So as you may have seen i bought a T-130S today, 2016. You’ll see in the rebuild thread i’ll post later the spec, condition and the building, but this one is about the shock mount.

I noticed when i bouncing it up and down a bit it ‘clunked’. I soon traced it to the lower shock mount and took it apart to see.

Basically the long sleeve is 1mm too long for the top hat spacers. The spacer fits perfectly in the frame, with no play at all, so i don’t believe that’s incorrect. I think it’s the top hat spacers being the wrong overall length.

You can see the measurements here. The first is 12.75mm which is the shock itself, the 2x 10.75 are the top hat spacers, then the overall totals show the measured spacer and the 1.28mm difference with the spacer being 1.28mm longer than the top hats+shock itself.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2emno5d]2019-01-26_04-53-28[/url] by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

As i test i used a rubber washer which takes up the slack in the fitting and i get no play at all, so we’re half way there… but only half way as i’m not using a random rubber washer.

So, that’s the state of play and where we are. It’s an aftermarket Debonair shock, i’m not sure how recently it was fitted etc but it’s not the standard shock for the bike.

The other pics below show how it’s all together as it came to me and stuff. Ignore the rubber washer that seems to have snuck into most of them, that’s mine and wasn’t fitted, only used for testing.

the internal diameter of the top hats is 12mm, so i could in theory use a 12mm x 0.6mm washer on both sides so it’s centered ?

Thoughts appreciated.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2emjUYy]2019-01-26_04-10-29[/url] by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ShNGSG]2019-01-26_04-10-18[/url] by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2emjTn7]2019-01-26_04-10-08[/url] by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ShNGcd]2019-01-26_04-09-56[/url] by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2d36Ysn]2019-01-26_04-09-42[/url] by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Chatting to a mate about the difference between longittudinal play and lattitudinal, he rekons it’s not the length that’s the issue but the other play.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2er1xHx]2019-01-26_05-51-05[/url] by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

If i fit the spacer at either end, i get next to no play at all… In the middle i can wiggle it a bit… which makes me think we’re looking at that spacer as being at fault.

I can drop into Banjo Cycles tomorrow for a chat and a sanity check.

There needs to be a gap or use a rubber seal or you’ll grind the shock or linkage to death. It’s generously spaced at 1.6mm but still should be fine. Your hardware is however toast. Once it goes silver like yours in the middle that means it’s normally too slack now. You may find a tighter bush to eek out some more life but I’d probably just replace it.

Thanks Ben. Much appreciated.

I’m struggling to find the correct kit, but i think this is right, i measure it up at 35.5mm in length and the O/D is 7.7mm so i’m guessing the 35.5 x M8 kit from there ?

https://www.tftuned.com/tf-tuned-mount-kit-127mm-m8/p2937

Bear in mind my verniers are Chinese so maybe not 100% accurate 🙂

edit.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RockShox-11-4115-012-750-Dampferbuchse-35-5-x-8-mm-1-Buchse-2-Abdeckungen/392149878463?hash=item5b4df446bf:g:Z2sAAOSwoVZb03l4:rk:10:pf:0

You need a new bush and pin, you can see the wear. You can reuse the spacers but might find it easier to just get a new mount kit. The pin should be a tight fit in the bush, not able to just push in/out with your fingers.

M8 is referring to the mounting bolt size you can measure the OD of the mounting bolt or the ID of the pin.
12.7mm/1/2″ is the bush size
You need to know the length of the pin/inner width of the frame mount

You can get a DU same as oem on RS, Fox low friction style, TF heavy duty etc

TF have a how to measure page
https://www.tftuned.com/tech-help/71-mount-kits-and-bushings-for-rear-shocks-a-guide

Cool. Thank you. I’ve emailed them the dimensions. Let’s see what Monday brings.

I’d just call tf, they are very helpful and knowledgeable. I’d just go for their heavy duty mount kit as they last well.

Well it nearly went perfectly, nearly.

Went to mates to get it all measured using his super calipers, the 35.5 spacer was pretty close to correct, the bigger issue was the shock bushing.

So, got the spacer kit out and started on the bushing. Sadly I didn’t realise until too late I was using one that was fractionally too big, brute force and violence isn’t the way forward

2019-01-27_01-01-58 by Steve Weeks – Flickr2BBcode
H8216, undefined@4.4 mm, f2.0, 1/32s, ISO160

I then used the correct bush spacer and it was out in seconds. Ooops.

2 mins later the new bushing and hardware was installed and it’s solid and nice!

I do need another vice though ha ha.