Show us yer FSR's

[lowslowandold]

Re:

Just tighten until it feels ok, I tightend it and i felt it was too tight, so backed of the nuts until it moved freely and had no play, assembled with ptfe grease, and has been fine, also replacing all nyloc nuts and has been fine with some tough downhill bits

My next one I will be replacing it all with proper bearings

 

[Giggity]

Not to be argumentative but, when you get bearings in your next one, are you also going to "tighten until it feels ok"? I do not believe you understand the design principles at work here. What you are describing, "tighten until it feels ok" would be if the rear assembly rotated around the bolts and not in the bushings.

 

[lowslowandold]

Re:

Yes it's amazing what you can achieve by tightening by feel, Specialized don't or won't give me the torque setting for the linkages) as for bearing I will be using BETD linkage kits so they may come with some more technical specification

You can be as argumentative as you want but my bike handles great has survived many steep down hill routes and behaves brilliantly with no noises and even when stripped down again no wear on the bushes or centre sleeves

I hope you find your answer

 

[Giggity]

Would anyone that understands the design philosophy behind the rear end assembly care to chime in?

 

[Giggity]

Thinking about it some more............My theory is that the plastic bushings shrink over time (years) and get tighter around the anodized spacers inside. Once this happens, they get tight and the only way to loosen them up is by "feel". Meaning, the anodized spacers no longer rotate inside the bushings but rather, are frozen in the bushings and the rotation is now around the bolt that threads into the anodized spacer and "feel" is needed to take out the inherent slop in a design that is no longer working properly.

Which leaves me with two choices.....

1) I machine new bushings from brass
2) I get bearings and machine new spacers that fit them.

 

[Giggity]

Came up with a solution. It involves my lathe, 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper, a master cylinder hone and LEE case resizing lube. The rear suspension assembly will slowly fall under it's own weight, without the rear wheel attached, and has no slop. No "feel" involved.

 

[S-M]

Re:

Just fit new bearings, its cheap and easy and transforms the bike IMHO.

 

[Giggity]

Re:

When the bushings wear out and get sloppy, that's exactly what I will do.

 

[lowslowandold]

IM about to start converting my frame to proper bearings, the first will be a bit agricultural to start with to see how it goes

 

[twain]

Re:

Just received my top of seat stay and shock linkage bearings. Hopefully upgrading them this weekend. All that's left is to sort out washers for my main pivot bearings and then I can start putting it all back together. Only taken 2 years.