doubled up...are there different thicknesses of these washers/valves?

- In general I'm interested in confirmation of which washer impacts compression and which impacts rebound...I think I can tell by the holes in the piston, but I could use some confirmation.

- are there any other internal adjustments that affect the shock's behavior?

I seem to have a few shocks where the compression isn't fast enough, and even feels a little held back by something...but I'm not sure what adjustments to make inside to remedy this.

Thanks in advance!
- Doug

[Spokes]

Hey Doug

Ive got my Astro 5 apart at the moment to replace the O rings and try and cure an oil leak. The washers on mine are in two stacks. From the aluminium nut on the bottom I have 2 washers then the 8 holed piston, then 3 washers. That is all bolted to the  4 holes into the smaller diameter bodied 'air' side of the shock.

Have you managed to open the smaller diameter 'air' side of the shock?  If so what tool did you use?

My shock has been serviced by CVI in the past and has a sticker saying ' CVI No bob technology '. Maybe this could have something to do with the multi washer stacks or there might have been a realy crap bloke working for them who was told not to touch anything!

Chris

[DugB]

Hi Chris,

That's the same arrangement I've found in all of my shocks, but with differing numbers of washers (most if not all of mine had 2 washers in both stacks). I believe the first stack of washers you see under the nut controls rebound speed, and then the stack under the 8-holed piece controls compression speed. I'm not sure if the torque on the nut does anything, though theoretically it should affect the compression and rebound resistance.

I haven't opened up the air chamber yet, but in the past had the same problem with oil coming from the air valve as you did. :-/

- Doug