What you need:
1: 5th element/Swinger
2: Manitou metal monotube donor shock
3: 1L of 5wt suspension fluid
4: Basic tools (shifting spanner, allen keys
5: See through bag an some zipties/rubber bands
6: Six pack 'o your finest
Method:
-Dissemble both damper units (your 5th/Swinger + your donor Metal)
-Remove SPV piston off 5th element shaft with spanner. It is recommended you use the Manitou Metal chromed shaft in the new frankenshock (as it dramatically reduces stiction compared to a 5th nitride shaft) but if you're an amateur, you might want to do one thing at a time.
-All threads are standard direction. It may be difficult to remove the SPV piston from your 5th, so its recommended you stick the shaft in a vice with soft jaws (if you plan to re-use that shaft).
-Remove the shim-stack-type piston from the Metal. Screw it onto your 5th shaft. If you are using the chromed metal shaft, you can ignore this step.
-Remove the lower eyelet from both lower shafts (5th and metal). These are often sticky and tricky. Make sure you don't use pliers on the shaft, it will gouge and fvck up future sealing.
-If you are switching damper shafts, remove both lower damper seals (the whjole aluminium part that screws into the shock body) and re-use the standard 5th lower seal unit. If you are re-using the 5th shaft, this seal can obviously remain on the stock nitride shaft. Otherwise, take the 5th lower seal and fit it to your chromed manitou shaft.
-Refit lower 5th eyelet to whichever shaft you are using (5th or manitou)
-Get a see-thru bag and cut the two lower corners off. Fit these two small holes over your shock body - one for the reservoir, one for the main body. Fit rubber bands or zippy ties tightly over the plastic bag, sealing it tightly around its relevant tube
- Fill the plastic bag with oil. It will run into the tubes of the damper, as you have basically created a floppy, double spouted funnel.
-Cycle the damper shaft in the tube. The removes air.
- With the damper piston sitting at the top of its stroke, but without the oil seal screwed in, and making sure there is sufficient oil (around 2-3cm deep) covering the reservoir hole, insert the internal floating piston such that no air is trapped in the recess of the underside. Push the IFP down the tube until it stops on the bottom of the reservoir. It should take force to get the IFP down, as there is oil being cycled through the little tubes connecting the main body to the Resi. This will push out excess air.
-Screw the lower seal into the main body (your damper shaft should be fully extended, or 'topped out' against the seal unit as it would be at full extension. If you have bottomed the IFP in the resi with the piston halfway down the main tube, pull it out, let oil run in, and make sure it is bottomed against the lower seal unit when you screw it in next time.
-Rebuilding the shock must occur with BOTH tubes covered sufficiently deep in your oil bath. If yiou insert the pistons without oil covering the tops of the main body tubes, you will push air into the system.
Stick it on the bike and ride.
The ride: Pretty much as plush as a DHX. I took a few compression shims out of my damper. Seems to bottom out more easily now, thats probably a result of not having as much damping from the SPV piston. I just bumped up air pressure and HSC to counteract this.
Huge improvement though - you won't know its a 5th after this mod.
Feel free to ask any questions on the process. Pictures of dissembled dampers are provided below. I haven't been able to take pictures of the whole porcess though, my hands were oily.
As you can see in the pics, I had to grind wrench flats in the nitride shaft to remove it from the 5th eyelet I wanted to use on the chrome shaft. This shoud be a last resort, and obviously you need to make every effort not to scratch or gouge in any way the damper shaft you plan on using. Block of wood drilled with the appropriate size hole, then split in half, provide excellent block to clamp the shaft in when clamped in a vice. You can get plenty of friction without hurting the shaft. Rubber tube can be clamped between the wood and shaft if you're still getting slippage.
1: 5th element/Swinger
2: Manitou metal monotube donor shock
3: 1L of 5wt suspension fluid
4: Basic tools (shifting spanner, allen keys
5: See through bag an some zipties/rubber bands
6: Six pack 'o your finest
Method:
-Dissemble both damper units (your 5th/Swinger + your donor Metal)
-Remove SPV piston off 5th element shaft with spanner. It is recommended you use the Manitou Metal chromed shaft in the new frankenshock (as it dramatically reduces stiction compared to a 5th nitride shaft) but if you're an amateur, you might want to do one thing at a time.
-All threads are standard direction. It may be difficult to remove the SPV piston from your 5th, so its recommended you stick the shaft in a vice with soft jaws (if you plan to re-use that shaft).
-Remove the shim-stack-type piston from the Metal. Screw it onto your 5th shaft. If you are using the chromed metal shaft, you can ignore this step.
-Remove the lower eyelet from both lower shafts (5th and metal). These are often sticky and tricky. Make sure you don't use pliers on the shaft, it will gouge and fvck up future sealing.
-If you are switching damper shafts, remove both lower damper seals (the whjole aluminium part that screws into the shock body) and re-use the standard 5th lower seal unit. If you are re-using the 5th shaft, this seal can obviously remain on the stock nitride shaft. Otherwise, take the 5th lower seal and fit it to your chromed manitou shaft.
-Refit lower 5th eyelet to whichever shaft you are using (5th or manitou)
-Get a see-thru bag and cut the two lower corners off. Fit these two small holes over your shock body - one for the reservoir, one for the main body. Fit rubber bands or zippy ties tightly over the plastic bag, sealing it tightly around its relevant tube
- Fill the plastic bag with oil. It will run into the tubes of the damper, as you have basically created a floppy, double spouted funnel.
-Cycle the damper shaft in the tube. The removes air.
- With the damper piston sitting at the top of its stroke, but without the oil seal screwed in, and making sure there is sufficient oil (around 2-3cm deep) covering the reservoir hole, insert the internal floating piston such that no air is trapped in the recess of the underside. Push the IFP down the tube until it stops on the bottom of the reservoir. It should take force to get the IFP down, as there is oil being cycled through the little tubes connecting the main body to the Resi. This will push out excess air.
-Screw the lower seal into the main body (your damper shaft should be fully extended, or 'topped out' against the seal unit as it would be at full extension. If you have bottomed the IFP in the resi with the piston halfway down the main tube, pull it out, let oil run in, and make sure it is bottomed against the lower seal unit when you screw it in next time.
-Rebuilding the shock must occur with BOTH tubes covered sufficiently deep in your oil bath. If yiou insert the pistons without oil covering the tops of the main body tubes, you will push air into the system.
Stick it on the bike and ride.
The ride: Pretty much as plush as a DHX. I took a few compression shims out of my damper. Seems to bottom out more easily now, thats probably a result of not having as much damping from the SPV piston. I just bumped up air pressure and HSC to counteract this.
Huge improvement though - you won't know its a 5th after this mod.
Feel free to ask any questions on the process. Pictures of dissembled dampers are provided below. I haven't been able to take pictures of the whole porcess though, my hands were oily.
As you can see in the pics, I had to grind wrench flats in the nitride shaft to remove it from the 5th eyelet I wanted to use on the chrome shaft. This shoud be a last resort, and obviously you need to make every effort not to scratch or gouge in any way the damper shaft you plan on using. Block of wood drilled with the appropriate size hole, then split in half, provide excellent block to clamp the shaft in when clamped in a vice. You can get plenty of friction without hurting the shaft. Rubber tube can be clamped between the wood and shaft if you're still getting slippage.
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