[Kona0197]

Hi everyone.

For as long as I can remember I have been in love with the look of Cannondale's Super V series of Full Suspension Bikes. I can remember test riding them in 1995 and wondering if I could ever afford such a nice ride. I've always loved the idea of a chance to own one..

So tonight my Girlfriend bought me one I had spied out at a local Pawn Shop. Cost us $200 bucks. Needless to say it needs a fair bit of work and the paint is scratched and it's maybe a size too big but hey it's a Super V and I like it.

So I got it home today and I spent an hour taking the frame apart and taking all the old parts off. This will be sort of a project bike for me so everything on the drivetrain will probably be replaced as well as the brakes.

I am having some problems I would like to ask advice about.

Some of the problems are:

Bottom bracket. Can't seem to break that thing loose. In the process of trying to take the non-drive side out I broke half of the threads that the BB tool fits into. I've taken out many a BB and I've never had this problem. Should I use some Liquid Wrench or just let the boys at the shop deal with it?

Head Shok. I know how to install or take the fork off the bike however I would love to know how to overhaul the internals. Lets just say it needs work. Hope I don't have to send it to the boys at Cannondale.

Anyhow I'll post more problems if I have any. Thanks.

 

[damion]

BB issues.

Hi everyone.

For as long as I can remember I have been in love with the look of Cannondale's Super V series of Full Suspension Bikes. I can remember test riding them in 1995 and wondering if I could ever afford such a nice ride. I've always loved the idea of a chance to own one..

So tonight my Girlfriend bought me one I had spied out at a local Pawn Shop. Cost us $200 bucks. Needless to say it needs a fair bit of work and the paint is scratched and it's maybe a size too big but hey it's a Super V and I like it.

So I got it home today and I spent an hour taking the frame apart and taking all the old parts off. This will be sort of a project bike for me so everything on the drivetrain will probably be replaced as well as the brakes.

I am having some problems I would like to ask advice about.

Some of the problems are:

Bottom bracket. Can't seem to break that thing loose. In the process of trying to take the non-drive side out I broke half of the threads that the BB tool fits into. I've taken out many a BB and I've never had this problem. Should I use some Liquid Wrench or just let the boys at the shop deal with it?

Head Shok. I know how to install or take the fork off the bike however I would love to know how to overhaul the internals. Lets just say it needs work. Hope I don't have to send it to the boys at Cannondale.

Anyhow I'll post more problems if I have any. Thanks.

What model is the fork?

Let a good shop deal with the BB. YOu can try dripping liqwuid wrench on the threads prior to going to the shop to be helpful.

 

[Kona0197]

All the fork says is "Fatty"

 

[MendonCycleSmith]

All the fork says is "Fatty"

There is a lengthy thread within the last month from Nigeyy, "Super Fatty headshock assembly, disassembly........". I just checked, it's still on the first page here, it's well documented, with pics. that's a great start, if it doesn't look easy from that, don't make your life hell, just take it to a dealer that can competently do the work. At the high end, with a bunch of parts, assuming the cartridge is okay, it would run you around $85 to $100. Pull the boot down, do the flat silver races look clean and silver, or are they all pocked with rust and crap? If they are nasty, don't even bother, as you will spend more time and frustration getting parts, and many shops won't even sell them to you, either cause they can't get them or don't want to sell them, or want to make sure you don't hurt yourself. Be advised, the races in need of replacement are measured in thousandths (thickness) and come in many lengths, so this will be a real undertaking if it's a worst case scenario, which I can safely assume a crackhead discount, pawn shop Cannondale will be. Good luck, let me know if you need more info. Best way to help yourself is if you can post a pic or two, makes determining models much easier.

 

[Structure]

Post a pic

As Mendon said, post a pic. Once you get the exact year figured out, you will get a lot more help about how to fix it up, and how much is even worth fixing up. Different year Super Vs have very different potential.

 

[Kona0197]

Here are some pics. Yep it's got some scratches but nothing to bad. And yeah there is rust on the races but very little. Please advise. Thanks.

 

[Structure]

Nice enough looking frame

Looks like maybe a '97 because the rear triangle still has the cantilever mount. Maybe someone else will know for sure though. The Active 80 with a coil Vanilla is a decent setup for the back. I had the same on my '97. You can increase the travel with a slightly longer stroke shock, but honestly I'd leave the back as it is.

The front is the place to invest. Cane Creek Double Xc reducer headset for Cannondale (try ebay) and a new 4" travel fork. This will slacken the head angle a bit, but it will still ride nice (they were too fast IMO to begin with). You will also then have Disc brake mounts for the front if you ever chose to go that route. You can then sell your headshock on Ebay for about the price of the new reducer headset. Anyhow, that's what I'd do.

Also check out the thread below on Super Vs. Lots of folks on there have tricked theirs out.

 

[cruso414]

It looks like a 97 or 98 super v 1000

that fork didn't come on the bike though. It probably came with a DD60 that was black. You can probably find an alps 4 on ebay for pretty cheap. I have always had a soft spot for the super v bikes too. I always thought they rode really well and are pretty bombproof. Most of all, enjoy the bike.

 

[bpnic]

BB threads...

Aren't they reversed on one side.? I can't remember.

 

[cruso414]

this may be a stupid question but

Here are some pics. Yep it's got some scratches but nothing to bad. And yeah there is rust on the races but very little. Please advise. Thanks.

is that a hole in the downtube?

 

[Kona0197]

No hole. That's the brake stop for the rear brake cable housing and it's really dirty.

 

[MendonCycleSmith]

Here are some pics. Yep it's got some scratches but nothing to bad. And yeah there is rust on the races but very little. Please advise. Thanks.

Looks like a newer fork on an older bike, odd, but whatever. Better for you in many ways. It's a Fatty (duh) with 80mm of travel. Should be a lockout on it, and yeah it's all nasty in there. You will need a 75-100% replacement, worth doing though, it will ride great once done. Let me know if you need more info!

 

[cruso414]

I found this on ebay and it would be a great upgrade if

it doesn't go very high. It was the shock that I had on my super v and always thought it was a great feeling shock. Good luck, maybe you can pick it up cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/FOX-ALPS-5-for-...ryZ42317QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

it would help if I would remember to post the link to what I was talking about.

 

[Kona0197]

Updates:

Bottom Bracket: LBS pulled it out using a smaller BB tool and a cheater bar. I replaced the old BB with a new Shimano BB. Smooth as butter now.

Headshok: Took it to a Cannondale dealer. Should be all rebuilt will a stiffer spring, new races (Or cleaned up old ones), new top cap (screw was stripped), and a new boot. Costing me around $30 bucks. So we will see how everything turns out.

 

[Kona0197]

Anyone know where I can find a how to on putting the swingarm back on? Think I'm missing something with the assembly.

 

[MendonCycleSmith]

Anyone know where I can find a how to on putting the swingarm back on? Think I'm missing something with the assembly.

I am going to assume that you have the large pivot bolt itself, and the bearings? This, being installed you now have slop? If this is the case there are some silver spacers that go inside the swingarm, between the bearings and the frame mount point. Your dealer sound very reasonable, ask them, if they don't have them, it should be no problem to get them from Cannondale, if I'm wrong, contact me, I have them.

 

[Kona0197]

Well I found the spacers and put them in their proper place so no more slop. Today I got the fork back and it's in great shape. I also got a new boot put on the fork.

I spend last night overhauling the rear Shimano STX derailluer. Regreased and clean so it should hold up. I also cleaned the front derailluer.

Today I got new shifters, brakes and grips so I'll finish the project soon.

 

[Nigeyy]

Wow!!! $30 for cleaning and rebuilding a Headshok is definitely a bargain compared to what my local Cannondale dealer wanted to charge. I would have put mine in to the shop for that price (though I would have missed the satisfaction in getting it done myself). Good going and good luck with the rebuild, hope you enjoy your ride.

Updates:

Bottom Bracket: LBS pulled it out using a smaller BB tool and a cheater bar. I replaced the old BB with a new Shimano BB. Smooth as butter now.

Headshok: Took it to a Cannondale dealer. Should be all rebuilt will a stiffer spring, new races (Or cleaned up old ones), new top cap (screw was stripped), and a new boot. Costing me around $30 bucks. So we will see how everything turns out.

 

[Kona0197]

Well I finished the build this afternoon. Here is the list of parts on the bike now:

Fork: Head Shok Fatty (Rebuilt to offer the full 80 mm of travel)
Shock: Fox Vanilla
Shifters: Shimano Alivio Rapid-Fire 7 speed (New)
Brakes: Promax V-Brakes (New)
Brake Levers: Promax (New)
Front Derailluer: Shimano
Rear Derailluer: Shimano STX (Rebuilt and overhauled)
Crank: Sugino (Overhauled)
Bottom Bracket: Shimano (New)
Grips: Schwinn (New)
Handlebar: Coda - 2.5 inch rise
Stem: Coda
Seatpost: Coda
Saddle: Not sure - but I need a new one!
Rims: Hoopster Double Wall - black
Hubs: Generic

I took the bike out for a first ride tonight. Actually I took the bike to work instead of the car. rest assured I used plenty of locks on the bike while I was working. Anyhow I love the bike of the bike. Very plush. Of course I could use a stiffer spring in the rear and a shorter stem but other than that I love the ride. Quite different than my Hardtail. Of course every new ride has it's little share of problems. Although most are easy to cure here are a few of mine.

Problems I'm having:

Rear shock makes a funny squeak when compressing. It almost sounds as if the shaft has no lubricant. Any advice on this would be great. Can I simply use a drop or two of tri-flow on the shaft?

Crank is making a funny noise when I'm putting power down on the drive side. It's not quite a grinding noise but damn near. I can't tell if the noise is coming from the BB, Pedal or chain. Advice on this would be great as well.

The frame shock mounts look a bit to the non-drive side by about 1/4th an inch. Can I simply ben these back into place?

I'll post pictures tommorrow. Thanks everyone.

 

[damion]

Well,

Well I finished the build this afternoon. Here is the list of parts on the bike now:

Fork: Head Shok Fatty (Rebuilt to offer the full 80 mm of travel)
Shock: Fox Vanilla
Shifters: Shimano Alivio Rapid-Fire 7 speed (New)
Brakes: Promax V-Brakes (New)
Brake Levers: Promax (New)
Front Derailluer: Shimano
Rear Derailluer: Shimano STX (Rebuilt and overhauled)
Crank: Sugino (Overhauled)
Bottom Bracket: Shimano (New)
Grips: Schwinn (New)
Handlebar: Coda - 2.5 inch rise
Stem: Coda
Seatpost: Coda
Saddle: Not sure - but I need a new one!
Rims: Hoopster Double Wall - black
Hubs: Generic

I took the bike out for a first ride tonight. Actually I took the bike to work instead of the car. rest assured I used plenty of locks on the bike while I was working. Anyhow I love the bike of the bike. Very plush. Of course I could use a stiffer spring in the rear and a shorter stem but other than that I love the ride. Quite different than my Hardtail. Of course every new ride has it's little share of problems. Although most are easy to cure here are a few of mine.

Problems I'm having:

Rear shock makes a funny squeak when compressing. It almost sounds as if the shaft has no lubricant. Any advice on this would be great. Can I simply use a drop or two of tri-flow on the shaft?

Crank is making a funny noise when I'm putting power down on the drive side. It's not quite a grinding noise but damn near. I can't tell if the noise is coming from the BB, Pedal or chain. Advice on this would be great as well.

The frame shock mounts look a bit to the non-drive side by about 1/4th an inch. Can I simply ben these back into place?

I'll post pictures tommorrow. Thanks everyone.

Glad to hear it is running. THe shock is due for a rebuild. try www.hippiesuspension.com and see if Gerry V. can help out with that model. If so, do it. Contact info:
Hippie-Tech Suspension*206 E. 37th St. Suite 6 *Garden City, ID. 83714*
(208)724-8949
Call them and ask if they can service your shock.

Check your front der. position, relative to the chainrings.

Bending the shock mounts is risky. Doing that will weaken the area.