Simplest replacement for rear shock on '99 FSR

[twain]

i run a fox float (RP23 i think) 165mm i2i
have to have it upside down so the valve and rebound/lockout adjuster doesnt foul the frame, but it works nice check my 99 FSR ELite build thread link below.

i have a rock shox deluxe spring which has rebound adjust, but i think its past its due date and i cant get it serviced (well cheaply that is )

i think Rock Shox SID rear shocks fit and there are some other 165mm fox shocks on ebay from time to time, just keep your eyes peeled

heres a fox:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fox-RP23-/271 ... 3f21543173

another but seems suspiciously short at 130mm i2i...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fox-Racing-Sh ... 23273765e7

and another 165mm i2i fox float:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fox-Rear-Susp ... 3cce23ed98

but you are looking at around £100 for one of these second hand.
I got all my bush kits (spacers to fit the shock to the mount) from Mojo.

 

[Bullpup]

What is actually wrong with the current shock?

If it is bottoming out, fit an uprated spring. If the bushes are worn, replace them. Then see how it goes.

 

[Barneyballbags]

If you've decided that you want to change the shock, then personally I'd replace it with a modern air shock. A good condition, used Fox Float R shock could be sourced easily enough.

Alternatively, you could throw a little bit more ££ at it and go for a Fox RP2/RP3 as twain has done.

Either way, you'd increase the performance of the rear end, and decrease the weight at the same time.

Someone I met at the Forest of Dean loved his FSR so much that he replaced the rear shock with a top of the range Fox Kashima.. Probably worth at least as much if not more than the rest of the bike!

Something like this should do you, in a 165 x 38 variety as cyfa2809 has mentioned. I recently sold a similar one for £45.00, so they're not expensive:

 

[ZeeSaffa]

Really useful advice - thanks!

The current (original) shock has no rebound damping anymore.
I would also need to upgrade the spring.
I think it makes more sense to just replace the whole shock.

I'm going to keep my eye out for a Fox Float as you've suggested.
If you've got any more going for a tidy £45 please let me know

I'll also stick a post in the "Wanted" section.

 

[Barneyballbags]

Fox Float £60:
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1261456/

Fox RP3 £40 (!!) - Missing the adjuster lever, but replacement levers are easily available and cheap):
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1244893/

 

[ZeeSaffa]

Thanks for taking the time to find those! I didn't know about Pinkbike

I get suspicious though when the seller says "What you see is what you get." Especially if they've just registered on the forum.

Also, the RP3 seems to suffer from getting "stuck down".

Any other suggestions? I have about £70 to spend on the shock itself.

 

[jetmaroo]

I have the same bike. I got my frame for 90 quid off eBay a while ago. It came with the stock shock. I swapped it out for a Fox air vanilla shock 160 or 165 eye to eye I can't recall which, but it improved the ride instantly. I too run the shock with the valve at the seatstay end as another poster suggested and can confirm it does not foul on anything. My air shock is ancient, no adjustment of any kind but it works a treat however I am paranoid it will fail one of these days so if you find a cost effective modern replacement, please post and let us know. BTW I run a set of Pace RC41 xcams up front and I find the ride buttery-smooth. You could find a pair on eBay for 100 - 150 I would guess.

Good luck on your quest!

 

[ZeeSaffa]

Hi Jet,

I ended up buying a used RS SID dual air shock but it didn't fit. Either the main body touched the linkage or the top valve would've touched the frame if fitted the other way round.

So, I've ended up just getting a new linkage from BETD.
I've yet to fit the shock (need to do bushings) - but the linkage is in and looks great!
I'll probably upgrade the forks next (along with stem, bars, etc). Those RC41's look great but they are way out of my budget
Then after that - a better rear shock (the linkage is worth 3 times as much as the shock!)

Some pics to illustrate what I mean:

 

[jetmaroo]

Thanks for the pics, great to see someone keeping another of these bikes alive, mine's the same colour too! The BETD link looks absolutely fantastic, shame they're so pricey :-(
I notice you are running a rear disc brake - I assume you've used an adaptor? Which one have you used? I bought an A2Z one but have not fitted it yet. I was put off by the fact that you can't brake going backwards with it! Monza did/ do a really tasty one that has a link bar that reaches up to the left brake boss to spread the braking load better but I don't know if its still available.

 

[Osella]

Looks like the Specialized sharkfin disc adapter from the silhouette!

I also had the same issue with my 99/2k FSR (which had the BETD link), but I managed to get hold of an X-Fusion O2 for an absolute bargain from here.
My suggestion would be to post in the 'Wanted 98+' forum, stating that you need a 165mm e2e and NOT RS SID dual air..

I also have to run the shock 'upside down', but one further word of warning is that DT Swiss and X-Fusion use differently-sized bushings, .2 of a mm smaller if I recall, so probably best to avoid those unless you have helpful spacer/shims, as new bushing kits are about 20 quid each..

Do you have a shock pump? If you do then you don't need to worry about buying any which need a bit of adjustment if you prefer a stiffer shock - just stick some extra air in!
RS service manuals are available from their website as pdf's, so whatever RS you buy you can check out the dimension details there. Some of the X-fusion ones are available, but not sure re: Fox.