Fox Float rear shock

[Rapunzel]

I've got a fox float rear shock on a bike which was purchased second hand. The shock is losing pressure pretty quickly - is it just in need of service? Where's the best place to send it (cpt) and approximate cost?

[Johan Bornman]

It needs a service and new seals. Should not be expensive but could well be, depending on the whim of the mechanic.  The agent is in Cape Town, take it there.

 

 

[Rapunzel]

Tx Johan - any idea of the lifespan of shocks in general? (obviously dependant on terrain and rider weight - but maybe a guideline)

[Johan Bornman]

Tx Johan - any idea of the lifespan of shocks in general? (obviously dependant on terrain and rider weight - but maybe a guideline)

 

This is such a difficult, yet valid question. Everyone wants to know what is a reasonable lifespan between services. Luckily, our shocks are serviceable. Car shocks and most motorcycle shocks aren't, they're throw-away items and those that can be serviced, are much more expensive than cartridge items.

 

I'm going to assume by life, you mean the service intervals. Unless the shock meets with some accident, it pretty much lives forever.

 

 

I am of the opinion that weight has no bearing on shock sevice life, only the number of strokes (in other words, roughness of the terrain) and the qualities of the grit/dust the wiper has to wipe away with each stroke. Some shocks are positioned perfectly in front of the wheel where they receive maximum attack, others are hidden behind tubes or even, offset as we see on Specialized bikes. The fruther away from the stuff the wheels throw at it, the better.

 

If you leave your bike in the garage for a year without riding it, the seals will harden and it will start to leak oil/air.

 

Just one ride with the wrong stuff thrown at the shock may ruin the seals.

 

Then again, you can ride non-stop for a very long time and the shock will still be OK.

 

The oil in the shock's air chamer (a couple of ml of it) is basically a consumable and as soon as that is finished, the seal will wear rapidly.

 

The oil is released by the seal and smeared on that exposed, gray shaft you see, one molecular layer at a time. It lubrictes the seal's movement on the shafts. Once it is finished, it is overs.

 

I tell people in my class that a seal that doesn't leak, will leak. This means a seal that doesn't release a thin layer of lubricant cannot live long as it will abrade away until it no longer makes contact. This also means that the lubricant inside is a consumable and should be replenished before it is finished and damage occurs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Orvor]

Eish, my Fox Brain rear shock needs a service. Johann, any ideas who I could take it to in Gauteng (Northern Suburbs)?

[jugheaddave]

Sorry for slight high-jack:

 

So then is it not a good idea to take a little shock oil and put a little on your stanchions every so often and cycle the shock/fork up and down a few times, then wipe of the excess??

 

[Norris]

Send it to the fox agents, not sure who they are, but that would be the best option