Black Hawk Down
Senior Rookie
I twisted this nut clockwise. I have no noise from the shock. My original shock from CruzBike did have lots of noise.
Replace Q45 Shock with Metal Bar
- Thread starter Black Hawk Down
- Start date
kizarmynot
Active Member
Thanks. I have a replacement shock too so hopefully it will work for me too.
Black Hawk Down
Senior Rookie
You have to play around with how much to adjust. I have a couple of hard bumps on my route that cause the spring to bottom out. I kept adjusting until it was no longer hitting bottom. Then I stiffened it up a little more. It still works as a shock, but only on hard bumps.
woodguy
Well-Known Member
I used Hard Maple, but only because that was what I had handy. I think Oak or Ash or Birch or Cherry or Walnut would all work fine. Not sure if Pine is strong enough.
Black Hawk Down
Senior Rookie
What would work better in the elements (rain, snow, sun, etc.)? Probably would seal the wood with something.
Ramnob42
New Member
White oak would probably work best because of the tannin in the wood fibers. Still would want to seal it.
woodguy
Well-Known Member
White Oak is one of the most rot resistant domestic woods, which would make it a great choice, but since the wood really isn’t in contact with the earth, lots of woods will work. Sealing is always a nice idea.
Elm or sycamore would resist splitting.
Black Hawk Down
Senior Rookie
I changed my mind again after loading up all my touring gear and took it for a ride. The shock bottomed out on the smalest of bumps. I tried to find a stronger shock but they don't exist. Mine's rated at 2000 lbs. So I went back to the idea of replacing the shock with a metal bar. I found a perfect fit on Amazon. It is a hexagonal aluminim bar 7/8 inch by 13 inches. I had to cut it to 8 inches in length and drilled two holes 165 mm apart to mount to the bike. Here's the amazon link:
Here it is mounted to the bike:
I took it for a spin and liked it a lot. I prefer it over a shock. I feel like I'm riding faster, but that may not be the case. At least it doesn't bottom out now. Also, the aluminum bar was 1 lb. lighter than the shock.
kizarmynot
Active Member
Thanks for the update. The bar is less expensive too. I’ll order mine today!
Black Hawk Down
Senior Rookie
A word of warning. If you don't have a drill press, it may be difficult to drill straight. Even a slight angle makes it impossible to attach to the bike as it will be slightly twisted. I had to open up the holes somewhat to have some play. Then everything worked fine.
kizarmynot
Active Member
Drilled/cut and installed the bar. Rode for a little over an hour (roads are not smooth) with no problems. I’m looking forward to getting out for longer rides in the near future.
Black Hawk Down
Senior Rookie
Great! I'm riding 70 miles every other day and it's doing well. I'm happy with the decision.
Bendy22
New Member
Just connected my Q45 to a JetBlack Victory trainer and the constant bouncing is a bit much. I'll play with the shock to see if I can't get it to a tolerable state, but I was thinking of replacing it with a metal bar as well while on the trainer. This is a great option and thanks for the engineering and specifics!
Black Hawk Down
Senior Rookie
Yes. I thought about this. I'm more concerned about my feet reaching the ground. I stand on tip toes at stop lights currently. I may experiment with a smaller bar to lower the height.
kizarmynot
Active Member
I kept the original 165 mm between mounting holes because I wanted the first change to be a small one (no shock). I'm reluctant to add more holes to the bar so may purchase another piece of bar stock in the future (inexpensive compared to a shock). Based on a trainer ride I'll also need to get a neck rest if I go any further back than my current position, so that's another thing to look into.
Scott Grissinger
New Member
I have the same air shock. I think it is maxed out at 200lbs/ 150lbs of air. It is fine with my 190 lb weight without gear. I added 26 lbs of gear and 5 lbs water, and it wants to bottom out when climbing. I guess the weight + the slope of the hill pushing center of gravity to the back wheel + my legs pushing back on the seat = too much pressure. Has anyone tried changing the shock angle? Looking for an option. Is there a coil shock that is super rigid with over 200 lb loads? I guess I would be willing to have the added weight if it held up better on trips and hills.
Scott Grissinger
New Member
How is the comfort level? I have a Thor seat with just the basic mesh pad. Thinking about a swappable soloution using the bar for road riding and a heavy coil shock for touring.
Scott Grissinger
New Member
Any concerns about the aluminum hole warbling over time, is there enough room to overfill and add a stainless sleeve?
