1999 RockShox Deluxe servicing

[oldandslow]

Unserviceable. Belonged in the bin even when new. Try and find a Fox Vanilla in 165x38 size.

OK so I've replaced the transmission and gear cables on my Brompton, and sorted the rust under its BB, so I've got back onto this one now. Removing the suspension was easy of course, but I think I now see what valve bouncer meant. The Deluxe looks like this variant, which is literally unserviceable because the core of it was supplied as one unit.

The displaced seal came from the bottom of the body, which is that core unit (part 7 in the attached), and simply pushed back into place. However, when I move the shock by hand, I can feel some roughness part-way along its travel, which is presumably not normal. I don't think the bushes are unduly worn - and, as I mentioned before, the bike has not been used heavily.

So maybe I'm looking for a new unit to fit.

 

[rc300]

Crack it open very basic in there. Can't recall if its a circlip holding in the damper shaft in or not.

 

[oldandslow]

So it appears to be either 6 x 1.5 or 6.5 x 1.5.
I.e. 165mm x 38mm

Something like this may fit? (with the right size bushings)

Rock Shox Monarch RT 165mm x 38mm 00.4118.229.014 Air MTB Bike Rear Shock New | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Rock Shox Monarch RT 165mm x 38mm 00.4118.229.014 Air MTB Bike Rear Shock New at the best online prices at eBay!

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I've measured it up at 6.25*0.75". Does that make it a toy, with so little compression stroke? Is anything that size even available?

 

[synchronicity]

That doesn't sound like very much.
How are you measuring the available stroke?
The bumper stopper is designed to compress.

 

[oldandslow]

That doesn't sound like very much.
How are you measuring the available stroke?
The bumper stopper is designed to compress.

Thanks, because that made me think again about what I was seeing and whether it made sense. My measurements were correct, in that there is indeed 0.75" of smooth travel in between the two hard stops in my photos below. However, the bumper stopper wouldn't then get compressed before the limit of travel, and you'd definitely get the effect in my original post:

... a "clacking" noise from the rear when I hit a bump the size of a sleeping policeman...

So I reckon something fairly catastrophic has happened in there. I did say I wasn't exactly pushing this bike to its limits!

I've looked for @rc300's circlip and not found it. In fact, I can't for the life of me see how to get the thing apart. I don't know if it was some kind of one-time press-fit assembly. And it may not be worth the effort, as I probably won't be able to fix the issue anyway. So at present I'm focused on the best replacement to get something suitable to the kind of light use I'll probably give it, but serviceable because "bike" and "can't take apart" together make an oxymoron.

 

[Mikey08]

Give TF Tuned a bell. Ive found them usually quite helpful with technical queries

There has to be a way in there of they'd never have gotten the seal head/shim stack inside the shock body. Wonder if its under the sticker?

165 x 38mm is a common shock size so finding a replacement shouldnt be a problem.

 

[oldandslow]

Give TF Tuned a bell. Ive found them usually quite helpful with technical queries

There has to be a way in there of they'd never have gotten the seal head/shim stack inside the shock body. Wonder if its under the sticker?

165 x 38mm is a common shock size so finding a replacement shouldnt be a problem.

No, I moved the sticker to check. Can't see anything, it's weird, bit like a ship-in-a-bottle assembly on the face of it, which is impossible, so I have to be missing something but, as above, don't think there's much to gain from taking it apart anyway.

Currently looking at a RockShox Monarch RL, but I'll have to save up some pennies even for that. If anyone knows why that particular unit wouldn't fit, please shout!!!

This discussion has been really helpful in getting me this far. If I'm allowed to cite threads elsewhere, I've just found this too, which is useful, although inconclusive.

 

[synchronicity]

My opinion?
It's knackered. You know it's knackered. Don't waste your time on it.

I had the same issue with a printer today. Well similar in that you can spend too long trying to get things working. A stupid [lexmark m430] ethernet one my mother bought about 6 months ago. Trying to get it to print on usb. That's all it had to do! Wasted an hour and got NOWHERE. I had spent time on it before trying all sorts of settings (there are literally hundreds now). For some reason it had stopped working (again). As I've got older I've learned some things are not worth the effort trying to 'fix'. This particular printer is massively overcomplicated for example. Told her to sell it and get a double-sided one with no ethernet ports. I don't feel at all "defeated" that I couldn't get the bastard to work. It's not worth my precious time and effort. If I was the team leader at lexmark I'd tell them all that one shouldn't need a degree in IT to get a printer to print a page.

My advice? Cut your losses and move on.
Save up and get the monarch RL.
Don't get the RT, it's not a full lockout.

 

[oldandslow]

My opinion?
It's knackered. You know it's knackered. Don't waste your time on it.

...

My advice? Cut your losses and move on.
Save up and get the monarch RL.
Don't get the RT, it's not a full lockout.

Yes, 100%. I've given up on the shock, but not on the bike. Encouraged by your support for my favouring the Monarch RL, and thanks for the comment against the RT as well. The fund has been started

 

[clubby]

You’ve given it a good try and you’ve learned a lot, just accept that’s as good as it’s going to get.
One thing to be aware of is that you’ll need new mounting hardware as well as a new shock. Rockshox changed eyelet size since that shock was made and what you have won’t fit.