Mountain Biking - Progressive 5th Element shock install on Iron Horse

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wardie
10-15-07, 09:59 PM
I have an entry level Iron Horse Maverick Trail dual suspension MTB. It came with FD Coil over. I have a Progressive 5th Element that I am fitting (with some machine work) to this frame. Has anyone done a swap like this? If so what did you do about the top and bottom bushings plus the bolt mounts. I am taking the bike and shock over to my friend who's a machinist and ask for some help.

Second question. I weight about 230 lbs. and will be doing the Iceman Race in Michigan and with the mechanical shock nothing bad happens with an air shock if I blow something I guess I lose all compression and rebound which would be bad over a 27 mile race. Does anyone know the longevity of this type of air shock with a heavier rider on it? The shock is new so thats a plus. Any help is appreciated.

The bike isn't stock it has been upgraded to XT 9 speed and the wheelset is hand built LX hubs on Mavic rims so unless I bounce off a cliff or really bash some rocks I should at least make it to the finish. Wardie


mtnbiker66
10-16-07, 03:26 PM
I did the same thing with a Haro bike. I made the bushing kit for it and it worked out fine. I really liked the 5th air. You'll need to play around with thw air settings to get the feel you are looking for.