Rear shock length and stroke question

[4dabush]

I have and old 2008 Norco Six with a damaged rear shock. The shock size is now, an unusual size, 8.75 x 2.5 (222mm x 63.5mm).
Cane Creek still make one but at over $800 its probably worth more than my bike! The bike design with a horizontal shock and interrupted seat tube, meant someone else using the bike lowered the seat resulting in a few hundred impacts of the seat post to the shock shaft - its cactus.

Other than the shock, this bike is still awesome and gets ridden pretty regularly, but no longer my main ride. (Has been used as my Enduro/DH bike on race weekends when I cant be bothered taking 2 bikes!).

So, the question for the suspension guru's out there in RB land - what is the down side to running an 8.75 x2.75 shock? Seems these are readily available.
My limited understanding is that any ramp up before bottoming out on a 2.5 length shock would be lost with the longer travel shock. If that is about the only downside, I guess I can live with that - and the later model shocks are probably far more tuneable than the basic Fox DHX3 that is stock. I am about 75kg on the bike with pack, and most other riders (kids/friends) are generally lighter.

I have posted in the WTB section, but with plenty of views and no response, I am guessing most of the bikes (and associated spares) that had this shock length are long gone.

The bike is the purple one in the photo below is the patient!

 

[The Duckmeister]

You'll need to tweak your pressure slightly due to the larger chamber volume in order to get the sag right. You'll probably find a little bit more suppleness in the top stroke, but as you suspect the reduced compression ratio of the bigger chamber will cut a bit of the deep stroke support, so you may be a bit more prone to bottoming out if you ride like that.

 

[pink poodle]

I have and old 2008 Norco Six with a damaged rear shock. The shock size is now, an unusual size, 8.75 x 2.5 (222mm x 63.5mm).
Cane Creek still make one but at over $800 its probably worth more than my bike! The bike design with a horizontal shock and interrupted seat tube, meant someone else using the bike lowered the seat resulting in a few hundred impacts of the seat post to the shock shaft - its cactus.

Other than the shock, this bike is still awesome and gets ridden pretty regularly, but no longer my main ride. (Has been used as my Enduro/DH bike on race weekends when I cant be bothered taking 2 bikes!).

So, the question for the suspension guru's out there in RB land - what is the down side to running an 8.75 x2.75 shock? Seems these are readily available.
My limited understanding is that any ramp up before bottoming out on a 2.5 length shock would be lost with the longer travel shock. If that is about the only downside, I guess I can live with that - and the later model shocks are probably far more tuneable than the basic Fox DHX3 that is stock. I am about 75kg on the bike with pack, and most other riders (kids/friends) are generally lighter.

I have posted in the WTB section, but with plenty of views and no response, I am guessing most of the bikes (and associated spares) that had this shock length are long gone.

The bike is the purple one in the photo below is the patient!

One of the ugly era norco bikes...this is when I stopped liking them.

It sounds like you're probably going to turn the frame into a shore. Have a look and see what size shocks they were running as I have a sneaky suspicion that they were the same frames with different shocks, or at least winery similar. If I'm wrong you may end up with a rear wheel that hits your frame before full compression. You may also experience significantly lower bottom bracket during compression, so may wish to consider shorter crank arms.

I think I have a Marzocchi Rocco coil in this size in the warehouse. When I get a chance I'll have a look.

 

[swaz]

Fox DHX3 that is stock.

I think I might have one of these. Lemme have a look.