Cane Creek AD-12 Shock User manual

AD-12 Shock Instructions
Rider’s Weight Shock Pressure Rider’s Weight Shock Pressure Rider’s Weight Shock Pressure
lbs. (kilos) psi (bars*) lbs. (kilos) psi (bars*) lbs. (kilos) psi (bars*)
100 (45)110 (7.6)150 (68)160(11.0)200 (91)210 (14.5)
110 (50)120(8.3)160(73)170(11.7)210 (95)220(15.2)
120(54)130(9.0)170(77)180(12.4)220(100)230(15.9)
130(59)140 (9.7)180(82)190(13.1)230(104)240 (16.5)
140 (64)150 (10.3)190(86)200 (13.8)240 (109)250 (17.2)
*100 kPa=1bar
The Cane Creek AD-12 rear shock is a combined spring and damper system for rear suspension mountain bikes.The shock utilizes pressur-
izedairasboththespringinganddampingmedium.Theunitistypicallyfilledwithairtoapressurebetween70and250psi(4.8-17.2bar),
depending on the weight and preferences of the rider as well as the design of the bicycle suspension.The springing system is like a
conventional air spring,where the spring force is generated by reducing the volume of the pressurized air chamber,thereby increasing its
internal pressure.The damping forces are generated by flowing the pressurized air into and out of several internal chambers through
valves as the shock is compressed and extended.On the AD-12,this valving can be tuned precisely by simply turning the two adjuster
knobs near the end of the
shock.The system also
incorporates a negative
spring air chamber which
assists the initial travel and
providesvery smooth
performance.
Setup and Adjustments:
The springing and damping characteristics of the AD-12 shock are controlled by air pressure.The air pressure
is set based on the weight of the rider and the desired performance characteristics.Pressure is controlled with
a standard shock pump,which should be capable of over 200 psi (13.8 bar) and have a pressure gauge.The
shock should be inflated as indicated on the following chart.After some riding,this initial pressure setting can
beadjustedupordowntosuittherider’s preferences.Reducedpressurewillprovideasmoother,more“plush”
ride,but with a greater tendency to bottomout.Increased pressure will give a firmer ride with somewhat
quicker rebound. The adjuster knobs,located on the small end of the shock,provide independent control of
the compression and rebound damping characteristics.As indicated on the shock’s decal,turning the knobs
clockwise will increase the damping.Increased compression damping will decrease the shock’s travel
in reaction to a bump.Decreasing the compression damping will make the shock“softer”and more likely to
use the full stroke in absorbing a hit.By increasing the rebound damping,the shock will extend more slowly
after compressing,while decreasing this damping will make it rebound quickly.If you feel increased resistance
to turning an adjuster knob,you have reached the end of the adjustment range (these knobs are fully ex-
tended when four lines are visible under the head).Forcefully turning the knob farther will cause damage.
ATTENTION:Use a metal cap with seal to prevent leakage of air from the valve.Inflate or deflate shock
only while it is installed on the bike.
Recommended Pressure Settings:
In general,the shock should initially be pressurized according to the table below.Some bikes require much
different settings and the bike’s owners manual should be consulted if your bike came with an AD-12 as
original equipment.
Recommended Maintenance:
Proper care for the AD-12 rear shock includes checking the pressure periodically (some air will be lost when-
ever the pressure is checked),keeping the shaft and exposed wiper seal clean,and occasionally lubricating the
seals.Lubricating the seals is a fairly simple process requiring only a few simple tools,and is recommended
after approximately 200 hours of use.
Servicing theAD-12:
Section A:Shock Disassembly and Seal Replacement
For periodic maintenance or if the shock is not
holding pressure,it can be disassembled and
serviced easily.If theshockis losing pressure,
apply soapy water to the exterior of the shock
prior to disassembly.Bubbles will indicate a
leak’s location.We recommend ordering a seal
kit before opening the shock.The kit contains
the seals and grease required to properly
rebuild the shock.Call a Cane Creek technical service representative at 800-234-2725.
1.Deflate the shock and clamp the valve end of the shock in a soft-jawed vice,being careful not to damage
the shock’s eyelet (Figure 1).
2.Unscrew the lock ring in the middle of the shock.DO NOT USETOOLS(pliers,vice grips,etc.)Wrapping a
cloth or large rubber band around the ring will improve your grip.
3.Carefully pull the piston shaft out of the large cylinder.The glide ring (Figure 6) will fall off the piston as it
exits the large cylinder.Prevent contamination of the seals by keeping all parts
clean and free of dirt.DO NOT remove the black and silver adjustment screws.Doing so will damage the
internal mechanism of the shock.
4.Clamp the piston shaft eyelet in the vice,and use a spanner wrench or socket wrench with special spanner
head (available from Cane Creek) to unscrew and remove the piston (Figure 2).Be careful not to lose the
compression cylinder and compression shim (Figure 3).
5.Now remove the seal bushing from the piston shaft by sliding it off the open end of the shaft (Figure 3).The
lock ring can also be removed and the rod wiper can be replaced (Figure 4).
6.Remove seals shown in Figure 5 and 6 (be very careful not to scratch the seal grooves while removing the
seals).Wipe all the surfaces using a clean lint-free cloth (Do not use solvent).Liberally apply Cane Creek De-
friction Lube to the seal grooves and the new seals.Install the seals as shown in Figure 5 and 6.Note:The
AD0303 seal is slightly harder than the AD0108.
7.In order to modify the shock’s volume set-up,or if the“soapy water”test revealed a leak around the bushing
(AD0127) on the piston shaft eyelet,then the volume adjustment plate must be removed.This is described in
or
Soft-jawed
Vice3mm Spanner
Wrench
Lint-free
Cloth
SealKit
SocketWrench
WithS
p
anner
RequiredTools:
piston
shaft
loc
k
ring
large
cylinde
r
wire
ring
Figure1
glide
ring
spanner
wrench
piston
Figure2
socketwren
spanner
or
piston
compression
cylinde
r
compression
shim
sea
l
bushing
piston
shaf
t
loc
k
rin
g
Figure3
loc
k
ng
rodwiper
Figure4
quadseal
A
D0301
o-ringseal
A
D0108
o-ringseal
A
D0108
Figure5
seal
bushing
o-ring
seal
A
D0303
o-ring
seal
A
D0302
valve
screw
washe
r
valve
shimpiston
glide
rin
g
Fi
g
ure6

Cane Creek Cycling Components • 355 Cane Creek Road • Fletcher, NC 28732
ph: 828.684.3551 • fax: [phone] • web: www.canecreek.com • e-mail: [email protected]
Hooked tool Needle-nose pliers
Required Tools:
8mm socket wrench
section B.Otherwise,the shock is ready to reassemble.
8.Reinstall the lock ring on the piston shaft.The rod wiper end should go onto the shaft first.
9.Reinstall the seal bushing on the piston shaft.Use the assembly collar (Figure 10) supplied in the seal kit to
simplify this step.Place the assembly collar into the open end of the piston shaft and slide the seal bushing
(larger end first) down over the collar into place on the shaft.Be careful not to cut or pinch the seals while
reinstalling the seal bushing.Once the seal bushing is in place remove the assembly collar.
10.Place the compression shim on the step in the compression rod.It should sit flat.Now place the slotted
end of the compression cylinder on the shim.
11.Screw the piston back onto the shaft being careful not to disturb the compression cylinder and compres-
sion shim.Tighten the piston using the spanner wrench or socket wrench with special spanner head.Apply
Cane Creek De-friction Lube to the interior of the large cylinder.Hold the glide ring in place on the piston and
carefully slide the large cylinder down over the piston.
12.Remove the piston end of the shock from the vice,and place the valve end in the vice again.Slide the seal
bushing down the shaft and into the open end of the large cylinder as far as it will go.Now slide the lock ring
over the seal bushing and screw it onto the large cylinder.The lock ring should capture the wire ring at the
end of the threads leaving half of it exposed.Be sure that the wire ring is evenly in place all the way around
the shock.
13.Aligntheeyeletsbyturning the piston shaft.InflatetheAD-12withahand shock pump to about150psi.
Submerge it in water to see if any bubbles come from the shock indicating leaks.If a leak is detected,disas-
semble the shock again and check the appropriate seal for cuts or dirt.If there are no leaks,the shock can be
remounted on the bike and inflated to riding pressure.It may be difficult to compress the shock the first time
since the negative air spring chamber has not been charged.It is charged when the shock is compressed
about 1/2 inch (13 mm).Once it is filled the shock will function normally.
Section B:Tuning Modifications
The AD-12 Rear Shock is designed to be used
with a wide variety of bike frames.The shocks
are built and tuned at the factory for a
particular bike.If the factory settings are not
appropriate for your preferences or riding
abilities you can change the factory setting
relatively easily.There are four different factors
involvedin tuning the AD-12.Air pressureistheeasiesttovary and is usually based on the rider’s weight.
Compression and rebound damping can be set using the adjuster knobs as previously discussed.And,the
volume of the shock can be varied to change the shape of the spring curve.The volume is set by the volume
adjustment plate located in the piston shaft.Moving the plate to a position deeper inside the shaft will
increase the shock’s air volume and make the spring curve more linear.A smaller shock air volume will make
the spring curve more progressive causing the shock to bottom-out less frequently.Changing the air volume
setting is described in the following instructions.If you want to know the setting on your shock or if you have
other questions prior to disassembling it,please call a technical service representative at 800-234-2725.
1.To change the shock’s volume(or repair a leak in the piston shaft eyelet bushing,AD0127)the black,volume
adjustment plate within the piston shaft must first be removed.With the piston shaft still clamped in the vice,remove the aluminum
rebound rod and compression rod by pulling them up and out of the black plate (Using a dry lint free cloth will improve your grip.Do not
use tools that will damage the surface).They will probably come out together.(Figure 7)
2.Insertthe hooked tool into the volumeadjustment plate’sopening and carefullypullitupward,being careful not to damage theplate.
Work from side to side not allowing the plate to become jammed within the shaft.Once you have removed the plate,you will find the
rebound ramp and compression ramp loose inside the piston shaft.They were attached to the rods you removed in step 1.If you are simply
repairing a leak,you can replace the seals on the plate as shown in figure 8,and move to step 4.
3.A small,metal retaining ring will be visible in one of three internal grooves of the piston shaft.This ring positions the plate within the
shaft.Remove the retaining ring from its groove using your fingernail.Do not use tools that could scratch the inside of the shaft.Movethe
ring to the desired groove and snap it back in place.
4.Slide the rebound rod out of the compression rod if they are not already apart,and check the o-ring seal on the rebound rod.You can
replace it with AD0125 from the seal kit.
5.Nest the rebound ramp inside the compression ramp and insert the blunt end of the rebound rod into the hole.If it does not stay
attached,a slight amount of grease on the end of the rebound rod will help keep things together.(Figure 9)
6.Carefully insert the rebound rod assembly into the black ramp housing in the bottom of the piston shaft.The ramped side of the re-
bound and compression ramps should face toward the external adjuster knobs.Both adjuster knobs should be backed out 2 - 3 turns from
the full-in position when reassembling the shock.Note:the adjuster knobs should never be removed from the piston shaft.Doing so
will damage them.
7.Before reinstalling the volume adjustment plate inspect the seals for cuts or dirt that may allow leaks.Lubricate the seals and push the
platecarefullydownintothe shaft,keepingit level (Be careful not tocutorpinchthesealswhilereinstallingthe volume adjustmentplate).
The sharp end of the rebound rod will protrude loosely through the hole in the center of the plate.If the plate gets stuck remove the
rebound rod,plate,and ramps;and start over.When properly installed,the groove (or four side holes in the shaft if the plate is in the highest
position) will be barely visible just above the plate.
8.Slide the compression rod (shiny end up) down over the rebound rod and through the hole in the plate.It will be a little tight going past
the seals.Be careful not to cut them in the process.
9.The shock is readyfor re-assembly.Returnto step8ofSection A.
WARRANTY
Cane Creek Cycling Components warrants its bicycle components for a period of two years from the original date of purchase. Any
Component that is found to be defective in materials or workmanship will be repaired or replaced at the discretion of Cane Creek. This
warranty applies to the original owneronly. This warranty does not coverdamage or failure resultingfrommisuse,abuse,alteration,
neglect,wear and tear,crash or impact,lack of maintenance or other conditions judged by Cane Creek to be abnormal,excessive, or
improper. Itis mandatorythata ReturnAuthorization Number (RA#)isobtainedbycalling Cane Creek beforeanyproduct is returned.
Additionally,a dated Proof of Purchase must accompany the product when returned. (Revised 5.12.2003)
volume
adjustment
p
late
comp.
ramp
reboun
d
ramp
comp.
ro
d
reboun
d
ro
d
p
iston
shaft
retaining
ring
Figure7
o-ringsea
l
AD012
5
hooked
tool
Figure8
o-ringsea
l
A
D0110
o-ringseal
A
D0106
volume
adjustmen
t
plate
Figure9
rebound
rod
rebound
ramp
compression
ramp
seal
bushing
assembly
collar
p
iston
shaft
lock
ring
Figure10