[jjkitt]

Well I hope this might spark up some traffic on this forum.

I have a 2013 ION16 in all black ano. I am planning to replace all the extra love bits with new bits in the Titanium ano finish:
M8 cloverleaf shock bolt nut
Eccentric Trial Key (ET-Key) - 2 pieces
Integrated triple cable routing clamp under shock lever
Pre-load cap for shock lever & swing-arm pivot
Horst Link caps
Horst Link nuts
Lever 116mm

My question is in regards to the horst link, pre-load caps, and lever. Has anyone replaced/removed these parts on their ION16/15's yet? I'm looking for some lessons learned, any special tools needed, things to watch out for, a step-by-step expanded guidance/instructions beyond the 5nm torque specs.

I just started the ordering process and have asked Nicolai as well but thought I might ask the Nicolai faithful as well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Cheers,

 

[jjkitt]

Well you guys have been very helpful....actually no, the silence has caught me off guard.

Ok, all the parts have been ordered. Just awaiting their arrival. Will update with pics.

Cheers,

 

[jjkitt]

Well received all my new extra love bits. Now for the install.

Cheers,

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[the_pilot]

I'm interested in how you get on. Been thinking of taking it off just to see myself!

Post some pics of black ano with Titan extra love too. Sounds good to me.

 

[jjkitt]

I'm interested in how you get on. Been thinking of taking it off just to see myself!

Post some pics of black ano with Titan extra love too. Sounds good to me.

Pilot,

Will do! Plan on doing it mid this week at the LBS. The shop boys there are great and are interested in doing it. I'll try to take pics of the process and the final product.

Cheers,

 

[raschaa]

Hey JJ,

sorry I missed your post, I could have given the infos needed... been a bit off the interwebs...

your problem is going to be getting the bearings out without doing them to much harm because you can't pull them by the outer race... definitely do not hammer them out, pull them if you can. angular contact bearings do sometimes fall apart if you smack the inner race...

edit: I just took another look at your pic above, looks like the bearings are already in place on the lever...

the rest is pretty much standard unscrew, remove, replace, tighten-up. go easy on the preload with the horst-links (2-2.5 nm).

black-ano + titan-ano is gonna look badass!

what shock you running at the moment?

 

[jjkitt]

raschaa,

Plan on installing the new bits today, so any info will be most helpful! Thanks for the info on the horst-links! What will happen if you over torque, will it crush the bushings?

Yeah, the shock lever has the bearing pressed in...so no issues with that...thanks to Hendrik at Nicolai.

Any advice on the pre-load caps. Nicolai's website says 5nm, but I've read on the forum you want the linkage to barely move with no weight on it. Is that correct? Any suggested torque recommendations?

I got a CCDB CS and tuned it to CC base tune...pretty awesome. I'm letting a buddy use the X-Fusion Vector Air on his Yeti SB66, he loves it.

I'll post some pics when its done, but any help will be most appreciated.

Cheers,

 

[the_pilot]

Interesting on the Horst
Link torque. They are bushings in there still no. When I was at the Nicolai factory The maintenance/service guru identified problems with bush wear due to under torqued bearing caps. he specified a 6kg force to move the rear triangle when the shock is depressurised. Also that too tight is better than too loose.
The suggestion was that around 5-6Nm was optimum for the linkage caps with the Ion lever caps at 7Nm?
I think we should ask Nicolai to publish the recommended torque for bush/ bearing caps in the same way as they have for the Ion lever caps?




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[the_pilot]

Ah. Have they now published this torque figure for the caps. Volker was very specific they should not be loose.
As mentioned 6kg should just begin to move the triangle, not less, when not under load.


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[jjkitt]

Where are the torque specs? The specs on the Nicolai site give 5nm.


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[raschaa]

6 Kg is waaaay to much...

There are no specific torque values for preloading those frames that have synthetic axial washers... if you're doing a rebuild with new ones you would preload them more than you would if you just did a tear down, clean up and regrease without replacing anything because when new they will obviously "settle in" more than if they had been run before.

I've talked with Volker on this countless times over beer and whatever and he sets preload on the rear triangle until it will not sag under its own weight and needs an impetus by hand and will stop without completing its possible travel (all with shock removed!).

I've been wrenching all the Nics in our DH racing team for the past 5 years and my approach is:

- main bearings at the swingarm aka chainstays I give 4-5nm of preload because they're the ones taking the biggest load

- all others get 2-2.5 nm, the horst-link pivots are the ones that need the least and do fine with 1.5 nm...

- I then mount the rear axle and take my digi scales and pull the axle through its arc with the scales. I adjust all pivotpoints other than the swingarm until I get a constant reading while pulling of 3kg max. 3.5kg

- Johannes the team Nicolai Mech does even less, he just tightens to no play and thats it... this works ok if you have lots of spares on hand and price is no problem...

BUT

the newer models with angular contact bearings are much easier to handle:

preload the pivots with bearings to 5nm and the horstlinks (still synth bushes) to 2-2.5nm

 

[the_pilot]

Thanks raschaa. Excellent information.
Maybe we should put a sticky with this information up?


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[jjkitt]

Well got it all done in about 90 mins. It's about a 3 beer job. Many thanks to raschaa and the boys at the LBS. Now here's the pics.

One thing I did notice on the old rocker/lever; the ET bearings had a definite feeling of some wear. The lower/bottom tube bearings felt new.

Thanks again for the help/interest!

Cheers,

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[raschaa]

I love titan-ano xtra love

Looks good!