Volume spacers - weight / custom 3d printing?

This is a bit silly, but… we’re at the beginning of mud season here and it has me thinking about all kinds of stupid things.

I’m a bigger rider, 6’4" 200lb, I’d like to run 5 volume spacers in my 130mm pike, which is run on a hardtail built as a sort of a downcountry bike, but meant to do long marathon like efforts. I would appreciate having some of the small bump compliance, rather than just going way up in pressure, just to do with body fatigue (I know I’m on a hardtail, but still.)

I was about to install that stack, and second guessed it due to the weight in my hands. I would second guess this if I was putting something like that in my pocket or bag for a big ride. They weigh 15g each, so 100g in total.

Has anyone ever 3d printed one that’s maybe hollow? Maybe instead of threading together 5 solid plastic pieces, I could do 1 hollow one in my desired size?

The reason I’m asking instead of just doing (I have access to 3d printing) is that I was hoping someone had some intel for how thick to make the sides so it doesn’t implode inside the fork. Maybe I need to do some form of honey comb core?

  • 5 spacers x 15g/spacer = 75g total (not 100g).

There, I saved you 25g so you can just use the factory ones with less worry :stuck_out_tongue:

Seriously though, that weight is more than worth it IMO, at least if you like the end result.

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Oh, yikes, haha. Overthinking some things, underthinking others, thanks for the saving haha. I currently have 3 in another fork and liked the changes, so thinking more will be better.

I agree it is worth it, it just seems silly holding it in my hand, knowing it “could” be easy to do better.

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I don’t think you need to worry about the weight of tokens. Us big guys (me 225lbs) won’t notice.

That said, when I print with my Stratasys printer it can automatically hollow out parts with an internal lattice. The walls are typically 2mm or more. Radial ribs would probably work fine. If you adjust the size of the internal cyclones you could probably Print it in one piece.

I use an MRP Ramp control Cartridge which handles the bottom out force of the shock. I like it a a lot. It is slightly different from the curve adjustment made by tokens:

M.