Can anyone recommend a Shock Pump?

Quoted message said:

However, looking at different pumps available, they range from - 100psi or some go 0 - 300psi for
a little extra expense. As I may change my MTB in future and could possibly have different shocks,
is it advisable to get one that goes to 300psi just to be safe or does accuracy get compromised
with a higher gauge reading ability. Also are pumps universal fitting or can adapters be bought?

Someone has suggested to use Digital Pressure Tyre gauge in conjuncton with normal Schraeder hand
pump and connector - would anyone have any views on this method?

This is probably not a good idea if you have the push-on type of connector. Filling the guage with
air will decrease your overall pressure by a big amount. Unless you can screw on and screw off the
pump on the fork, all while holding the digital guage on the pump, then it's a bad idea. Plus, the
pumps with connectors usually have the quick-release type. The screw-on type are less common to hand
and floor pumps.

The amount of air in the forks also isn't a hard-and-fast rule. Playing with air pressures will get
you to your "sweet spot," and often you won't need an accurate guage or one at all.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

In "]news:[email hidden],
DC <DC> typed:

Quoted message said:

Hi I am wishing to buy a Shock pump for my Marzocchi Bomber forks which need between 30 - 40psi in
each shock leg correlated to rider's weight.

However, looking at different pumps available, they range from - 100psi or some go 0 - 300psi for
a little extra expense. As I may change my MTB in future and could possibly have different shocks,
is it advisable to get one that goes to 300psi just to be safe or does accuracy get compromised
with a higher gauge reading ability. Also are pumps universal fitting or can adapters be bought?

Get the 0-100psi gauge for the Marzocchi. A very small change in air pressure makes a huge
difference in the feel of the fork. You loose resolution on the gauge with a 300 psi pump. Buzzy's
Pollinator is a good pump for this job. ~$30US.

Quoted message said:

Someone has suggested to use Digital Pressure Tyre gauge in conjuncton with normal Schraeder hand
pump and connector - would anyone have any views on this method?

You need a screw on fitting. Also if any oil leaks back into the pump it might screw up a
digital gauge.

Quoted message said:

That said above, can anyone recommend the pump they use and why?

I use the Buzzy's with my Marzocchi Fork and have a Progressive 5th pump -300psi to use with my 5th
and Fox rear shocks.

Mike

One other observation; I don't know if they still supply it, but Trek made a neat guage block
adapter that had a bleeder valve screw which allowed overpumping and then bleeding back to a
specific pressure. It mounted directly to the air fitting on the top of the fork leg. I'd have liked
it a lot better if it had been fitted with a quick-relese, but a push-whiel-unscrewing technique
seems to work pretty well to keep disconnection air loss down.

--
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On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 23:30:26 -0500, "ZeeExSixAre"

may have said:

The amount of air in the forks also isn't a hard-and-fast rule. Playing with air pressures will get
you to your "sweet spot," and often you won't need an accurate guage or one at all.

If you want to have equal pressure in both legs, it's probably going to require a guage. Unequal
pressure stresses the bridge.

I've been mulling over the merits of building a permanently-mounted crossover setup that would allow
me to fill both legs from a single valve. It makes sense, but I have never seen one on a fork.

--
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DC said:

That said above, can anyone recommend the pump they use and why?

I have a Rockshox pump that does a fine job but it's rather large.

Has anyone seen a mini-pump for emergency use that works on front and rear shocks? I borrowed one
from a guy that was barely bigger than a pen but I didn't get the name of it. Rather like squeezing
farts from a mouse but it did work.

Werehatrack said:

ZeeExSixAre' may have said:

The amount of air in the forks also isn't a hard-and-fast rule. Playing with air pressures will
get you to your "sweet spot," and often you won't need an accurate guage or one at all.

If you want to have equal pressure in both legs, it's probably going to require a guage. Unequal
pressure stresses the bridge.

How would that explain shocks that only have as air chamber on one side?

Barry

Werehatrack said:

If you want to have equal pressure in both legs, it's probably going to require a guage. Unequal
pressure stresses the bridge.

I've been mulling over the merits of building a permanently-mounted crossover setup that
would allow me to fill both legs from a single valve. It makes sense, but I have never seen
one on a fork.

Perhaps an automotive air shock installation kit could supply the hardware and hose. The cheap
one with the trunk mounted schraeder fitting not the 12v compressor with the dash mounted
pressure gauge ;-)

Marcus

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 22:40:16 GMT, Marcus Coles <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Perhaps an automotive air shock installation kit could supply the hardware and hose. The cheap one
with the trunk mounted schraeder fitting not the 12v compressor with the dash mounted pressure
gauge ;-)

Thank you for the trip down memory lane: I had a beat-up 1987 Cadillac. Those came stock with air
shocks and a built-in, automated pump. The automatic system was, of course, non-functional. And, of
course, the car sagged as if I had dead bodies in the trunk.

So, I came up with the hose and schraeder fitting kit, and installed the fittings in the wheelwells
inside the trunk. Turned out the shocks didn't hold air. I put some fix-a-flat into the system and
proceeded to pump it up enough to level the car, using a gas station pump.

As I drove happily away from the gas station, on the way out of it's parking lot, there is (as at
all gas stations, seemingly) a steep drop from the gas station's pavement to the road. As I went
down this drop, I feel the rear of the car fall and I hear "splat". I look back, and the road is
covered in fix-a-flat.

I ended up shoving rubber "suspension helper" blocks in the rear springs, and using metal
"suspension helper" clamps on the fronts to level the car. The result was, surprisingly, a very well-
handling car.
--
Rick Onanian

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 19:19:45 GMT, B a r r y

may have said:

Werehatrack said:

ZeeExSixAre' may have said:

The amount of air in the forks also isn't a hard-and-fast rule. Playing with air pressures will
get you to your "sweet spot," and often you won't need an accurate guage or one at all.

If you want to have equal pressure in both legs, it's probably going to require a guage. Unequal
pressure stresses the bridge.

How would that explain shocks that only have as air chamber on one side?

Presumably, they've designed the bridge to stand the stresses. That doesn't make such a fork better
or worse, but where the two legs are both performing the same function, the brdge doesn't have as
much strain on it.

--
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Werehatrack said:

Presumably, they've designed the bridge to stand the stresses. That doesn't make such a fork better
or worse, but where the two legs are both performing the same function, the brdge doesn't have as
much strain on it.

Many of the one chamber forks I've seen use the same lower tubes and arch as dual chamber units of
the same brand. Next time you get the chance, hold a lower tube / arch assembly when it's off of the
rest of the fork, and check out how really stiff it is.

My point? I don't think unequal pressure is going to cause problems on a fork of decent quality.

Heck, forget the spring, some fork models have different dampening gear on different sides. In
use, this would provide the same stresses you're worried about. These stresses are in addition to
the side stresses provided by terrain and the rider changing the angle of the bike in relation to
the ground.

Barry