I’ve put ~70 miles dh/xc on this shock and during my ride today it started spraying out hydraulic fluid. I grew up bmx racing and only in the last few years did I pick up mountain biking, so mechanically I’m fairly new. I figured the seals were blown but after I pulled it off I noticed an o ring at the bottom was bulging out. Before I try and go through the warranty process and/or just have a local bike shop fix it, I wanted your opinions.
by nlauer42185
4 Comments
That o ring is your sag adjustment. If it’s leaking fluid you probably need a new seal at the very least. How old is the bike? I would also question if you’ve never properly has your sag/ shock setup that perhaps it did not have enough psi and fed into any potential damage that may have occurred.
I also don’t see any signs of fluid on the shock and most Fox shocks come with a lot of fluid from the factory that will naturally seep out during the first 100 miles or so to keep that dust seal lubricated.
Unfortunately this is not an easy fix. That o ring/ bolt is used to seal the oil into the shock and for bleeding the shock during a service. If any damper oil is removed from the shock, the internal floating piston (IFP) in the reservoir moves down and has the potential to knock into the lockout base valve. It is dangerous to the shock to continue to ride it and needs a full rebuild and bleed. The air pressure in the reservoir chamber will also be drastically affected. The oil will aerate very quickly and that’s bad. If your shop does full shock services (be sure to specify damper rebuilds) then yes your LBS rocks and take it to them. You will pay full price but they will probably get it back to you faster than fox. If they don’t do that, buckle up, you are without your shock for 2-3 weeks depending on shipping. Way of the road honestly. Seen this happen more than once. Nothing you have done. Just manufacturer defect. Once that is sorted it’s a fantastic and durable shock so don’t give up on it. Bad luck I guess. Hope that helps! Best of luck.
Is this a relatively new bike/shock? If so, Fox would likely warranty the shock. It is going to need a damper service.
Just for the record I wouldn’t send in any suspension to Fox for them to service it. It sounds counter intuitive but I’ve sent a fork and shock in for service to fox 3 times and 2 of the 3 times at least one or the other has come back with a different problem and I had to send it back again…
I would recommend having your local shop rebuild it and wait it out.