Just wondering about experiences of the Manitou Swinger 4 way shock? I’m looking at a used frame with one and a friend was a bit negative about them but I wondered why.

Please?

air or coil?

i had a swinger 3 way (coil) on my old stab and the spv valve worked pretty well the shock itself was fine not quite as nice as my dhx3 but still good

I have a swinger 4way…since 2005..first it was on my freerider for 3 years …now its on my orange 5 ..with nukeproof ti spring..
I´m really happy with it , works perfect and very reliable !!
as far as I know..manitou had some problems with QC and tolerances..
so there are good ones and really bad ones on the market…
luckily I got a good one…
if the frame is fine ..I would give it a go….

I’ve had a variety of 3 & 4 way coilovers, & a couple of air shocks now, and they’re a lot better than some people would have you believe.

My biggest gripe was that I found them ‘dead’ or ‘wooden’ feeling in all but the more ‘hairy’ situations. However, once speeds went up (alps descents, for example), the ‘dead’ & ‘wooden’ turned into smooth and well controlled. I had one on my 224 and it felt crap and overdamped most of the time but I seriously couldnt fault it doing days upon days of Morzine uplifts.

A mate of mine has had one on his original 224 from new (2005); guided & ridden every year in Morzine, done 3 Mega’s, never serviced it and never had a problem. His philosophy is ‘if it aint broke, why fix it?’

Thanks kimbers and accu – v. helpful.

xxx – coil!

had one on an orange 5 since about 2005??, serviced once, never let me down, bit fiddly on red valve, can’t really compare it as only 1 other bike, I also ride an 09 Orange 5/RP23 and I don’t notice any huge difference (old, unskilled..)

I had 3 different Swinger 4-way Coil on my 2005 Devinci Ollie

-the 1st one blew the seals, and was replaced under warranty, after 1 week of ownership just before going to Whistler

-the 2nd one unscrewed during my 1st day of riding in Whistler, oil everywhere and I managed to pogo-bounce my way down the popular A-Line trail

thankfully a Manitou service centre in the village replaced it FOC under warranty

-the 3rd one last the holiday, and many months after, and proved a very good shock both in terms of pedalling platform (Devinci Ollie was 8.5″ FSR suspension) and good quality of damping

as long as you get one with good Q.C., it a good shock

Thanks Mildred, Gusamc and Esher – I’m good now. Sounds like they’re OK as long as you don’t get a faulty one. Like most things in life 🙂 Cheers.