TFTunedShox

How often should I get my 5th Element serviced?

The recommended service interval is 200 hours of riding or annually, whichever comes first. 200 hours is about 5 hours per week so most DH riders will need an annual service whilst XC/Freeriders may need a service after 7 or 8 months.

What is done during a 5th Element Service?

Before any service work is carried out the shock is cleaned & hand dyno'd to check it's operation. It's then stripped & all oil seals/o-rings are removed prior to cleaning the individual parts in a chemical bath. Once cleaned & dried the parts are inspected before fitting new genuine 5th Element large & small Control Valve seals, Seal Head O-rings & wiper, IFP O-ring & if necessary, Main Piston glide ring. Then we assemble everything in accordance with the factory/TFT procedures (speed-up the low speed rebound to improve the small bump ride - makes shock feel less 'dead' but can increase the inherent top-out slightly), put oil in the important places & bleed all the air out of the thing. Then we pump her up & set the adjusters to match your weight/bike (all settings are noted on the back of the invoice). Next we do a leak test for air before popping it on the hand dyno to check all the adjusters do what they're meant to do. Finally we replace the shock bushings (as part of the service cost), install the mounting hardware/reducers, pop a small TF Tuned sticker on it & send it back.

I'm confused by all the possible settings, where can I get help?

There are 3 basic settings to get right & must be done in order. 1 - Get the correct spring for your weight/riding style. To do this you need to put 100 psi in the air reservoir before setting your sag & adjusting your spring. 2 - Set all compression adjustment to minimum. 3 - Set the rebound (for help on 2 & 3 see easy set-up). The rest is experience on the trail. Go to your favourite trail and ride short loops of it where possible - don't forget your pump! Ride various obstacles to experience how your 5th Coil shock works. Only change one thing at a time and then determine if this is good or bad. Each time you change a setting make a note of the change. Setting up suspension takes time. Experiment a little and enjoy! Once you find your perfect air pressures and damping settings, make a note of them for future use.

When I check my air pressure it always seems to have lost air - what's wrong?

You should expect to see a reading some 20-30 psi lower than you put into the shock. This is because air from the reservoir is required to fill the pump connection hose & gauge which increases the volume, decreasing the pressure (Boyle's Law). By the way, you know that hiss you hear when you unscrew the pump? That's the air from the pump, not the shock! All perfectly normal and no need to change your desired pressure, what you set on the gauge will be left in your shock as long as your pump's hose connector is in good condition. NOTE: If you don't have any air in the shock there will be little or no damping both in compression & rebound.

During rebound my shock makes a noise - why?

All 5th Element coil shocks make a sound similar to a dog panting during the rebound stroke. This is caused by the oil flowing back through the rebound check valve in the piston bolt. It's nothing to worry about & some shocks seem noisier than others. At the end of the rebound stroke you can also detect a slight knock at the top-out point. This is the metal on metal contact of the control valve stop plate with the sealhead at the end of the hydraulic top-out control phase. This is nothing to worry about as it's an inherent feature of the 5th Element

Where can I find an Easy set up guide

5th Element Coil Set-up ... made simple

You should adjust your shock in the order set out below, in conjunction with your owner's manual

Before you Start...

The most important thing is to ensure you have the right spring. Sort this out first before touching any other settings. To do this put 80-100 psi into the shock & sit on the bike in your normal riding position & measure the sag. Sag must be between 25-40% for freeride & 30-50% for DH (see below on how to determine this). If it's more or less than this you will need another spring.

1 - Spring Preload & Sag

- Use the 25-35% freeride/25-45% downhill sag rule. To determine sag, measure the distance between the centres of each shock mounting bolt (eye-to-eye length of your shock) & record this. Next, sit on the bike in a normal riding position near a wall to steady yourself. Distribute your weight on the saddle & pedals in a normal riding position whilst holding the handlebar grips & push up & down allowing the the shock spring to push your weight back up until it settles. Get a friend to measure the distance between the centres of each shock mounting bolt again & record this second measurement. The difference between the first and second measurements is the sag. To get this measurement as a percentage you need to know the stroke of the shock which is marked on the spring (e.g. 350 x 2.75 = 350 LB/in springrate x 2.75 stroke). Then check here or for a spring calculation

Spring preload fine-tunes the amount of sag & is done with the spring preload adjuster collar. Adjust the spring preload adjuster up or down to achieve the desired amount of sag. If you reach the maximum spring preload (8mm) & the sag is too much, then go to the next harder spring. Turning the spring preload collar to compress the spring will decrease the amount of sag & vice versa. Never exceed 8mm/0.325" preload of the spring (6 turns from when the collar contacts the spring).

2 - Rebound Damping - The rebound damping controls the return rate of the shock & rear wheel after it has compressed to absorb a bump. As a general rule, adjustments that are too fast (anti-clockwise adjustment) will produce a springy ride with excessive pedal bobbing & kick-up of the rear end when launching off a jump. Adjustments that are too slow (clockwise adjustment) will cause packing of the rear wheel that is identified by a low ride height & stiff ride feeling over small ripples ( e.g. braking bumps) when the rear wheel can't return fast enough to absorb the next bump. Proper adjustment will achieve a return movement of the shock somewhere between a "snap-back" and "sluggish" motion. As all shocks vary with bike type, springrate, rider weight etc it is not possible to recommend a precise setting. Also note that the last 5mm of shaft extension will be very slow because the hydraulic top-out circuit controls this portion of shaft travel & cannot be adjusted. To feel the rebound speed you need to push the shock at least halfway through it's travel before releasing. Rebound damping is a personal thing & if in doubt always err on the slow side as this does not usually result in a trip to hospital which a too-fast rebound can!

3 - Air Pressure - The air pressure controls the sensitivity of the compression damping of the shock. Air pressure sets the compression threshold between the pedaling platform & hi-speed blow-off. The air pressure range is 50-175 psi. Lower pressures (70-100psi) will provide a softer ride & lower blow-off threshold for sharp hi-speed bumps (large & small), & are ideal when the going is on the slippery side & predominantly downhill. Higher pressures (110-175psi) will provide a firmer ride control, firmer pedaling & a higher blow-off threshold for sharp hi-speed bumps (large & small) & work well when it's dry & pedally.

NOTE - Some people damage the shock pump by screwing it in too far. As soon as the gauge registers pressure, screw ½ turn more and pump to the desired level. Use the black button on the pump to reduce air pressure. By the way, you know that hiss you hear when you unscrew the pump? That's the air from the pump, not the shock! Likewise, when you attach the pump, the opposite happens and air from the shock fills the pump, reducing the pressure between 20-50 psi. All perfectly normal and no need to change your desired pressure!

4 - Position-Sensitivity/Air-Volume Adjuster - The air volume settings control the position sensitive compression damping of the shock. Use a 16mm, six point socket to adjust the volume adjuster. The volume adjuster has 5 turns of adjustment range (but no more). Turning the adjuster out (anti-clockwise) decreases the bottoming resistance & turning the adjuster in (clockwise) increases the bottoming resistance. As a general rule, to get the smoothest suspension action throughout the shock's stroke keep the adjuster as near 5 turns out as possible (see red note below). If you find you are bottoming harshly or blowing through the travel (assuming you have the correct spring & air pressure) then screw it in a turn or two to overcome this. When the volume adjuster assembly has reached its anti-clockwise stop limit (5 turns back from maximum clockwise), continued force on the adjuster can cause damage to the adjuster mechanism.

5 - Beginning Stroke Compression Adjustment - Lighter (anti-clockwise) adjustments provide a more supple/active ride but less chassis motion stability. Firmer (clockwise) adjustments provide a less supple/active ride, but much greater chassis motion stability & control. For DH riding it is advisable to keep the Beginning Stroke Adjuster on minimum (anti-clockwise). If you are a BSX* or XC rider then after getting your air pressure & volumes right you can start the tuning of the beginning stroke compression adjustment for your riding preferences. *When riding BSX adjusting the beginning stroke to maximum will help you get the best snap out of the gate. When reaching the minimum & maximum stops of the adjuster range, do not apply excessive force to continue turning the adjuster, or damage to the adjuster will occur.

6 - Ending Stroke Compression - Start with minimum (anti-clockwise) adjustment until you have established a preferred air pressure & volume adjuster setting. To get the smoothest suspension action throughout the shock's stroke keep the adjuster on minimum unless you are experiencing bottoming off jumps, then you may need firmer (clockwise) adjustments to provide more hi-speed bottoming resistance. When reaching the minimum & maximum stops of the adjuster range, do not apply excessive force to continue turning the adjuster, or damage to the adjuster will occur.

Copyright © 2002 Tim Flooks

Where can I find a guide on setting Sag

5th Element Sag

Sag is the compression of the rear suspension caused by the rider's weight & is the most important suspension setting

Sag is the compression of the rear suspension caused by the rider's weight & is the most important suspension setting. Correct sag allows the rear wheel to follow the contour of the terrain as you ride and has the biggest effect on how the bike feels. By having the correct amount of sag the wheels will not only be able to rise up over any obstacle it will also allow the wheel to fall into any hole. In this way the rider should not feel much variation in bike movement as you track across rough ground.

Sag is expressed as a percentage of maximum stroke and is best set at 20-30% for XC (firm), 25-35% for Enduro and 25-45% Downhill. 5th Element shocks usually run more sag than conventional shocks because the compression damping on the 5th is position sensitive (light initial damping with heavier end damping). This allows you to run deeper in the stroke without blowing through the travel giving better control over braking bumps & cornering stability.

The table below can be used to determine/set the correct sag on your bike. To set/check your sag you are going to need the help of a friend. Wearing your normal riding gear sit on your bike with your feet on the pedals (do this next to a wall so you can prop yourself up with your elbow). Push up & down allowing the the shock spring to push your weight back up until it settles. Now get your friend to measure the eye to eye. Check this distance with the table below to see if you have the correct sag.

Spring preload fine-tunes the amount of sag & is done with the spring preload adjuster collar. Adjust the spring preload adjuster up or down to achieve the desired amount of sag. If you reach the maximum spring preload (8mm) & the sag is too much, then go to the next harder spring. Turning the spring preload collar to compress the spring will decrease the amount of sag & vice versa. Never exceed 8mm/0.325" preload of the spring (6 turns from when the collar contacts the spring).

If you need a new spring or advice on the selection of the correct one see spring calculator or call with details of your bike, style of riding & your weight. We will be happy to advise & if your not happy with the spring we supply we will change it at no charge.

Copyright © 2002 Tim Flooks