[Spunger]

Ok, so.....I ordered a 9.5x3.0 spring for my 5th element and instead of getting the 5th element spring I got a spring for a swinger (as I was told it'd work)

So my 5th element spring I had was 450lbs, and my swinger spring is a 500lbs. While the coils are thicker on the swinger spring it is shorter than my 5th element spring. So I can't preload the spring much at all, as I have maybe 2-3 threads left on the shock.

So my question is.......do manitou springs run like fox springs do (IE I'd need a 3.25 stroke spring for a 3.0 stroke shock?) If so I have to see if I can return this spring and get another one (a 3.25).

The funny thing is, my bro's bike has a 7.5x2.0 shock (manitou) and I got him a bigger spring. It was a 2.0 spring, from manitou, and it worked fine. It was a little longer than what he had (new bike, he had a 350lbs, needed a 700lbs) but it worked excellent. My bike/shock on the other hand is odd.

Just curious, because I know fox uses some funny figures with their springs but I was unaware of manitou doing the same.

 

[spacemanspiff06]

i only know of fox doing that...

 

[Mountain_Dewd]

hmmm i had a 9.5x3.0 progressive spring on a manitou 6 way and then switched to a 9.5x3.0 manitou spring and dont remember any difference.

are you sure you got a 9.5, is it labeled, or maybe mislabeled

 

[Spunger]

Ok, here is the 5th spring on, preloaded some (maybe 2-3 turns after the collar makes contact)

And this was my bro's 2.0 metal shock, got a 2.0 swinger spring 700lbs, and he has so much preload it's not funny!

Here is my 450lbs progressive spring and the 500lbs swinger spring

Here is the Swinger spring on the shock, the collar set, and maybe 2 turns of preload.

 

[Spunger]

hmmm i had a 9.5x3.0 progressive spring on a manitou 6 way and then switched to a 9.5x3.0 manitou spring and dont remember any difference.

are you sure you got a 9.5, is it labeled, or maybe mislabeled

That was my first guess, the funny thing is that the part # is right, and the printing on the shock states it's a 500lbsx3.0.

At one point I had a 550lbs 5th spring (too stiff) but it fit correctly, it wasn't any shorter than the current one.

So maybe I need to track down a 500lbs progressive spring......or trade this swinger spring to someone who has a 2.75 shock and wants more preload.

 

[Udi]

Springs with a higher springrate are usually shorter.
That is one way of getting a higher springrate, aside from thicker coils, and is common on rear shock springs.

For example, i've got a 400lb and 300lb swinger spring (both 2.75), and the 300 is clearly longer.

So it's perfectly normal - and as long as you can eliminate spring play with the preload collar there is no problem.
You shouldn't have to run more than a few mm preload anyway, as it should only be used to set sag (35-45% for DH).
If you need to run more preload to stay within that sag range, you should be on a harder spring.

Cheers,
Udi

 

[Tarpon]

From the research I did when I replaced my 5th with a DB you may need a spacer. Check out the Go Ride site for the Renton Coil Spring page. They talk about it needing a spacer for the 5th (same spring on the DHX or Swinger does not).

 

[SpasticJack]

The length of the spring does not determine how much you can preload it. The total amount of space between the coils does. If you have less space between the coils than stroke in the shock, the coils will bind at full stroke and damage the shock body.

 

[Nobody]

Okay, here's a funny question...

What do you want the preload to do for you? It doesn't make the spring 'stiffer' if it's too soft, it just moves the 'sag' [when you mount the bike] closer to full extension.

 

[bikenweed]

Dude, if you have 2 whole rotations of preload, why not just get a stiffer spring?

That seems like way too much preload. A couple times I've gone from heavily pre-loaded springs to springs that might be 100lbs heavier but without any preload, and it's always been a greatly better ride with the stiffer spring. I just put on the bare minimum preload to keep the spring from rattling loose, which isn't much.

 

[Spunger]

It wasn't so much the preload that I want more of, it's the contact of the threads that the collar makes with the spring. Just to get the swinger spring to contact I'm lucky if there's 5 threads left on the shock, and turn it a couple of times to make sure it's on there.......and I end up with maybe 2-3 threads left. I like knowing there's more like....7 or 8 left. Just a piece of mind.

I have the correct spring for my weight and bike, as my 450 seemed a little soft so I got a 500. I had a 550 on it at one point and it was a little too much. I think some of it was/is tunning the 5th element as well though.

I think I might just pick up one of those spacers. They don't seem much and may just give that extra little added length since I'm not using progressive branded springs.

 

[Udi]

It wasn't so much the preload that I want more of, it's the contact of the threads that the collar makes with the spring. Just to get the swinger spring to contact I'm lucky if there's 5 threads left on the shock, and turn it a couple of times to make sure it's on there.......and I end up with maybe 2-3 threads left. I like knowing there's more like....7 or 8 left. Just a piece of mind.

Not to be rude, but wow, that's the stupidest thing i've heard in a while. Your worry can't be about threads shearing off (not that i've EVER seen that happen) as the forces would be pushing towards the back of the preload collar, not towards the spring - and it's the threads on the spring side of the collar you seem to be worried about.

I assume your worry is not about the spring shrinking, as I believe this is negligible (as in closer to won't happen at all - definitely not 2-3 threads worth, so you certainly won't need to keep preloading it over time).

Having ruled those two out, I can't see where your concern is at all. My new suggestions include
a) giving into your delusions and running the spacer, or
b) getting over it.

 

[Spunger]

Not to be rude, but wow, that's the stupidest thing i've heard in a while. Your worry can't be about threads shearing off (not that i've EVER seen that happen) as the forces would be pushing towards the back of the preload collar, not towards the spring - and it's the threads on the spring side of the collar you seem to be worried about.

I assume your worry is not about the spring shrinking, as I believe this is negligible (as in closer to won't happen at all - definitely not 2-3 threads worth, so you certainly won't need to keep preloading it over time).

Having ruled those two out, I can't see where your concern is at all. My new suggestions include
a) giving into your delusions and running the spacer, or
b) getting over it.

Well after thinking about it, and seeing different shocks, with springs on, and having lots of room vs no room I just felt like something was wrong. Just a size issue, nothing performance based.

My inital problem/deal came with fitting a different spring on the 5th element. If I went with a 5th element spring I don't think I'd have an issue or question at all, but seeing how it was a manitou spring, and the spring was different I just wanted to make certain that I wasn't going to hurt anything by running a possible "different spring". Now that I know there's nothing wrong with the spring then things are ok.

I'm not worried about anything stripping off the shock body at all. I understand where forces go, and that wasn't my concern. My concern was if the spring will work right, even though it's shorter in length than my original one. After taking a look at my bro's bike with a new spring and seeing how it fit it threw me for a loop when I went to replace my current one. That's all.

I don't need anymore responses to this like above. I wanted to verify that the spring would work, not where forces are to be placed or how much preload I need. I can run less preload with the 500lbs then with the 450lbs. I know that already.