What's Included

• 3-Pin DB IL Air Sealhead Socket : for opening the inline-style sealhead
• DB IL Air Can Wrench : fits all generations of the DB Inline Air but if you use it on the older gen, make sure you use as much teeths as possible.
• 8mm Shaft Clamp (Horizontal Style) : compatible with Cane Creek’s inline shaft design
• Plastic Composite Pellet Retainer Tool (If Standard mount only) : for screwing the nitrile pellet while pressurizing the damper.

 Or see how to make your own pellet retainer tool at home with a Dremel and 4mm Allen key.

The pictures are from the older generation (pre-2023) of Cane Creek DB IL Air because I didn't have the chance to get my hands on one yet.

 Tools not included that you probably need

• Essential Tools Starter Pack : includes shock pump, valve tools, and more
• Needle Fill Adapter : required for recharging bladder or IFP with high pressure If you don't need all of these tools, you can buy them separately by sending us a message, all tools are available individually. Bundles include a small discount.

 Special Notes

• You don't need the pellet retainer tools if you have the new Trunnion mounted shock. Only the needle fill tool is still needed.
• ⚠️ Do NOT insert the 3-pin tool into the threads : always align the pins with the actual holes made for that.
• ⚠️ Only open the adjusters if they are externally leaking : they are extremely well-tuned and easy to mess up.
• The bleed screw is located under the climb lever plate : you’ll need to disassemble the lever to access it.
• The shock has a screw-in inner tube, unlike Fox and others. Cane Creek uses a special wrench, but you can gently rotate it using a screwdriver through the cross-holes.
• Use red Loctite on the threads of the inner tube, but do not over-tighten if you did open it.

 How to Bleed This Shock

This is a twin-tube damper with no piggyback reservoir, so you must use both the glove technique and a final syringe bleed. There is no cheap bleed fitting that works well (I tried all the brake bleed fittings), but here’s what we found works:

• Make sure all the adjusters are fully open if you forgot!!
• You need to first do the rubber glove technique and push oil into the inner tube for a while.
• The oil will overflow back into the inner tube from the outer tube as it get pushed with the glove technique and continue until you feel satisfied.
• Use a standard bleed syringe with a rubber tube
• OPEN THE ADJUSTERS FULLY IF YOU DIDN'T ALREADY
• Gently push the tube into the bleed port, get help holding it steady
• Push on the syringe piston gently, then let oil flow back into the system
• Stroke the shock while pressurizing the syringe
• Repeat a few times and tap the shock to release bubbles

Once complete, the damper should stop making sloshing noises. Do not skip this step, glove technique alone is not enough for this shock!

It's not perfect but the bleed adapter is more than 100$ so it's better than nothing and it worked fine for me the 3 times I did it.

 Optional Tools (Ask First)

The bladder wrench and body clamp may fit, but we haven't confirmed 100% fit on the 2023+ DB Inline Air yet. If you're curious to try them, send us a message and we can ship you prototypes at cost, just the price of the plastic.