[Da Peach]

on my Blindside. Right where rearward end of my shock connects to the linkage, I can feel about a 1mm wiggle when I completely unload the rear end.

DU bushing needs replacing, right?

I guess that's normal for 8 months of weekend warrior duty with a few days at Whistler thrown in?

 

[Nick]

Sounds like it.

Take this opportunity to buy the bushing tool, its one of those tools that you don't use all the time but sure are glad you have when you do need it. It makes changing bushings a piece of cake.

 

[big-ted]

^ I have one you're welcome to borrow...

And yep, 8 months is pretty normal given the use it sees.

 

[Da Peach]

^ I have one you're welcome to borrow...

And yep, 8 months is pretty normal given the use it sees.

Sweet. Got any DU bushings lying around? I'm assuming it's a pretty standard piece for any DHX5.0, right?

 

[big-ted]

The bushing is standard, yes. You wont have any problem finding those, though I don't have any spare. However, ideally you'll want to replace the aluminium reducers also and, when I looked around for mine I was amazed at how difficult it was to find any in the right size, despite mine being the 'ideal' size recommended by Fox to frame manufacturers. Cove wanted a few days to machine me up something to order. At the time I was convinced I could find something in another shop but, with hindsight, I should have taken them up on that offer.

Edit: Actually, does the Blindside use aluminum reducers or steel? If they're steel you're probably good with just doing the bushing.

 

[Da Peach]

The bushing is standard, yes. You wont have any problem finding those, though I don't have any spare. However, ideally you'll want to replace the aluminium reducers also and, when I looked around for mine I was amazed at how difficult it was to find any in the right size, despite mine being the 'ideal' size recommended by Fox to frame manufacturers. Cove wanted a few days to machine me up something to order. At the time I was convinced I could find something in another shop but, with hindsight, I should have taken them up on that offer.

Edit: Actually, does the Blindside use aluminum reducers or steel? If they're steel you're probably good with just doing the bushing.

Not sure about reducers... My bike is still in the box from my trip to Montreal. I'll have to have a looksee.

 

[davep]

100% agree with Ted, the stock fox aluminum 'top hat' reducers suck a bunch!

The Vivid mount kits will fit your shock (Mfg#: 114115012010), are stainless and are quite nice. Marzocchi also makes a steel mount kit (that is overpriced) that will fit as well..and I think Fox sells their own as 'heavy duty' mount kits.


You need a 22.2 mm (length) by 8 mm (bolt diameter) kit.

 

[Da Peach]

Hmmm. I hear there some new steel reducer with a polymer DU that are "the way of the future". Anyone hear of this?

Shop has a used set of the Marz reducers. I'll have a looksee tomorrow at which looks better.

 

[captainspauldin]

The bushing is standard, yes. You wont have any problem finding those, though I don't have any spare. However, ideally you'll want to replace the aluminium reducers also and, when I looked around for mine I was amazed at how difficult it was to find any in the right size, despite mine being the 'ideal' size recommended by Fox to frame manufacturers. Cove wanted a few days to machine me up something to order. At the time I was convinced I could find something in another shop but, with hindsight, I should have taken them up on that offer.

Edit: Actually, does the Blindside use aluminum reducers or steel? If they're steel you're probably good with just doing the bushing.

yeah, my hardware wore out on shocker, and yes it's a non-standard size.. I noticed that it wore out b/c of a teflon coating on the hardware, rather than having cove machine me up new hardware that will eventually fail again. I ordered these mounts: http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/items.asp?CategoryID=92&Name=Strong+Bushes , super-nice construction, 2 pieces(pin and sleeve are integrated into 1 piece for one side, and a sleeve for the other side), and comes with a heavy-duty DU bushing. Haven't had any seat time on it, but it looks like the fix for my slop. Didn't cost me a whole lot more than stock bushings also..

EDIT if you have 8 x 22.2mm this looks very interesting, something you might want to look into: http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/items.asp?CategoryID=231&Name=Fox+Needle+Roller+Bearing

 

[Da Peach]

Do aluminum DU bushings exist? That's was I was sold. It turns out it doesn't fit. Drat.

 

[- seb]

Heavy duty kit FTW: http://www.tftunedshox.com/info/mount_kits_bushings.aspx