I can not get more than 5mm of sag on my sons Kona Stinky. It has the Marzocchi Roco shock. I put a 325# spring on which is as light as they come. He is about 90lbs. Any one have any idea what I can do to make the shock more supple. I have turned the compression all the way out.
Sag problem
- Thread starter RottenRob
- Start date
Start feeding him Mac-n-cheese by the truckload?
You can get a custom springs made which are lighter, I am having to find a place that can make 125-lb springs for a double barrel to go on a small race car. I know there are options out there, and it sounds like a lighter spring is what you need.
try springs from a swinger or 5th element, i know manitou had springs as low as 225lbs on cannondale gemini dh's.
Yes, barely any. I don't think it is necessarily his weight, I think something is not right with the shock. I am going to change the oil in it tonight and see if that helps. Has any one done this with a Roco and if so any advice would be great. For instance how much oil?
If he is 90 pounds I say drop some weight on his bike and get him on an air shock
if you (dad) push down on the bike does it travel ok? if so, then it's a spring rate issue rather thana shock one.
If there isn't paint on the spring, you could anneal the spring in your oven. Try 450 for 10 minutes. Worse case, you will ruin the spring if it gets too soft.
If there is paint, I would suggest using something that you don't care if it stinks to anneal the spring.
We have done this on some Chinese knock off 50's that came with rear springs stiff enough for a 500 pound guy to ride it. Works good.
If there is paint, I would suggest using something that you don't care if it stinks to anneal the spring.
We have done this on some Chinese knock off 50's that came with rear springs stiff enough for a 500 pound guy to ride it. Works good.
A Stinky's suspension is designed in such a way that its really stiff at the top of its travel and dosn't sag like a downhill bike. My friend has a stinky with a dhx and 450 spring and only gets about 10% sag but bottoms out the bike frequently. Correct me if im wrong but its a regressive rate suspension system designed to pedal not sag like a vpp dw type linkage arrangement.
I hope not or I have bought my kid the wrong bike
to change the oil you have to do it in a full submersion bath. so you'll need way more oil than will actually go into the shock. if you don't do this you'll spend upwards of 5-6 hours burping the shock to get all the air out, and even then you won't get it all.
Oil weight has nothing to do with sag.
The valving will not help the sag. It will help hime to get full travel which I bet is a problem at 90 pounds.
Yah that one guy is right about the stinkys not sagging as much as other bikes. I have a stinky with a roco and it's no where near the sag of my friends V-10 or Canfield F1. But once you get past that first part it becomes really smooth. And I don't bottom it out all the time.
But yah the spring is your prob. I'm around 175 on a 450. So a 90 pound guy on a 325 prob. won't work.
But yah the spring is your prob. I'm around 175 on a 450. So a 90 pound guy on a 325 prob. won't work.
The difference is leverage ratios and progression curves. A Big Hit will not respond the same as a V10, or your Kona.
Chris is right - get the spring rate right, then control shock compression speed/bottom out through valving.
Chris is right - get the spring rate right, then control shock compression speed/bottom out through valving.
The old stinkeys were falling rats but they have been pretty much linier for several yearsI hope not or I have bought my kid the wrong bike
what year stinky, and what model?
the 2003 stinky is progressive until the very end wehre it ramps up a tiny bit, and the 2003 stinky deelux ends up at a softer at the end than when it started (regressive). a bighit is a really progressive linkage, it starts at 3.8:1 and ends at 2.7:1 (i have some program i got off i think mbaction that says all this stuff)
the 2003 stinky is progressive until the very end wehre it ramps up a tiny bit, and the 2003 stinky deelux ends up at a softer at the end than when it started (regressive). a bighit is a really progressive linkage, it starts at 3.8:1 and ends at 2.7:1 (i have some program i got off i think mbaction that says all this stuff)
not on a roco, remember its got a bleed hole.
no, really, get the correct spring first. bike tuning step 1 is springrate, then start worrying about valving.
on a bike like a stinky, you shouldnt really expect all that much sag, 20% would be normal, with a normal sag of 30% for a dh bike, a stinky will probably bottom out more than desireable.
seriously try to get your hands on a 250lbs/in spring, THEN start thinking about valves and oil.
like someone mentioned, just get an air shock and be done with it.
Sag is purely a spring weight issue. Valving does not come into play until oil is being circulated through the valves. The shock must be active, not static.
At 90 lbs with a growing boy, i also suggest a DH/freeride specific air shock.
It is a 2006 Stinky Deluxe frame.