Rock Shox Judy XC/FSX upgrade to 80mm, how?

[FMJ]

The cartridge body is seized in the stanchion.

 

[Thias]

The black part, that is stuck inside the stantion tube, is it plastic or aluminium?
It should have slided out. But you can still try an push it from above. Use a short piece of your old elastomeres and some long rod.


What are your plans now? Still want to upgrade for more travel?

 

[RockiMtn]

The cartridge body is seized in the stanchion.

figured as much. but should the end have popped off like that and spill out all the oil? have i broke it or can it be put back together? looking at your pic, it looks like yours has come apart like that too. dummy side isn't coming out easy either so probably seized as well, and that's the side that was in worse shape it looks.

The black part, that is stuck inside the stantion tube, is it plastic or aluminium?
I should have slided out. But you can still try an push it from above. Use a short piece of your old elastomeres and some long rod.

What are your plans now? Still want to upgrade for more travel?

hard to say if it's the plastic or metal body as i can't really see. assumed it was plastic and i broke open the cartridge, but maybe it's metal. i dunno. i'll give a go at poking it out from the other end when i have some time and find something appropriate i can use.

not sure if i want to keep going with this. i might just clean up the springs and throw them in the clean FSX fork to replace the elastomers that are going bad and be done with it. SL is pretty much a lost cause and i'll just salvage what i can for spares. think it's best i just find another more modern 80mm fork for my project, as the Judy is not really in keeping with the year that the frame i want it for. :?

 

[Thias]

No, you did not brake it. It is supposed to come apart like that. But usually the cartridge slides out of the stantion tube easily. And just then you would have to pull the seal out like that to change the oil.

 

[RockiMtn]

ah, okay. so that's for both the plastic and metal body version? so maybe some hope i can salvage the cartridge if i can get the body out. :facepalm:

 

[FMJ]

The cartridge body is seized in the stanchion.

figured as much. but should the end have popped off like that and spill out all the oil? have i broke it or can it be put back together? looking at your pic, it looks like yours has come apart like that too. dummy side isn't coming out easy either so probably seized as well, and that's the side that was in worse shape it looks.

That's not my pic, but the cartridge in it is intact. I posted that to show you the three parts below the cartridge in the forks. Circlip, wave washer, and the plastic shaft guide. The cartridges are supposed to be a lose fit in the stanchions. The plastic guide helps to keep them centered in the stanchion. From the look of the stanchions and internals, that is likely the first time in 20 years that fork has been disassembled. :facepalm: The same mung that's covering the springs and elastomers has worked it's way down between the cartridge and the inside of the stanchions and it's now seized. The cartridge can be put back together. Whether it will stay together is the crux. The problem with the original plastic cartridges is that they would blow out the seal on big hits all by themselves. That's why RS would warranty anyone's original plastic cartridge that committed suicide with upgraded aluminum ones.

The black part, that is stuck inside the stantion tube, is it plastic or aluminium?
I should have slided out. But you can still try an push it from above. Use a short piece of your old elastomeres and some long rod.

What are your plans now? Still want to upgrade for more travel?

hard to say if it's the plastic or metal body as i can't really see. assumed it was plastic and i broke open the cartridge, but maybe it's metal. i dunno. i'll give a go at poking it out from the other end when i have some time and find something appropriate i can use.

Wipe the inside of the cartridge off with a rag. It's pretty easy to tell if it's anodizing or the dull sheen of plastic by eye.

 

[RockiMtn]

ah, okay. so the cone piece is just a guide, and the larger black piece that follow is supposed to be the cap. gotcha.

yeah, the SL is pretty nasty. :facepalm: but it still seemed to be working and there was no oil leaking.

 

[FluffyChicken]

When you tap the cartridge out you will tell if it's plastic or metal. Not from just looking at it but the plastic will be bent and mangled ;-)

Had a few stuck in, can be a bugger to get out.
Part of them going was apparently the oil warmed up as expected and the plastic would expand as it couldn't conduct the heat away..
So I've been told.

Get some lube down there and let it try dissolve what it can than wack it out.


Don't bother with elastomer, use springs either one big long one or a mix with the typeII you have, seems you might be able to get on under there. I can check lengths if needed.
(typeII top should be 51mm and lower should be 115mm assuming 80mm travel, seems they've been bodged to to damaged MCU or maybe a 15mm extension on an 80mm conversion from 63mm lenghts ? (1997 typeII)


you may need this for the cartridge http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/M ... e/Service/

 

[RockiMtn]

Re:

well i cleaned the long springs from the SL as best i could with rags and some degreaser. any tips on getting them cleaned up more? should i sand some of the corrosion/rust and possible paint/coat them with something? they measure 150mm in length and one is marked with red. so how firm is that? i'd want soft as i'm fairly light weight at about 140lbs +/- 5lbs. add that length with the red elastomer that was stuffed on top which measured roughly 35/40mm gives a stack height of about 185/190mm. the shaft i yanked out of the damper cartridge was about 200mm in length.

now from the FSX, the small spring up top was 50mm and painted green. stack height with the spacers and elastomer ended up around 170mm or so, though i guess could have been longer with the deteriorated long elastomer. so not sure if that means they had same/different travel set up or not. :?

 

[RockiMtn]

thump thump thump… pop! with some effort, managed to get the cart and dummy out.

as for the FSX, those were easy peasy! and i got a nice surprise as well… a Risse Gem cart! :mrgreen: