Wmoater
Active member
Dad is in Arizona and not a tech guy, as in computers, so he asked me to throw this out there. He decided to update his OEM rear shock for an M2 shock like the one I have that works great for riding 2 up and towing a trailer. He spoke with Marcus, who did all the calculations for his style of riding and needs, and then built and shipped the shock. When Dad installed it, the new series of M2 shocks is 1/2 inch longer than stock. It fit in fine without any problems and is riding fine. He really likes the feel. I believe M2 made that 1/2 an inch change on the second series right after mine.
Anyway, as he is driving down the road the compressor vents all the air out of the airbag and keeps trying to discharge air even though there is no air left to discharge. He says it’s clicking to discharge every 10 seconds, like it wants to discharge but there's nothing left. He removed the lower 10mm bolt on the leveling swing arm and moved it up and it began to fill. Lowered it and it discharged.
So everything is working fine when operated by hand while mom sits on the Spyder with it in drive. Basically, the arm needs to be 1/2 an inch taller, actually a bit longer because it's at an angle, for it to get the height back to the OEM setting. He ran it by a dealer, and they said to make a small metal plate about 1.5 inches tall and an inch wide out of 1/8” steel; drill a hole about 1/4 inch up; and put a bolt in the old 10mm hole on the frame against the frame and plate. Then drill another hole in the new plate 1/2” up and attach the arm to that hole. It's basically to extend the OEM mounting bracket frame hole on the frame up 1/2 an inch.
I have not heard of this before, but it makes sense. It's the same arm spanning the same distance now, just instead of the arm attaching to the frame bolt, it's attaching to the plate. Then the bottom of the plate attaches to the OEM frame hole, so it registers the same as OEM just a bit taller.
Has anyone run into this before with the self-leveling control and new shock? I’ll try to get pictures. I can picture and imagine what he is explaining, but not sure I've conveyed it well enough here. Can anyone see any problems with this? It makes sense to me and I think it should work just fine.
Anyway, as he is driving down the road the compressor vents all the air out of the airbag and keeps trying to discharge air even though there is no air left to discharge. He says it’s clicking to discharge every 10 seconds, like it wants to discharge but there's nothing left. He removed the lower 10mm bolt on the leveling swing arm and moved it up and it began to fill. Lowered it and it discharged.
So everything is working fine when operated by hand while mom sits on the Spyder with it in drive. Basically, the arm needs to be 1/2 an inch taller, actually a bit longer because it's at an angle, for it to get the height back to the OEM setting. He ran it by a dealer, and they said to make a small metal plate about 1.5 inches tall and an inch wide out of 1/8” steel; drill a hole about 1/4 inch up; and put a bolt in the old 10mm hole on the frame against the frame and plate. Then drill another hole in the new plate 1/2” up and attach the arm to that hole. It's basically to extend the OEM mounting bracket frame hole on the frame up 1/2 an inch.
I have not heard of this before, but it makes sense. It's the same arm spanning the same distance now, just instead of the arm attaching to the frame bolt, it's attaching to the plate. Then the bottom of the plate attaches to the OEM frame hole, so it registers the same as OEM just a bit taller.
Has anyone run into this before with the self-leveling control and new shock? I’ll try to get pictures. I can picture and imagine what he is explaining, but not sure I've conveyed it well enough here. Can anyone see any problems with this? It makes sense to me and I think it should work just fine.
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