Hi -
Just acquired what I believe is a '94 Specialized RockHopper in very good, original condition.
Simple Green got the Rapid Fires firing again but the shock does not rebound as it should.
I googled and found some info here archived (pasted below) but the original pics are too old to open (I wanted to verify the info and make sure it's the same shock)
Here is what was posted and pics of my bike.
Please note I did call Specialized and went to 2 local Specialized stores, ... Specialized said they could not help me do to the age of the bike, and the two bike stores just wanted to sell me a new shock ... as others here reported back in 2004...
First post by LC Donovan
At long last, my Specialized Future Shock shocks are now fixed!
It turned out that most (almost all) the advice given me was stale.
Even the first bicycle shop gave me totally wrong information!
At a second bike shop, the shocks were fixed today!
All the shop added was:
a) Air (pumped to 140 psi according) with a FOX Shox pump
b) Oil (Dexron ATF)
There was nothing else wrong with these shocks despite the fact the
first (wrong) bike shop told me they always sell new shocks to everyone
who comes in with Specialized Rockhopper shocks which lost their
rebound.
However, this second dealer told me this was a common problem (and that
the first dealer probably just wanted to sell new shocks). The
technician said the shock was basically a slightly modified "Rocks
Shocks" (whatever that is); and that they'd have both shocks 'fixed' by
the end of the day.
Sure enough, when I picked up the bike just now, the front shocks were
fixed!
In response to my incredulous questioning, the bicycle technician
nodded his head saying he sees at least a bike a week with this very
same problem and he rarely fails to fix it this way (besides, it's part
of their 60-dollar yearly tuneup that I never brought the mountain bike
in for, shame on me).
If only I knew it was that easy!
Why didn't anyone here suggest Air + Oil?
Oh well. My loss. At least for the next rider with the same problem, I
can provide the steps (from memory) explained to me by the technician
today so others can benefit.
For a 1994 Rockhopper Comp Future Sport front shock pair:
- Pry off the black cap at top (clean it with alcohol)
- Discard the old oil (by tipping the forks upside down)
- Bounce a few times to help expel the oil
- Clean with kerosene, bounce again & then let it all dry upside down
- Add new Dexron ATF (measured from the top about 40 mm down)
- With a Fox air pump, hand pump to 50 psi & wait 10 minutes
- Release pressure & pump to 100 psi & wait another 10 minutes
- Release pressure & pump to 140 psi (or more depending on your needs)
- Charge customer $30 dollars for time & materials.
I asked a lot of questions so they spent about an hour with me in the
shop. The technician didn't have a diagram of the shocks but he said
almost any Rocks Shocks diagram would be similar (where would I get
that?).
The bicycle technician also said parts were widely available for these
decade-old shocks; and, when I asked for a supplier, he scribbled the
name of Hippie-Tech Suspension in Boise Idaho (208.724.8949) on the
back of his card.
In summary, what was wrong with the Specialized RockHopper Future Sport
shocks was merely that the oil and air had leaked out over the last
decade. The solution was a $30 replenishing of the oil and air. I rode
the bike home (only about five miles and 1200 feet elevation overall)
and they seem fine, if a bit on the stiff side.
Geez, I wish I knew a year ago what I now know (see above) about
shocks!
L. C. Donovan
2nd post by another member
The two front Specialized Comp Full Suspension Sport Shocks you mentioned DO
NOT use springs or elastomer materials so don't worry about breakage (there's
nothing to break inside). These front-fork Sport Shocks merely contain pistons
(like the type in your bicycle pump) which have compressed air and
transmission fluid in them.
These Sport Shocks often fail after six months to a year of hard use so it's
quite normal for yours to have lasted five or more years before failing
(assuming you merely rode the bike on mountain trails of moderate height, say
just a few thousand feet in total riding elevation for your average ride).
And, yes, you CAN get parts for these (call Specialized with the bike, year,
and model if you can. Otherwise, send them a photo of the bike and a closeup
of the shocks. I hesitate to provide you with Specialized support email
address as that would inundate them with spam (spammers mine these message
boards regularly) so just call the phone numbers above to obtain the email
address. These guys at Specialized are a wonderful bunch when you get to know
them personally. They'll track down the parts for you from your photo but you
really won't need the parts because this is a common problem with these
shocks.
So, please just forget what you've been told by the bike shop and others on
this board and simply go back to any reputable Specialized bike shop to tell
them to add AIR and FLUID. From my experience, 99% of the time that fixes the
flaccid front shocks. Any bike shop who tells you otherwise is just trying to
make money on a new set of shocks (they sell for $300 but they bought them for
$150 to $180).
Once they replace the fluid and pump the air back in, your Sport Shocks
will be good as new. A reputable shop should charge about $30 bucks (give or
take 5 or 10 bucks) for the front shocks overhaul.
T&S
Is this the same shock referenced in the "solutions" posted above?
If so, is there a special adapter for a shock pump to attach?
Sorry, but this is new territory for me.
Thanks in advance!
Just acquired what I believe is a '94 Specialized RockHopper in very good, original condition.
Simple Green got the Rapid Fires firing again but the shock does not rebound as it should.
I googled and found some info here archived (pasted below) but the original pics are too old to open (I wanted to verify the info and make sure it's the same shock)
Here is what was posted and pics of my bike.
Please note I did call Specialized and went to 2 local Specialized stores, ... Specialized said they could not help me do to the age of the bike, and the two bike stores just wanted to sell me a new shock ... as others here reported back in 2004...
First post by LC Donovan
At long last, my Specialized Future Shock shocks are now fixed!
It turned out that most (almost all) the advice given me was stale.
Even the first bicycle shop gave me totally wrong information!
At a second bike shop, the shocks were fixed today!
All the shop added was:
a) Air (pumped to 140 psi according) with a FOX Shox pump
b) Oil (Dexron ATF)
There was nothing else wrong with these shocks despite the fact the
first (wrong) bike shop told me they always sell new shocks to everyone
who comes in with Specialized Rockhopper shocks which lost their
rebound.
However, this second dealer told me this was a common problem (and that
the first dealer probably just wanted to sell new shocks). The
technician said the shock was basically a slightly modified "Rocks
Shocks" (whatever that is); and that they'd have both shocks 'fixed' by
the end of the day.
Sure enough, when I picked up the bike just now, the front shocks were
fixed!
In response to my incredulous questioning, the bicycle technician
nodded his head saying he sees at least a bike a week with this very
same problem and he rarely fails to fix it this way (besides, it's part
of their 60-dollar yearly tuneup that I never brought the mountain bike
in for, shame on me).
If only I knew it was that easy!
Why didn't anyone here suggest Air + Oil?
Oh well. My loss. At least for the next rider with the same problem, I
can provide the steps (from memory) explained to me by the technician
today so others can benefit.
For a 1994 Rockhopper Comp Future Sport front shock pair:
- Pry off the black cap at top (clean it with alcohol)
- Discard the old oil (by tipping the forks upside down)
- Bounce a few times to help expel the oil
- Clean with kerosene, bounce again & then let it all dry upside down
- Add new Dexron ATF (measured from the top about 40 mm down)
- With a Fox air pump, hand pump to 50 psi & wait 10 minutes
- Release pressure & pump to 100 psi & wait another 10 minutes
- Release pressure & pump to 140 psi (or more depending on your needs)
- Charge customer $30 dollars for time & materials.
I asked a lot of questions so they spent about an hour with me in the
shop. The technician didn't have a diagram of the shocks but he said
almost any Rocks Shocks diagram would be similar (where would I get
that?).
The bicycle technician also said parts were widely available for these
decade-old shocks; and, when I asked for a supplier, he scribbled the
name of Hippie-Tech Suspension in Boise Idaho (208.724.8949) on the
back of his card.
In summary, what was wrong with the Specialized RockHopper Future Sport
shocks was merely that the oil and air had leaked out over the last
decade. The solution was a $30 replenishing of the oil and air. I rode
the bike home (only about five miles and 1200 feet elevation overall)
and they seem fine, if a bit on the stiff side.
Geez, I wish I knew a year ago what I now know (see above) about
shocks!
L. C. Donovan
2nd post by another member
The two front Specialized Comp Full Suspension Sport Shocks you mentioned DO
NOT use springs or elastomer materials so don't worry about breakage (there's
nothing to break inside). These front-fork Sport Shocks merely contain pistons
(like the type in your bicycle pump) which have compressed air and
transmission fluid in them.
These Sport Shocks often fail after six months to a year of hard use so it's
quite normal for yours to have lasted five or more years before failing
(assuming you merely rode the bike on mountain trails of moderate height, say
just a few thousand feet in total riding elevation for your average ride).
And, yes, you CAN get parts for these (call Specialized with the bike, year,
and model if you can. Otherwise, send them a photo of the bike and a closeup
of the shocks. I hesitate to provide you with Specialized support email
address as that would inundate them with spam (spammers mine these message
boards regularly) so just call the phone numbers above to obtain the email
address. These guys at Specialized are a wonderful bunch when you get to know
them personally. They'll track down the parts for you from your photo but you
really won't need the parts because this is a common problem with these
shocks.
So, please just forget what you've been told by the bike shop and others on
this board and simply go back to any reputable Specialized bike shop to tell
them to add AIR and FLUID. From my experience, 99% of the time that fixes the
flaccid front shocks. Any bike shop who tells you otherwise is just trying to
make money on a new set of shocks (they sell for $300 but they bought them for
$150 to $180).
Once they replace the fluid and pump the air back in, your Sport Shocks
will be good as new. A reputable shop should charge about $30 bucks (give or
take 5 or 10 bucks) for the front shocks overhaul.
T&S
Is this the same shock referenced in the "solutions" posted above?
If so, is there a special adapter for a shock pump to attach?
Sorry, but this is new territory for me.
Thanks in advance!
