Fox Vanilla RX rear shock advice desperately needed!!

[LikeClockwork]

So....first real day off for ages, decided to set about sorting this rear shock, a quick job so I can fit it back to the frame it's off and start the rebuild....only....

Took apart, compressed by hand, piston stayed firmly in and no amount of twiddling with the red rebound knob thingy makes any difference. Eventually with some coaxing and generally just staring at it, it will come back out to about what you see now.

But my real question is (and there is zero advice anywhere on the 'net as far as I can see), is that schraeder valve you see on the piggy back part, for air, and will putting some in help anyway with the above? Or is it, as the little bit I have found on googling it, a nitrogen charged unit and I'll blow myself up....?

Any advice or general pointers eagerly received, including 'it's broken, bin it', because I can't afford to waste too much time on this!

 

[ishaw]

Re:

When you adjust the red dial, does the rear end of it visibly move? I've had a few rs units where the dial has broken in the middle so no amount of turning helps (note, don't force the dial past its limit or it will probably break).

When I looked into it, I'm sure I found that these were air not nitrogen and you can fill with a shock pump as needed.

 

[LikeClockwork]

Re:

Hi Ian, Am thinking from what we've chatted about before, it's got to be an air valve, so I may have to just give it a try later and see what happens, or not as the case may be!

The red dial has a lovely click to it, but no, nothing visibly moves at all when you fiddle with it. I wondered if it needed air and perhaps the shock has none in it, but as above, there's only really one way to find out!

Thanks. This may need cider......

 

[ishaw]

Re:

When I had it, I did take the spring off and check the rebound and it was working and I could return it to full extension by hand without much effort. There was someone on here who wanted it and seemed to know a bit about them, I think they had a wanted post for one, or at least a rebound dial. I'll see if I can find the post.

 

[LikeClockwork]

Re:

Thanks Ian. Going to leave it for now and maybe go back to it later, and I'll recheck that I'm not being thick.

I'd like to get it working if I can, sounds hopeful if you had it compressing properly. If all else fails, then it would be good to someone for spares, as you say.

 

[stevet1]

The red dial has a lovely click to it, but no, nothing visibly moves at all when you fiddle with it.

What did you expect to move? All you're doing is adjusting the rebound damping?

 

[LikeClockwork]

Re:

I wondered if the rebound was so slow as to be imperceptible....

All sorted now, I put some air in it and suddenly we have a lovely smooth action, so to speak, although the rebound knob thingy still doesn't seem to make a jot of difference....but the shock works!! So shall clean and put back together and get back on the bike.

Only thing I could do with knowing now is how much pressure to put in it....? I only weigh 10 stone (well....maybe ten and a half after Christmas!!) I've gone for 150 psi for the time being and shall see how much it goes down in case it's leaking.

 

[LikeClockwork]

Re:

I've given up and literally come in for an early bath - in playing around with air pressures, I seem to have now knackered the valve; when I take the pump off it lets all the air out again! :facepalm: :facepalm:

Anyone want a cheap project bike, would swap for a nice Kona hard tail frame, know where you are with Konas.... :roll:

 

[ishaw]

Re:

The valve should be an easy fix, you might even just need to tighten the core if it has worked loose?

 

[LikeClockwork]

Re:

No doubt Ian, but that's it now for at least another week....by which time I may have calmed down a bit and found a solution!!