Putting Air in the Air Shocks

[Blueraven]

I have tried relentlessly to put air in the shocks with NO success. I have tried a manual pump and an electric pump using spurts of air but as soon as I take off the air valve, all the air escapes :(" title="" border="0"/> :(" title="" border="0"/> :(" title="" border="0"/> :(" title="" border="0"/>. How do you keep the air in there and how much should be in it? I have read no more than 71 psi. I have just been trying to put in 40 psi with NO success. HELP! :(" title="" border="0"/> :(" title="" border="0"/> :(" title="" border="0"/> :(" title="" border="0"/> :(" title="" border="0"/>

[Top Cat]

Are the shrader valves tight?

[Blueraven]

What are shrader valves?

[cactusjack]

That's why we use a "no-loss" pump. The bladders in the shocks are small and as you found out, just removing the valve lets a lot of the air escape.

Here's the one I use. http://www.easternperformance.com/pr...Air-Shock-Pump

Beware, they sell less expensive ones on eBay, but the gauge reads to 300 PSI. With the shocks, you are dealing with 0-40 PSI and trying to be accurate to one pound on a 300 PSI scale is very difficult.

[coacha]

HD sells one for around $40 or so if you want to get one quick.

[Bull Durham]

Blue,

Like CJ said, you need a "no loss" pump. I ended up going to the local HD shop and getting one, which kills me by the way, but they seem to carry everything over the Jap dealers. Because it had the "HD" tag on it, payed $53 bucks last fall, if I remember correctly.

[ringadingh]

Don't use a compressor on the shocks ever, they will blow.
check that the valve is in the stem, its the same as a tire valve.
You should ride up here tomorrow and I'll check it for you.

[redjay]

A Schrader valve is what keeps the air in the tire. Basically it is a one way valve that allows you to put air in the tire. You need a tool to make sure the valve is tight in the valve stem. Some dust caps have the tool built into them. The rear dust cap on my bike has one, maybe yours too ? It is just a slot in the dust cap that goes over the Schrader valve to tighten it.

[Cajunrider]

Same principle as a spring loaded check valve. As CJ stated, you have to have a zero loss hand pump for the small bladders. Also, stay below 40 psi.

[Blueraven]

Ok, thanks guys. I will look for a ZERO LOSS pump.

[dennis49]

For those that have not tried a zero loss electic slime pump they don't know what they are missing. The gauge only goes to 60 psi and the pump has very LOW volume of air. I used a hand pump prior to this but this is FAR superior in performance than a hand pump. I just took the no loss fitting off my hand pump and put it on the slime pump. I also made a pigtail to plug into my battery tender plug and I can add air anytime. This pump takes up much less room in the saddle bags. You would have to have fallen asleep to over inflate the tire with this pump. I know some will argue this but they would probably argue with the sign post also. I have tried them both and this is far and away the best tool for this job. It also cost less than $20.00 for everything and about 15 minutes of labor to covert to no loss.

[MAS Tequila]

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/g...bmLocale=en_US

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/162...ac=16&zmap=318

Try a bicycle store.

MT

[dennis49]

Correction, to my last post on this electric pump. I said over inflate the tire, I intended to say shock. I had all the arguments going through my head that this is going to start so I got carried away in the moment and said tire.

It truly is far easier than and just as safe as a hand pump. If you put Jay’s shock kit on with a gauge it is 200 % better yet. The gauge on the slim pump reads exactly the same as my digital tire gauge, and the gauge on my shocks is within a half pound. I always watch the gauge on my shocks anyway because it is easier to read.

It takes about 5 – 8 minutes to air the rear tire to 40 psi with this pump, but you’re not fighting laying on the ground or sitting on your knees while trying to hand pump the tire.

[cactusjack]

With a Slime inflator like that, if you overinflated your shocks, it would have to be intentional. I'll grant you that.

I'd hate to see someone with a high pressure compressor attempting to fill their shocks, though. A Slime tire inflator is not a high-pressure compressor.

[Top Cat]

I'm a FIRM beliver you get what you pay for.
For airing up shocks I use a Progressive hand no loss air pump.
I mean come on it takes about 4 pumps to get the pressure. ::)

For road side repair I use this;

http://pashnit.com/product/cyclepump_buynow.html#combo

The Cycle Pump Combo Kit