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Please excuse my ignorance on this subject, I've just got my first full sus bike and this is my first time maintaining rear shock.
I got a second hand Fox Float R of ebay. Needed new bushes, no worries got a set of DU bushes and top hats from Mojo. DU bushes replaced using tool off ebay. DU bushes went in fine. Top hats are very tight in the bushes though. Couldn't push in by hand. Had to squeeze them in with the bush tool (not as tight as the bushes but still some resistance). Once in I can't turn the top hat within the bush. To get top hat out I had to clamp it in vice and work the shock off it. Popped one of the bushes out and replaced with another DU bush from a different supplier and it's still the same. Everything all went in true and square.
Does this sound right or are the top hats too tight in the bushes? The way it is I can't see the the bush / top hat moving during suspension travel. More likely the top hat will rotate in the frame around the mounting bolt.
You will find that all it will do when in your frame is rotate against the frame, hence why I have just purchased a couple of needle bearing kits for my bike.
[url= http://forums.mtbr.com/9038956-post68.html ]bit of info[/url]
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/needle-bearings-in-shock-eyelets-instead-of-bushings ]Thread from yesterday[/url]
I got the TFT set, seems fine.
I would contact mojo. They are the experts.
They're set up is the real deal surely. They can't get this sh17 wrong.
Terrible use of the English language above.
Never post après beer.
Hey.
That's how the steel inner aluminium outer type of bushes work/function and is fine.
If you want to reduce that effect just buy some stainless steel outer bushes and polymer inner bushes.
Not sure how much mojo charged you for the crap they sell, but there is a company called J tech that sells stainless steel outers and polymer inner bushes for £13.99 each end for fox shocks.
http://j-techsuspension.co.uk/pages/products/mount-kits.php
I would go with those or the BETD ones, TF tuned sell a version that are also OK, if £20 for the exact same kit as the j tech ones.
TF
http://www.tftunedshox.com/info/mount_kits_bushings.aspx
BETD
http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/items.asp?CategoryID=92&Name=Strong+Bushes
I would go with the J tech bushes and buy some spare inners for when they go.
That's how the steel inner aluminium outer type of bushes work/function and is fine.
Really? So tight that there is no rotational movement between the bush and top hat and all the movement is between top hat and frame.
I wanted the top hat top wear against the bush rather than the frame so locked the top hat on a bolt and popped it in the pillar drill and used a strip of 600 wet n dry till they fitted in the bushes with no play but would actually rotate. That will do me for now and I'll get some of the poly bushes with one piece inner shaft for when the present set up wears out.
If you can rotate the bush out with the vice, does it not make sense that when you ride the bike the bush will also rotate?
You will have a few hundred pounds of force going through that shock bush more than enough to rotate it, while the outer bushes are locked into place against the frame.
It doesn't move all that much anyway, you could always put one side of the shock/bushes into the frame tighten the bolt up and then see how stiff it is to rotate using the shock as leverage?
That said, it's your shock / bike and if your happy then so am I 😆
They are supposed to be that tight. You won't turn them by hand but the leverage / friction against the frame will turn them in the bush. That's why the bush eventually wears, and how its supposed to work.
As soon as it wears / you grind them down like mark90 has you'll get movement in the bush that will eventually wear it faster. When is warn you'll feel a small movement in the pivots when you gently lift the bike with one hand on the seatpost. Then its time to replace it all over again...
I put one end of the shock in the frame and tried rotating it, but could not get the mounting tight enough to allow rotation against the bush rather than against the frame. The bush may well wear out quicker now, but I would rather that than my frame.
What size of bolts does the shock run and did you torque it up to it's setting.
Also is there any movement / space between the shock bush and the frame?
Seems odd but hopefully it will be cool, the polymer inner bushes run slacker with the aluminium outer bushes.
I recently got some in stock and would be willing to send you out a couple if you want to test them see what you think, I think they are best used with steel outer bushes, but if you want to try them send me an email.
Orange Patriot, correct sized 8mm bolts. Done up 'kin tight. No side to side play.
I didn't exactly 'grind them down', we're talking 30-60 seconds with a bit of 600 paper. Top hats are still snug in the bushes.
Thanks for the offer of the poly bushes but think I'll just go with a full kit from one of the above links for when this setup wears out.