3 replies to this topic

[DetroitSkier]

I work for a shock absorber manufacturer, and I am aware that there are shock absorbers on some of the Riblet carriers still out there in use. They are used to control the swing of the carrier. What I do know is that the production shock absorber is obsolete since Riblet went out of business, and that for the lifts that use these shocks, there is one used on every carrier.

I have some questions for those of you who still use these lifts/carriers:

1. How often do/did you replace the shock absorbers, and did Riblet have a recommended service plan on these?

2. If you have replaced them, was it with the original unit design or with a substitute (e.g. automotive shock, etc.)?

3. If you used a substitute, did you have any issues getting approval from any regulatory boards, etc.?

4. If you used a substitute, what was it and did it perform as intended/desired?

4. How many lifts are there out there that still use these shocks?

5. Are you interested in replacing these shocks?


I'm trying to understand the demand out there for service parts, as I had received a call from a ski area that was looking to replace their shocks. Answers to the above questions will help us determine our next course of action. Thank you!

[Kelly]

DS
Riblet compared to other manufacturers produced very few of their own parts.
If you look closely at the shock for this “swing dampener” system it will be a common automotive shock found in any NAPA catalog. However the brackets holding the shock to the carrier are specialty parts.
Riblet long ago disbanded this design and went with a new style swing dampener – there is actually a newer-newer system is still available (works better, has no oil and has 10 less parts etc etc) by the son of the original owner of Riblet. I suspect less than 25% of riblet lifts have the original swing dampener feature…if the owners were too cheap to purchase those parts when they were originally offered they will be just as cheap today so good luck with this endeavor.
Son’s parts only website: http://tramsupport.com/
Son’s new swing dampener: http://tramsupport.com/new_products.htm
Riblet’s head engineer formed a new company many years ago so the same (well almost) product is still being made just under a new name.
New old Riblet website: http://superiortramway.com/default.htm
New old Riblet swing dampener: http://superiortramw...m/downloads.htm
See CH-10

After going to both websites notice that they both reside in the same town

We have a number of mechanics that monitor this side of the forums and if there is any new information I am sure they will post it.

Kelly
Forum Admin – old Riblet mechanic, SORT president.
SORT’s website: http://www.ropetech.org/

[DetroitSkier]

Kelly, on 13 September 2012 - 08:39 AM, said:

DS
Riblet compared to other manufacturers produced very few of their own parts.
If you look closely at the shock for this “swing dampener” system it will be a common automotive shock found in any NAPA catalog. However the brackets holding the shock to the carrier are specialty parts.
Riblet long ago disbanded this design and went with a new style swing dampener – there is actually a newer-newer system is still available (works better, has no oil and has 10 less parts etc etc) by the son of the original owner of Riblet. I suspect less than 25% of riblet lifts have the original swing dampener feature…if the owners were too cheap to purchase those parts when they were originally offered they will be just as cheap today so good luck with this endeavor.
Son’s parts only website: http://tramsupport.com/
Son’s new swing dampener: http://tramsupport.com/new_products.htm
Riblet’s head engineer formed a new company many years ago so the same (well almost) product is still being made just under a new name.
New old Riblet website: http://superiortramway.com/default.htm
New old Riblet swing dampener: http://superiortramw...m/downloads.htm
See CH-10

After going to both websites notice that they both reside in the same town

We have a number of mechanics that monitor this side of the forums and if there is any new information I am sure they will post it.

Kelly
Forum Admin – old Riblet mechanic, SORT president.
SORT’s website: http://www.ropetech.org/

Thanks for the reply, Kelly. I appreciate the well-prepared response.

On the first comment, I beg to differ. I work for the company that actually made the Original Equipment shock and sold it to Riblet. The valving within the shock was set up to be appropriate for the application (close to equal rebound and compression damping), and differs significantly from automotive tunings. If someone found a shock that otherwise fit in terms of lengths and end mounts, he could certainly use it, but may experience unacceptable/unintended performance (and even safety issues, depending on the application) if the tuning setup is way off.

Ultimately, we want to make sure users of these older Riblets have a solution one way or another. Based on your comments regarding the newer swing damping systems offered by TSI and Superior Tramway, can carriers originally equipped with the shocks be retrofitted with these updated systems with minimal headache and cost?

Thanks,
Aaron

[liftmech]

As I recall, yes. One then cuts off the lower shock mount on the bail. The new dampener mounts on the end of the clip as the old one did.