SHOCK alternative maybe

[CATSLEDMAN1]

Pictures is a shock that I am going to try on the bike. I have built several and still looking for something for less than 1k.

So this project is not complicated but its not plug and play, you need to fab or scrounge a little.

Buy the air shock from AIRBAGIT.COM . oem MFG of air bags for pickups to bikes.

They make air bag shocks for road bikes, maybe some other model would work better than this one but for $ 115 delivered to your door its something to play with and maybe a good alternative for a 1/10th the price.

I ordered mine without top shock eye. I made the one shown out of 1" x 1" ID tubing, welded on a 14mm x 1.25 nut. For my homemade kit I need a 14.750 strut length. So my hope is to have 1/2" of adjustment here. The bottom eye as delivered was too big, I pressed in rubbber shock bushing I machined to fit ( polyurethane hose cut to fit will work also ) .

I will down the road fit this with a ft of hose for the air, and have a schrader valve easy access. For now a 3/8 flare MALE PLUG is the thread but no sealing surface, so I epoxyed it in and tapped the flare fitting for an 1/8" pipe schrader valve from ace hdw.

So 8 strokes on a little cheesy bicycle pump makes this pretty stiff, about the range I need. The AIRBAGIT web site says this is tested to 400PSI, so totally ridgid in the powder is possible.

It might be a week or so before I test this so I thought some one else might want to give this concept a try, cheap experiment..........maybe.

So maybe something to think about, long winter evenings and not much happening on the forum, so post it up.......... one of my snow bike projects that hasen't gone totally backwards yet.

NO I am not going to sell kits, YOU ON YOUR OWN.

 

[Corban_White]

I put a shock on mine over the summer. I used a fox float off of the rear of a M8. It is 16" ETE and I needed 13.5 so my wife sewed up a limiter strap. Then I put gear oil in the air chamber to adjust where the bottom out stop was. It has been working VERY well. I'm only into it about $200 (shock used off ebay, oilite (for the frame reducers), nylon strap and steel ends from McMaster Carr). Loving it and the price was right.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

air bag suspension

got out and rode my air bag suspension 3rd shock system.

1. I didn't like the installation as I had to

a. ditch my stock wr air box and go to the tube and screen setup..........and somewhat upset my lectron jetting, had to enrichen the bottom and lean the top, well and I made some muffler mods that didn't help the jetting either.

b had to make a limiter strap and very little room to get it by the pipe and miss the bigger shock bag

c. don't like not having a good positive adjustable down stroke stop /l bottoming.

2. upside is the cushy ride and bump handling was way better than I thought it would be.'



So.... I'm ditching the whole thing and the air bag shock is going on my CAT ATV.

I am going with the post about using a Float shock. I have the remains of several Yamaha floats from shocking building and repair.
So I will put togehter a float, spacers in the shock so no limiter strap is necessary and build to my length of 14.7 ", and I will put spacers and bumpers on the shaft so I have a positive / limited travel and cushy bottoming. And then go back to my Yamaha air box.