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Demo 8 Shock Length

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
OK, I've heard talk of mounting an 8.5 by 2.5 shock to replace the 8.75 by 2.75 stock shock to get low, slack, and long. Has anyone tried this? Can they give me feedback or REAL geometry numbers? (not e-speculation)

Thanks a lot!
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
I forget who on the board mentioned it, but it was the same guy that's racing the new BigHit this year. I think he's from NorCal but I could be wrong.
 

konabiker

Monkey
Jun 30, 2004
669
0
Santa Barbara
Bicyclist said:
I forget who on the board mentioned it, but it was the same guy that's racing the new BigHit this year. I think he's from NorCal but I could be wrong.
I think that was E.T. phone home.

Evan Turpen.

I would for sure rock that setup myself if I had a demo 8. Matched with a custom chopped down 7inch 06 Boxxer World Cup it would be tits.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
I'm gonna run a 7.5" 888RC2X w/ ghetto spacers to lower it. You're right, it was E.T. that mentioned it. I'd like to see real measured geo numbers before I try it, though.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
I just want to make sure it's not whack geometry, and I have no real way of testing it.
 

Lanky

Chimp
Feb 8, 2005
63
0
Ma
what about putting a pice of wood in place of the shock.

I'll do that but i just have a 7" fork holding me over untill I can order a 8" fork.
 

dexterq20

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2003
3,442
1
NorCal
chicodude said:
I don't think there is a reason it wouldn't work...
I do. It's really hard (if not impossible) to get aftermarket shocks for Demo 8s and 9s because the bikes have proprietary eyelets for oversized shock mounting hardware.

EDIT: After reading my post, I realized this may only be true for the 2006 models. I don't know what kind of shock moutning interface was used on the 2004 and 2005 models.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
Well I'm gonna transfer the hardware from my Swinger to a new ROCO, so that should work. The mount interface on the '05s is the same as the '06s, and they weren't around in '04.
 

dexterq20

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2003
3,442
1
NorCal
Bicyclist said:
Well I'm gonna transfer the hardware from my Swinger to a new ROCO, so that should work. The mount interface on the '05s is the same as the '06s, and they weren't around in '04.
No, it's actually the eyelets on the shock that are oversized, which allows the use of oversized hardware. If all you do is swap hardware, you're gonna have a helluva time trying to cram a big ol' bolt into a tiny little shock eyelet.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
Wait, so the Demo uses a custom shock? Damn it, why is this so confusing? I wish I could buy a shock and just slap it on.
 

motomike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 19, 2005
4,584
0
North Carolina
dexterq20 said:
No, it's actually the eyelets on the shock that are oversized, which allows the use of oversized hardware. If all you do is swap hardware, you're gonna have a helluva time trying to cram a big ol' bolt into a tiny little shock eyelet.
I think it's just the 2006 demos with Fox shocks, because my '06 SX is the same way(oversized) with it's RP3.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
dexterq20 said:
No, it's actually the eyelets on the shock that are oversized, which allows the use of oversized hardware. If all you do is swap hardware, you're gonna have a helluva time trying to cram a big ol' bolt into a tiny little shock eyelet.
Hopefully this will clear some stuff up. I'm holding in my hand right now the Swinger that came with my 2005 Demo8, and another, regular 5th Element Air. The eyelet of the Swinger that mounts on the chainstay is actually smaller than a normal eyelet. Waaaay smaller. This is why when you buy an aftermarket shock, you need to reduce the eyelet size to fit it to the Demo. However, there is no DU bushing on that end of the shock, it's a cool bearing/conical washer mount.

The other end of the shock that attatches to the main frame/front triangle is actually a completely normal size.

Yes, you can take any regular shock and mount it to a Demo8, but you need to reduce the eyelet that mounts to the swingarm. Fox has kits available, and there is a great thread about this on MTBR, and another here on RM.

Specialized has a hideous way of combining costum stuff with normal stuff when it comes to shocks, but somehow the Demo8 almost got spared. It's still a pain in the ass to get a hold of the reducer kit.
 

Netguy

Monkey
Nov 8, 2004
609
0
Whistler
Im running a 2005 Swinger on a 2006 Demo8 frame.

Dont know if that helps, but just thought I would throw it out there.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
Sweet, that could ride a lot better, especially with a lower fork. I just snapped a quick pick of the shock from my 2005 Enduro SX next to the shock from my 2005 Demo8. The large eyelet of the 5th is almost a good idea, except a regular DU bushing is too small to fit in there snugly, so the shock needs some ghetto tape or something to work on another bike. The Manitou has to be drilled out to be used on a normal bike. I consider both of these designs not so hot due to the limitations associated. However, when installed on the proper Specialized frame, they both work pretty well, minus the fact that the Manitou mounting hardware comes stock mis-sized, with a ton of play. They almost got it right...

 

S.K.C.

Turbo Monkey
Feb 28, 2005
4,096
25
Pa. / North Jersey
Yeah - you can run a 2.5" stroke shock on a Demo 8... I have one, and when the DHX Air first came out I was talking about alternatives w/ James from Go-Ride since the DHX Air didn't come in the 2.75" stroke length. The HT might become more slack than necessary when the rear is compressed under load, but other than that it should be O.K.

I was thinking about running a 2.5" DHX air on my Demo w/ the shock in the upper 15" BB height mount in the frame to compensate for the shorter stroke and consequently lower BB height. I know Fabien Barrel has experimented w/ shorter than normal stroke lengths for his Kona, but then again... he's pretty adept at getting over trail obstacles... REALLY fast.:)
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
bikenweed said:
Hopefully this will clear some stuff up. I'm holding in my hand right now the Swinger that came with my 2005 Demo8, and another, regular 5th Element Air. The eyelet of the Swinger that mounts on the chainstay is actually smaller than a normal eyelet. Waaaay smaller. This is why when you buy an aftermarket shock, you need to reduce the eyelet size to fit it to the Demo. However, there is no DU bushing on that end of the shock, it's a cool bearing/conical washer mount.

The other end of the shock that attatches to the main frame/front triangle is actually a completely normal size.

Yes, you can take any regular shock and mount it to a Demo8, but you need to reduce the eyelet that mounts to the swingarm. Fox has kits available, and there is a great thread about this on MTBR, and another here on RM.

Specialized has a hideous way of combining costum stuff with normal stuff when it comes to shocks, but somehow the Demo8 almost got spared. It's still a pain in the ass to get a hold of the reducer kit.
Ok, so I need a reducer kit for one end of a new shock and the other end will work just fine? Am I understanding that correctly?
 

trumbullrider

Monkey
Dec 12, 2005
181
0
CT
side question: Would a dhx form a 06 demo 8 work with a non specialized bike like a morewood izumu? What kind of hard ware would I need.
 

S.K.C.

Turbo Monkey
Feb 28, 2005
4,096
25
Pa. / North Jersey
Bicyclist, you are correct. For 06' the OEM DHX from a Demo 8 has one eyelet that is 10mm I.D. and the other is the standard 8mm I.D.

Trumbull - yep, you will need the mounting harware to adapt it to your bike like the kit that comes w/ the shock from a Demo. You would need the appropriate sized reducer for the 10mm I.D. eyelet.