Rear shock advice

[Kim]

Hi. I have a fox float as a rear shock and it keeps losing air. Wondering if it's due to the weight of the rear wheel hub. Has anyone got advice on which rear shock might be more suitable for an ebike? I think its 165mm eye to eye. Cheers

[Bikemad]

Hi Kim,

If it is losing air, it is probably because the seal has worn.

The additional weight of the rear wheel hub will not affect the suspension unit whatsoever, as the additional weight in the centre of the wheel is all acting directly on the ground, and is therefore not adding to the forces that are already compressing the suspension unit.

However, the weight of the battery pack will be placing additional load on the shock absorber, just like a heavier rider sat on the seat would. 

If a seal kit is not available, or the unit is not designed to be overhauled, you will need to find a replacement unit with a similar amount of travel and the same fully extended dimension.

Alan
 

[Kim]

Thanks for the advice.
I did have the seals replaced a few weeks ago and it was OK for a while then it started to loose pressure again. The mechanic was of the opinion that the weight of the rear wheel would have an effect on the shock and that I should look for a more robust shock. Does anyone else have a fox float they use without any issues with a rear wheel hub?

In terms of weight, I'm only 78kg so I wouldn't have thought I was too heavy for the rear shock. I might try a coil shock.