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reducing rear shock travel

pastcaring

Chimp
Nov 22, 2006
55
1
is it possible to reduce the travel/i to i in a coil shock?

example: pushed fox van r 190 x 50 reduced to 184 x 44

thanks
 

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,884
450
If you want to reduce the stroke you can do it yourself. Go to your local hardware store and pick up big 1/8" thick nylon washers (ones that will fit perfectly around the damper shaft). Use a hacksaw to cut a slot into them diagonally. Slide them over the damper shaft and under the bottom out bumber. I've done this on two of my dhx 5.0 coil shocks without issues.
It definately makes the bike feel shorter travel, but did I notice any performance improvements? Not really, but it was fun to try :)
The other thing, somone pointed out when I was doing this is that you need to increase your spring rate as you go to lower travel. Well, I did that, and what I wound up with was just using a higher spring rate with no bumpers and I love it.
As far as the eye to eye- push could do it, or if you only need 3-4 millimeters, you could make, or have some offset drilled shock/ bushing spacers made.
That could be kinda fun too. Good luck!
 

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
If you reduce the i2i on an aftermarket shock, it becomes permanent. You can't go back to the original length again. PUSH can do this, it has been done before.
 

Steve M

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2007
1,991
45
Whistler
If you reduce the i2i on an aftermarket shock, it becomes permanent. You can't go back to the original length again. PUSH can do this, it has been done before.
Depends how you do it - if you just put a top-out spacer between the main piston and the seal head then it's entirely reversible and pretty simple too. Tekin Suspension in Aus do this for a lot of people.
 

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
Depends how you do it - if you just put a top-out spacer between the main piston and the seal head then it's entirely reversible and pretty simple too. Tekin Suspension in Aus do this for a lot of people.
What you are suggesting will only reduce the stroke, right, not I2I length? Or am I missing something to this?

I thought to reduce the I2I you had to take the shock apart and cut down part of the body and reassemble. Once cut, you can't get it back.
 

Steve M

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2007
1,991
45
Whistler
What you are suggesting will only reduce the stroke, right, not I2I length? Or am I missing something to this?

I thought to reduce the I2I you had to take the shock apart and cut down part of the body and reassemble. Once cut, you can't get it back.
If you put a top-out spacer between the seal head and the main piston (ie inside the shock) it'll reduce the stroke (and eye to eye) by changing the top-out position rather than bottom-out position. Completely reversible. If you actually cut down the shock body you'd risk the piston bottoming out internally before the bottom-out bumper did.
 

go-ride.com

Monkey
Oct 23, 2001
548
6
Salt Lake City, UT
I suppose a spacer could be used in a Fox shock, but it will probably mess with the rebound damping. If you look closely at the end of the shaft where the piston is located there is a teardrop shaped hole in the shaft. This is a hydraulic topout feature. If you simply add a shaft spacer instead of cutting the shaft shorer you will probably mess this system up. I haven't tested it myself, but it's definitely there for a reason.
 

Steve M

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2007
1,991
45
Whistler
I suppose a spacer could be used in a Fox shock, but it will probably mess with the rebound damping. If you look closely at the end of the shaft where the piston is located there is a teardrop shaped hole in the shaft. This is a hydraulic topout feature. If you simply add a shaft spacer instead of cutting the shaft shorer you will probably mess this system up. I haven't tested it myself, but it's definitely there for a reason.
Yep, requires that you run virtually no preload (or fix the spacer to the seal head somehow - not exactly hard), but not all shocks have a hydraulic topout feature anyway - eg the CCDB, BOS etc. Not the end of the earth to miss that one.
 
Last edited:

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
If you put a top-out spacer between the seal head and the main piston (ie inside the shock) it'll reduce the stroke (and eye to eye) by changing the top-out position rather than bottom-out position. Completely reversible. If you actually cut down the shock body you'd risk the piston bottoming out internally before the bottom-out bumper did.
Very interesting. I had a shock that PUSH cut down but I am guessing there was more to it that simply cutting the body down. Anyway, thanks for the education :thumb:

Note to self: run all suspension related postings by Socket before posting on the interweb.