Confessions from the fuckwits

Paulie_AU

Likes Dirt
Had a spare fork...a new Fox 38...didn't really love it so figured fitting a Smashpot would be a great idea as I had a few springs lying around that would suit from previous builds with Vorsprung. Built it up with a 50lb spring at 170mm travel and put it on the Titan for a ride.
First impressions were the usual small chatter delete but the mid stroke felt super stout and on a longer run I got hand pain and I had only used about 70% travel...I was like WTF.

I figured I was getting old and less aggressive and needed a softer spring and blamed the damper on the harshness...stupid Fox.

I found a 45lb spring on ebay...bought it.

Pulled the damper and sent it to Shockcraft to try his unharsh tune (I've been curious about Dougal's work for a while anyway).

Last night I thought I would be pro-active and pull the spring in preparation for the lighter one turning up. Long story short...that fucking spring was not coming out.

With the 38 fork a clear plastic sleeve is inserted into the stanchion and then the spring/smashpot assembly slide inside of this. I had reused a spring that had previously been in a Fox 36 so this meant it has two layers of heat shrink on it to help reduce noise. This extra heat shrink had created enough of an increase in outside diameter that when the fork was assembled and ridden the bond between the spring/heat shrink/plastic sleeve/stanchion wall had become one and no amount of pulling was going to break it free. I ended up with the CSU removed with the spring still in there, clamping a spring end in a vice and having to unscrew the CSU from the spring.

The binding spring explains the mid stroke stoutness, the harshness and why I wasn't using the travel appropriately so I probably didn't need a softer spring or a goddam damper tune.
Reading this I was thinking why not ride at a gutter with top cap removed..... then realise maybe dampner off for rebuild so fork no ride. So no spring shooty outty.
 

treble

Likes Dirt
After living with poor GX Eagle shifting for years I decided to drop back to 11sp shimano and fiddle with ratios to try and achieve a similar gear range.

I thought I would try one of the 9-42 ZTTO cassettes @moorey has been having luck with, drop the front chainring a size, change to a shimano 11spd mech and shifter. Easy, I thought.
I picked up an XT M8000 shifter and decided to try and save a few dollars and run a Deore M5100 mech - Bad idea. After trying to set the derailleur up on and off for the last three weeks, checking and re-checking chain lengths, truing hangers, re-mounting cassettes and starting to lose my mind. I realised (after pleading with Moorey for help) that the 5100 mech is designed to run with a 51 tooth cassette and doesn't have the B-gap adjustment range to work with smaller cassettes. I couldn't adjust the guide wheel in close enough to to work properly. A problem that was immediately solved when I bought and installed an XT M8000 middy derailleur.

Sharing this experience for anyone else wanting to use a M5100 mech, they are built to work with a Larger cassette and do not have the B-gap range for smaller. See the pics below

- M5100 B-gap at absolute minimum (screw all the way out)

378519



- M8000 Mech with quickly adjusted b-gap (somewhere around middle)

378518
 

moorey

call me Mia
After living with poor GX Eagle shifting for years I decided to drop back to 11sp shimano and fiddle with ratios to try and achieve a similar gear range.

I thought I would try one of the 9-42 ZTTO cassettes @moorey has been having luck with, drop the front chainring a size, change to a shimano 11spd mech and shifter. Easy, I thought.
I picked up an XT M8000 shifter and decided to try and save a few dollars and run a Deore M5100 mech - Bad idea. After trying to set the derailleur up on and off for the last three weeks, checking and re-checking chain lengths, truing hangers, re-mounting cassettes and starting to lose my mind. I realised (after pleading with Moorey for help) that the 5100 mech is designed to run with a 51 tooth cassette and doesn't have the B-gap adjustment range to work with smaller cassettes. I couldn't adjust the guide wheel in close enough to to work properly. A problem that was immediately solved when I bought and installed an XT M8000 middy derailleur.

Sharing this experience for anyone else wanting to use a M5100 mech, they are built to work with a Larger cassette and do not have the B-gap range for smaller. See the pics below

- M5100 B-gap at absolute minimum (screw all the way out)

View attachment 378519


- M8000 Mech with quickly adjusted b-gap (somewhere around middle)

View attachment 378518
I will join you here over the weekend when I attempt the exact same thing, and fail dismally.
 

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
After living with poor GX Eagle shifting for years I decided to drop back to 11sp shimano and fiddle with ratios to try and achieve a similar gear range.

I thought I would try one of the 9-42 ZTTO cassettes @moorey has been having luck with, drop the front chainring a size, change to a shimano 11spd mech and shifter. Easy, I thought.
I picked up an XT M8000 shifter and decided to try and save a few dollars and run a Deore M5100 mech - Bad idea. After trying to set the derailleur up on and off for the last three weeks, checking and re-checking chain lengths, truing hangers, re-mounting cassettes and starting to lose my mind. I realised (after pleading with Moorey for help) that the 5100 mech is designed to run with a 51 tooth cassette and doesn't have the B-gap adjustment range to work with smaller cassettes. I couldn't adjust the guide wheel in close enough to to work properly. A problem that was immediately solved when I bought and installed an XT M8000 middy derailleur.

Sharing this experience for anyone else wanting to use a M5100 mech, they are built to work with a Larger cassette and do not have the B-gap range for smaller. See the pics below

- M5100 B-gap at absolute minimum (screw all the way out)

View attachment 378519


- M8000 Mech with quickly adjusted b-gap (somewhere around middle)

View attachment 378518
How's the cassette?
 

hellmansam

Likes Bikes and Dirt
So I was cursing the fussiness of 12spd while riding my brand spanking new Ripmo AF (that I just built) on the downhill run to the carpark. Was fine on the outward bound leg but in the higher gears it was having trouble. Whilst looking at the B screw I noticed a thin spacer in the high end of the cassette had been incorrectly placed, buggering up the spacing around the 8th and 10th cogs. That'll farking do it !
As I don't have a chain whip at home, it has to wait until tomorrow when I can go and sort it out at the shop.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
So I was cursing the fussiness of 12spd while riding my brand spanking new Ripmo AF (that I just built) on the downhill run to the carpark. Was fine on the outward bound leg but in the higher gears it was having trouble. Whilst looking at the B screw I noticed a thin spacer in the high end of the cassette had been incorrectly placed, buggering up the spacing around the 8th and 10th cogs. That'll farking do it !
As I don't have a chain whip at home, it has to wait until tomorrow when I can go and sort it out at the shop.
How did you build the bike without a chain whip?
 

moorey

call me Mia
So many things I dislike about internal routing:
-some bikes are a nightmare to get cable through unless they have the tubes running through.
-most are rattly, unless as above.
-sometimes they force you to run the cables the side of the head tube you don’t want…because designed for backwards brakes, and as above.
-you have to cut brake lines for rear, then fit new olive and barb. Losing 15mm each time isn’t much, but do it a few times and it adds up….or subtracts

Working on Crafty today.
1: not too bad. The removable plates allow better access.
2: can’t report on that yet.
  1. Kinda. Got brakes how I want, but it leaves a messy dropper routing unless I run brake lines other sides.
  2. Brake off Rune was pretty much ideal length. Snipped off old olive and barb, ran hose through, refitted new ones, dusted off hands and patted myself on the back that it’s just long enough still.

Wait…what’s that! Routing hole cover! Gaping hole in frame! CUSS IT!! Hose has to run through it.

Cut hose, unroute, fit cover with hose running through. Re-route, new olive and barb. Still just long enough, but that 3cm (4.5cm if I have to un-route it, will come back to haunt me later.
378590
378591
 

SummitFever

Eats Squid
So many things I dislike about internal routing:
-some bikes are a nightmare to get cable through unless they have the tubes running through.
-most are rattly, unless as above.
-sometimes they force you to run the cables the side of the head tube you don’t want…because designed for backwards brakes, and as above.
-you have to cut brake lines for rear, then fit new olive and barb. Losing 15mm each time isn’t much, but do it a few times and it adds up….or subtracts

Working on Crafty today.
1: not too bad. The removable plates allow better access.
2: can’t report on that yet.
  1. Kinda. Got brakes how I want, but it leaves a messy dropper routing unless I run brake lines other sides.
  2. Brake off Rune was pretty much ideal length. Snipped off old olive and barb, ran hose through, refitted new ones, dusted off hands and patted myself on the back that it’s just long enough still.
Wait…what’s that! Routing hole cover! Gaping hole in frame! CUSS IT!! Hose has to run through it.

Cut hose, unroute, fit cover with hose running through. Re-route, new olive and barb. Still just long enough, but that 3cm (4.5cm if I have to un-route it, will come back to haunt me later.View attachment 378590View attachment 378591
Is that the right bolt for the upper shock mount or is not fully screwed in? Looks like it could do with a bit more thread engagement just to be on the safe side.
 

moorey

call me Mia
Is that the right bolt for the upper shock mount or is not fully screwed in? Looks like it could do with a bit more thread engagement just to be on the safe side.
I believe it’s the right one. 20mm or so of thread, it’s sitting about 3mm in. I’ll look into it, but it’s chunky AF. Cheers for the eagle eyes.
 
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