As promised:
Please call Mike Hensley at OhlinsUSA who will transfer your call to Gary and he will fill in the background I laid out for you so it will be painless.
This has always been my concern with any exposed threaded adjuster. This isn't the first time I've head of this. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. I think riding conditions make a big difference in how dirty the threads get and how often they need to be cleaned.
I'm a mechanic so I know that if any bolt gets tighter as it's coming out then there's something on the threads. I. Try to flush out whatever it is with some penetrant. I only force it once I've exhausted all other possibilities and with the understanding that I'm going to be repairing or replacing it when I'm done because I'm tearing the threads out of it.
My shocks are on there way from Howard. I will definitely be rereading the instructions (already read them once) once I have the shocks in hand and ready to go on. Seeing this will make me extra careful about keeping them clean and not forcing the adjustment.
Being that it's aluminum, I'll have to be even more careful that the salt is all off the roads before my first ride of the season. Aluminum + salt = one big corroded mess
Ohlins already makes shock covers used in dirt bikes. They should be avoided as they act as a sort of insulation that holds in heat. All covers of any type should be avoided as your shocks get very hot depending on how and where you ride. Shock oil as any oil degrades when heated as welll as the oil naturally thins. With heated oil the shock will not work as well as designed. I am talking to a big jump in heat, just think of which heats up sooner, a covered pot of water or an open pot. Heat is your enemy that is outside of the normal designed operating range.
I have never had a problem with a threaded body or adjuster. I clean my bike and than protect the whole bike with a petroleum based product I spray on to stop rust and clean the bike. Keeping it dry after use is also important as well as bug removal.
.I use a siphon spray blow gun found anywhere. Just get a big trigger as a button is very tiring to use.
I cant wait to reach out when I get my new shocks and cartridge...you go above and beyond!!
Granted, it seems maybe you took the guys post as a negative towards you....but I dont think anyone else did, as since he wasnt your customer I would have NEVER have expected you to put in all the work here that you have done...(or any at all). He stated that but it wasnt really clear...
Anyhow, cant wait to hear what Ohlins comes back with....I doubt that it will be negative as they are a VERY up front customer friendly company that stands behind what they produce. Only part that blows is not having your bike for a bit while it all gets worked out.
Ohlins already makes shock covers used in dirt bikes. They should be avoided as they act as a sort of insulation that holds in heat. All covers of any type should be avoided as your shocks get very hot depending on how and where you ride. Shock oil as any oil degrades when heated as welll as the oil naturally thins. With heated oil the shock will not work as well as designed. I am talking to a big jump in heat, just think of which heats up sooner, a covered pot of water or an open pot. Heat is your enemy that is outside of the normal designed operating range.
I have never had a problem with a threaded body or adjuster. I clean my bike and than protect the whole bike with a petroleum based product I spray on to stop rust and clean the bike. Keeping it dry after use is also important as well as bug removal.
.I use a siphon spray blow gun found anywhere. Just get a big trigger as a button is very tiring to use.
What cleaner are you using with the siphon gun Howard??? Are you using it liek a foam cannon for cars but use a siphon gun since its much smaller??? Just wondering is all..LOLZ...
Shock is on the way back to ohlins, they didn't seem very surprised that this happened and said they have had a few of these problems. Should be a turn around of 3 to 4 days. Got me thinking, I did not abuse these shocks whatsoever (other than trashing them trying to force the collar), and I clean my bike, including the shocks, every few rides at the most. I always wipe down the threads every few rides, and they never get dirty. Howard states my incident is customer abuse, but i didn't think I needed to floss every thread on the shock body every 50 miles. Am I supposed to remove saddle bags every pit stop to "clean my shocks"? Just venting a bit bc I took great care of them, will obviously clean the threads more often, but if this happens again I will be going a different route for shocks
Howard,
Since he didn't I will. Thanks for helping this guy. I won't regret my purchase from you a few years ago knowing you will back a product you didn't sell.
Originally Posted by hemi1300
Shock is on the way back to ohlins, they didn't seem very surprised that this happened and said they have had a few of these problems. Should be a turn around of 3 to 4 days. Got me thinking, I did not abuse these shocks whatsoever (other than trashing them trying to force the collar), and I clean my bike, including the shocks, every few rides at the most. I always wipe down the threads every few rides, and they never get dirty. Howard states my incident is customer abuse, but i didn't think I needed to floss every thread on the shock body every 50 miles. Am I supposed to remove saddle bags every pit stop to "clean my shocks"? Just venting a bit bc I took great care of them, will obviously clean the threads more often, but if this happens again I will be going a different route for shocks
Howard,
Since he didn't I will. Thanks for helping this guy. I won't regret my purchase from you a few years ago knowing you will back a product you didn't sell.
Just an fyi, I called ohlins directly this morning and they told me to fill out a work order form and send the shock for repair. Called later and spoke to howard's contact, told me the exact same thing. In the long run, looks like it will cost me $150-200 approximately for repair
Shock is on the way back to ohlins, they didn't seem very surprised that this happened and said they have had a few of these problems. Should be a turn around of 3 to 4 days. Got me thinking, I did not abuse these shocks whatsoever (other than trashing them trying to force the collar), and I clean my bike, including the shocks, every few rides at the most. I always wipe down the threads every few rides, and they never get dirty. Howard states my incident is customer abuse, but i didn't think I needed to floss every thread on the shock body every 50 miles. Am I supposed to remove saddle bags every pit stop to "clean my shocks"? Just venting a bit bc I took great care of them, will obviously clean the threads more often, but if this happens again I will be going a different route for shocks
Wow, just wow.
Ever hear of a little bit of lube on aluminum fasteners, like maybe some graphite, oil, or anti-seize or something?
Howard, thank you so much for the support you give.
The same thing happened to my shocks that I bought from Howard. He was very helpful and was able to remove the collar and did not have to replace the body. It was totally my fault for trying to adjust them while they were dirty.
I used to readjust the shocks every time the wife rode with me but now I'm pretty nervous about doing that. So I usually ride with them adjusted for 2 up riding so I don't have readjust them all the time.
Wow, is it me or does this whole scenario sound stupid. We're gonna sell you a product that can't function properly unless you buy an air compressor and other equipment before adjusting anything. And God help you if a small piece of debris gets in the threads, even if it was from manufacturing. Cause you the customer are an idiot and abused it doing a routine adjustment, even though we're gonna sell you this product knowing at some point something is going to fail and we're not going to try to make it more user friendly.
07-25-2016, 07:55 AM
