i took off a couple of red bands from my monarch plus rear shock. just removed the lower bolt and dropped the air sleeve. i noticed the shock moved stiffly as it is held by the upper bolt. i guess i thought that the shock was in their snug, but that it rotated with little friction between the top and bottom mounts. not really the case. i would even think that it would contribute to stiction and reduce shock small bump sensitivity. is this normal? it is quite new, only a few weeks old but with a fair amount of riding.
shock mounting friction
maybe this is what you're after?
I usually ream out my shock bushings with a 1/2" drill bit by hand to get a good fit without too much stiction.
You're right about the stiction part but it's relative to the amount of rotation the eyelet sees. High rotation eyelets benefit more than low rotation eyelets.
Look at Trek and Giant bikes that have integrated bearings in the links where the shock mounts and rotates the most.
maybe this is what you're after?
thanks mate.
The lighter the rider, the more static friction and stiction matters.
Specialized haven't used DU's on the shocks link end for years.
"I do like how you generally bring an open-minded and positive vibe to the threads you participate in"
- Morgman
I've been using those needle bearing kits for the past 3 seasons. My shock has a lot of relative movement in the frame and these really free the mounting points up. So much that I had to slow my rebound damping down a click or two. I'm finally getting around to replacing the bearings after all this time, as they last a long time. Very good sealing!
The lighter the rider, the more static friction and stiction matters.
Specialized haven't used DU's on the shocks link end for years.
Sweet. One area where being a fatass has a benefit.
i asked a couple bike mechanix and the mechanic at Transition bikes for their opinions. essentially it went like this- once on the bike the leverage on the shock pivots is massive, and the slippery surfaces of the bushings as they are moving is very low during a ride. they are also more durable and less prone to contamination than needle bearings. in other words, they see no real benefit to needle bearings in actual use, and that's why it is uncommon on the bikes. hm.
i asked a couple bike mechanix and the mechanic at Transition bikes for their opinions. essentially it went like this- once on the bike the leverage on the shock pivots is massive, and the slippery surfaces of the bushings as they are moving is very low during a ride. they are also more durable and less prone to contamination than needle bearings. in other words, they see no real benefit to needle bearings in actual use, and that's why it is uncommon on the bikes. hm.
That's kind of horseshit for them to say that to be honest. In my experience, DU bushings, reducers, and anything that doesn't freely rotate will wear out far more frequently than a sealed bearing. Just my own anecdotal evidence, I put 3 years on eyelet needle bearings, whereas a typical DU bushing would last me a month tops. That's not really bike dependent either. In fact the sealing on the RWC kits is so good that I can go several weeks without maintenance and when I finally take it apart, the grease is still good.
Look no further than a dirtbike. Needle bearings on all contact points. Generally terrible sealing, but still lasts a long time if maintained. They don't mess around with archaic bushings, but for some reason mountain bike companies still do. Anything that frees up the suspension to work freely from the frame is good.
Many mechanics don't have much experience with needle bearings. When they do, its almost always on a bike that uses them in the swingarm, owned by someone who doesn't maintain them. That's the thing with needle bearings, they have to be maintained. If you do maintain them, they will last a long time. Take their advice with a grain of salt.
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