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So if you read my review of the DW Spot, at the end i mentioned the bottom out on the shock. I have heard only a few people mention the same thing, easy to bottom out.
Instead of bumping the air pressure up, losing sag and losing small bump performance, I have come up with a mod that will end the ease at bottom out and keep all small bump and mid stroke plushness pretty much the same. Does not take an expensive rebuilt custom tuned shock either. Everyone of you can do this mod in a few minutes. it is very simple.
If you remember some years ago I was making shims for the DHX air for the 5 Spot. Instead of just dumping the shock and moving onto the RP23 I wanted to try to ramp up the end of the stroke on the dhx-a, it did not fix the mid stroke wallow, but it sure made for a nice decending shock. The same idea applies here. I had throughout all the riding/testing on the DW 5 Spot done a ride or loop on the shock as stock, then lnstalled the shim and did the same ride minutes later. I did this many times to be sure the shim idea was going to be acceptable. Not only did it turn out acceptable, but the results were so good, I won't go back to the stock set up.
All I am essentially doing is reducing the air sleeve volume. The outer large sleeve that is, NOT the main air sleeve. I will say this again later, leave the main air sleeve on the shock, it does not need to be removed.
The shim is made of ski base material, or better known as plastic. EXACTLY 1.2mm thick. I have tried thicker, around 1.5-1.7mm and it makes it nearly impossible to get the air sleeve back on. Any ski shop has this stuff. It is quite cheap. A few bucks or maybe 5 bucks and your set. It gets sold to us ski shops in sheets and even rolls. Many thicknesses are offered so stick with the exact 1.2mm rule and you will be fine. Get an accurate set of calipers to measure, or borrow some. I have tried a few different width pieces and I found the one I will reccomend being about the best size for the average rider on the DW 5 Spot.
The size i felt works real good is 135mm long by 20mm wide. Keep the length exact at 135mm's. My riding weight is 190 lbs., I like agressive rough technical rides with plenty of chance for small air's, so trust me this size is good to start with. If you were really having a bottom out problem and are doing lots of small drops and kickers then maybe a little wider, but make yourself known and I will tell you what I think based on your needs. I tried a 23mm wide piece, I like the 20mm better.
First off, get enough of the materail or something similar that is plyable enough to roll up into the size of a half dollar, stiff and brittle wont work. There should be other stuff out there just about the thickness and softness as the ski base stuff i use. Plastic is all over the place if you think about it.
Once you got the material, cut your piece with a sharp box knife, thin blades work best. Next, with the shock off the bike, release all air from the shock air valve. LEAVE the main air sleeve on the shock. Then remove big metal c-clip that sits on the end of the outer air sleeve. I use a c-clip tool and barely put any pressure on each end of the c-clip and it raises up enough to get of with your fingers from here. Then grasp the outer air sleeve and push down on it away from the top of the shock and it will easily pop right off. Clean any dirt from both ends of the air sleeve as there are 2 big air seals that need to reseal properly. Installing the shim is shown in one of my pictures, roll the shim up tight so you get get it on the air sleeve without touching the edge of the shim to the seal. Put the shim inside and at the end of the air sleeve (bottom end) in which the c-clip sits against. The other end (top end) of the air sleeve is where the air bleed hole is located, this is where air comes from the main sleeve, don't cover it up with the shim. Make sense so far?
When you position the shim against the inside of the body and at the bottom end of the air sleeve you can actually click or press the shim ends together for a good fit, that is why I say exactly 135mm long on the shim. It will stay there securely. Then put c-clip back in place, it will sit in its groove, then air up the shock and go ride it......!!!!!!
It is simple to do this.
I am running about 5-10 psi. less air with the shim. Remember you are taking away air space or volume so a little less air might be what you end up with. I have been running sag right about 15 or 16mm's, about 5/8 of an inch.
Trust me, this works damn good. Sounds a little wierd, but if both Rock Shox and Fox are using plastic spacers in their shocks then there is no reason to doubt this mod if you need a little ramp at the end of the stroke for bottom out protection.
Remember this line...........Try it, you'll like it. """Mikey likes it and he hates everything....!!!!"""
Any questions? Ask away.
Instead of bumping the air pressure up, losing sag and losing small bump performance, I have come up with a mod that will end the ease at bottom out and keep all small bump and mid stroke plushness pretty much the same. Does not take an expensive rebuilt custom tuned shock either. Everyone of you can do this mod in a few minutes. it is very simple.
If you remember some years ago I was making shims for the DHX air for the 5 Spot. Instead of just dumping the shock and moving onto the RP23 I wanted to try to ramp up the end of the stroke on the dhx-a, it did not fix the mid stroke wallow, but it sure made for a nice decending shock. The same idea applies here. I had throughout all the riding/testing on the DW 5 Spot done a ride or loop on the shock as stock, then lnstalled the shim and did the same ride minutes later. I did this many times to be sure the shim idea was going to be acceptable. Not only did it turn out acceptable, but the results were so good, I won't go back to the stock set up.
All I am essentially doing is reducing the air sleeve volume. The outer large sleeve that is, NOT the main air sleeve. I will say this again later, leave the main air sleeve on the shock, it does not need to be removed.
The shim is made of ski base material, or better known as plastic. EXACTLY 1.2mm thick. I have tried thicker, around 1.5-1.7mm and it makes it nearly impossible to get the air sleeve back on. Any ski shop has this stuff. It is quite cheap. A few bucks or maybe 5 bucks and your set. It gets sold to us ski shops in sheets and even rolls. Many thicknesses are offered so stick with the exact 1.2mm rule and you will be fine. Get an accurate set of calipers to measure, or borrow some. I have tried a few different width pieces and I found the one I will reccomend being about the best size for the average rider on the DW 5 Spot.
The size i felt works real good is 135mm long by 20mm wide. Keep the length exact at 135mm's. My riding weight is 190 lbs., I like agressive rough technical rides with plenty of chance for small air's, so trust me this size is good to start with. If you were really having a bottom out problem and are doing lots of small drops and kickers then maybe a little wider, but make yourself known and I will tell you what I think based on your needs. I tried a 23mm wide piece, I like the 20mm better.
First off, get enough of the materail or something similar that is plyable enough to roll up into the size of a half dollar, stiff and brittle wont work. There should be other stuff out there just about the thickness and softness as the ski base stuff i use. Plastic is all over the place if you think about it.
Once you got the material, cut your piece with a sharp box knife, thin blades work best. Next, with the shock off the bike, release all air from the shock air valve. LEAVE the main air sleeve on the shock. Then remove big metal c-clip that sits on the end of the outer air sleeve. I use a c-clip tool and barely put any pressure on each end of the c-clip and it raises up enough to get of with your fingers from here. Then grasp the outer air sleeve and push down on it away from the top of the shock and it will easily pop right off. Clean any dirt from both ends of the air sleeve as there are 2 big air seals that need to reseal properly. Installing the shim is shown in one of my pictures, roll the shim up tight so you get get it on the air sleeve without touching the edge of the shim to the seal. Put the shim inside and at the end of the air sleeve (bottom end) in which the c-clip sits against. The other end (top end) of the air sleeve is where the air bleed hole is located, this is where air comes from the main sleeve, don't cover it up with the shim. Make sense so far?
When you position the shim against the inside of the body and at the bottom end of the air sleeve you can actually click or press the shim ends together for a good fit, that is why I say exactly 135mm long on the shim. It will stay there securely. Then put c-clip back in place, it will sit in its groove, then air up the shock and go ride it......!!!!!!
It is simple to do this.
I am running about 5-10 psi. less air with the shim. Remember you are taking away air space or volume so a little less air might be what you end up with. I have been running sag right about 15 or 16mm's, about 5/8 of an inch.
Trust me, this works damn good. Sounds a little wierd, but if both Rock Shox and Fox are using plastic spacers in their shocks then there is no reason to doubt this mod if you need a little ramp at the end of the stroke for bottom out protection.
Remember this line...........Try it, you'll like it. """Mikey likes it and he hates everything....!!!!"""
Any questions? Ask away.
