Hi all, I have a 2004 Maring Alpine Trail currently fitted with an X Fusion 02 air shock, with CRC’s great shock sale I couldn’t resist getting a new Manitou Swinger. Everything was going well as it uses the same size bushings as the X Fusion but the shock catches on the frame at the front mounting bolt. If I take a bit of metal off the frame or off the shock I’m sure it’ll fit, what I want to know is has anyone else had this problem and if so what did they do to get round it?
Yes I’d rather have a fox but it’s more pennies I could starve the children but I feel that might be a bit unfair.

Thanks Pixie

Can you take a pic? No way you could mount the shock the other way up for better clearance?

Yep tried upside down and back to front clearance everywhere else is good apart from the bit that’s catching. It’s not where the pivot is but where the piston fans out from the eye? The main body catches on the frame. There isn’t enought clearance from the shock eye to the main body of the shock unless I do some grinding out! I’ll get a photo tomorrow and see if that clears things up.

Tom sorry I don’t know how to put up a picture here so yGM hope thats ok.

I failed to fit one of those. Got lobbed in a parts box for a couple of years before making it onto another frame.

If you stick a screwdriver through the rop eye you can rotate the endsof the shock 180 degrees which might help.

Just had a look at your mail, it’s not even close is it?! Id be wary of removing that much material from the frame or the shock tbh

Yeh it’s a couple of mm’s but I was thinking it’s the non stress part of the mount so it might not be so critical, I’m sure I read somewhere that someone else had a similar problem and they were advised to take a bit off the shock but that sounds even more dodgy and I’d like some confirmation that it wont stuff it up. Another option might be to have some offset top hat washers made up with holes further to the back of the frame, or finally just put my old shock back on and say hello to ebay. Gutted

Just a quick message for anyone else with this problem. With my new bike built up I decided to take a file to the Marin and remove a couple of mm to fit the swinger, I have to admit it was a bit of a tense time, all went well and it’s not noticible at all due to the ‘top hat’ spacer on these frames. It’s and now it’s 4 months down the line and there’s been no problem. The shock is working so much better than the old O2 and there’s no creaks or groans from the pivot or sign’s of stress of deformation.
I’m not saying go out and hack bit’s off your frame but in my case it worked a treat.
Good luck with any tinkering

Brave man, but good result!