Piggy Back Shocks (Ohlins Style)

[makenzie71]

Just some stuff to keep in mind about the chinese shocks:

http://duncandesignsstudio.com/photoartclub/showoff/Shocksproject/shocksproject.html

Sorry some of the links and images are broken...I haven't updated the site in a while and need to remap most of my stuff.

 

[salty_monk]

Thanks for the link but that is a completely different shock so I'm not sure it's relevant here....

 

[makenzie71]

It comes from the same place, which has the same manufacturing processes. While I've only had the oportunity to break apart the shocks in the link, I have been able to at least look at many other varieties...including the ones you have...and I have similar concerns.

My research is just to show people what to look for...the biggest issues are always the lower mounts and spring seats. The best way to tell what you got is usually to remove the lower mount and look at the threads. For one thing, the threads need to look good...nice, sharp, and clean. Next, make sure the metal doesn't look porous through the thread cuttings.

I've found a lot of shocks that were just scary soft. You can take a kitchen knife and carve chunks off the metal like it's butter.

 

[salty_monk]

Good info thanks but these do not demonstrate the problems you're talking about

Saying it "comes from the same place" is also not a fair comment... That's like saying all American's wear cowboy hats (well they come from the same place )

I'll agree the Aluminium is probably an ungraded variety but the machining looks good is not porous or as soft as you suggest.

Dan

 

[makenzie71]

No I mean a little more specifically than the country. There's two companies that mass manufacture hydraulic shock absorbers across eight or nine facilities. They're kicking out droves of the things. All the facilities get their materials from the same place...and it's all recycled steel and aluminum. The problem isn't actually with the plants that machine and assemble the shocks...it's a problem with the material supplier. They have no set standards for production, which leads to tremendous inconsistencies.

I see it daily as one of the plants that produces shocks also produces our solar panels at work.

I'm not saying the shocks are bad. I'm saying taht are dangerous, and my site is intended to be used as a set of guidelines for choosing whether your own are safe or not. If yours do not have any of the poor traits I've covered, then you're likely in the clear...I just advise people to look very, very closely.

 

[Nessism]

No I mean a little more specifically than the country. There's two companies that mass manufacture hydraulic shock absorbers across eight or nine facilities. They're kicking out droves of the things. All the facilities get their materials from the same place...and it's all recycled steel and aluminum. The problem isn't actually with the plants that machine and assemble the shocks...it's a problem with the material supplier. They have no set standards for production, which leads to tremendous inconsistencies.

I see it daily as one of the plants that produces shocks also produces our solar panels at work.

I'm not saying the shocks are bad. I'm saying taht are dangerous, and my site is intended to be used as a set of guidelines for choosing whether your own are safe or not. If yours do not have any of the poor traits I've covered, then you're likely in the clear...I just advise people to look very, very closely.

Your broken clevis photos are not showing up, but I remember them from before. In my opinion the part broke in large part because the clevis was poorly designed; too thin in the critical area. Even if a higher grade aluminum was used it still may have broken.

 

[makenzie71]

There's a typo above...I mean to say that SOME are dangerous and that they need to be thoroughly inspected.

Nessism...that mount broke because the material was too light adn brittle, it wasn't machined with thick enough material, and the angles were not radiused properly...if a part were designed for teh purpose of rbeaking, it would have been designed in taht fashion.

I'm currently in the process of redoing the site...sopme of the pics may not work for a while.

 

[salty_monk]

These are actually quite a nice shock but I have also seen some quite awful ones.
I work with China for a living and have done so for about 10 years now so quite a lot of experience of how things...

 

[makenzie71]

Like I said...I wasn't trying to say your shocks are bad...I don't even want to say that all of ones like mine are bad...I just want to make sure that everyone who uses them thoroughly inspects them.

 

[salty_monk]

Yes, anyone should carefully inspect any parts for damage or weakness /problems before putting them on their bike.
Not just shocks or "chinese" parts either!

Dan

 

[posplayr]

Yes, anyone should carefully inspect any parts for damage or weakness /problems before putting them on their bike.
Not just shocks or "chinese" parts either!

Dan

I think in this particular case, it "should" go without saying that Dan DID inspected and even tested a pair of these shocks before ever offering them up for sale.

 

[salty_monk]

Thanks Jim... yes I actually ran a set for a 1,000 miles or so before letting anyone else loose on them. I wanted to make sure I wasn't selling anyone a lemon as I don't really know the provenance of them.

Ian has that same set now.

To be clear these are just a couple of sets I picked up & figured I'd pass on. Not something commercial.

Dan