Worn shock bodies, repair options?

mxr746
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mxr746
Is there a coating or plating service that can bring worn shock bodies back to oem spec? (Running a 95 CR, oem shock bodies seem unavailable -other than everyone else's 20+ year old worn out ebay scrap.)
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BR8ES
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BR8ES 7/7/2018 5:52am
7/7/2018 5:52am
Hard Anodising. Race Tech comes to mind.
harescrambled
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harescrambled 7/7/2018 8:27am
7/7/2018 8:27am
BR8ES wrote:
Hard Anodising. Race Tech comes to mind.
Hard anodizing doesn't change the dimensions. If you anodize a worn shock body, you then have a worn shock body with hard anodizing.
BR8ES
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BR8ES 7/7/2018 8:42am
7/7/2018 8:42am Edited Date/Time 7/7/2018 8:52am
BR8ES wrote:
Hard Anodising. Race Tech comes to mind.
harescrambled wrote:
Hard anodizing doesn't change the dimensions. If you anodize a worn shock body, you then have a worn shock body with hard anodizing.
So how does RT do it?

Edit- not to sound like a jerk, curious as I may be getting a mid 80s bike.
harescrambled
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harescrambled 7/7/2018 12:46pm
7/7/2018 12:46pm
I was mistaken...it's color anodizing that doesn't have much effect on dimensions. Hard anodizing does change the dimensions, although it's normally done for wear resistance.

My suspension supplier told me he can take the shoch body back to stock for $175 plus labor.

http://www.fcrsuspension.com
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BR8ES
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BR8ES 7/7/2018 1:37pm
7/7/2018 1:37pm
harescrambled wrote:
I was mistaken...it's color anodizing that doesn't have much effect on dimensions. Hard anodizing does change the dimensions, although it's normally done for wear resistance. My...
I was mistaken...it's color anodizing that doesn't have much effect on dimensions. Hard anodizing does change the dimensions, although it's normally done for wear resistance.

My suspension supplier told me he can take the shoch body back to stock for $175 plus labor.

http://www.fcrsuspension.com
Thanks for the follow up!
lumpy790
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lumpy790 7/7/2018 6:28pm
7/7/2018 6:28pm Edited Date/Time 7/7/2018 6:29pm
Piston worn? Chrome peeling on the shaft? Seal head ..... By the time you pay for everything you can probably buy a new Ohlins
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mxr746
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mxr746 7/8/2018 5:00am
7/8/2018 5:00am
I contacted Ohlins, they no longer offer any products for my model.
BR8ES
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BR8ES 7/8/2018 5:17am
7/8/2018 5:17am
Race Tech or Noleen if you are looking for a whole unit.
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Mx746
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Mx746 7/8/2018 6:36am
7/8/2018 6:36am
BR8ES wrote:
Race Tech or Noleen if you are looking for a whole unit.
I didnt know they sold complete shocks? Ill get in touch with them.
BR8ES
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BR8ES 7/8/2018 7:11am
7/8/2018 7:11am
Axxis or WP many be possible as well for completes. There is a WP shock on eBay, says for 250. Gonna have it serviced anyway... I would consult RT or FCR though and see what they can do. Any complete shock will be around a grand.
kb228
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kb228 7/8/2018 7:23am
7/8/2018 7:23am
Doesnt fcr make shock bodies? I see them machining custom parts all the time on their instagram
mxr746
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mxr746 7/11/2018 5:58am
7/11/2018 5:58am
KDXGarage wrote:
How do you know yours is worn out?
I don't know if its worn beyond oem specs, it could be fine. But,
this is an evo bike. The shock is 20+ years old. The plan is to
collect the best spare parts I can find, or recondition old parts to
new oem specs. I like the bike enough to make it the bike Ill ride
most often. Its mx use only so I like everything to be in good shape,
if I was riding single track or something Id probably slap any old
ebay part on there. Planning on getting back into racing on it as
well. Plus its a fun project trying to get things as new as possible.
KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 7/11/2018 11:08am
7/11/2018 11:08am
Do you have any knowledge that it is not in usable condition right now?

Most any shock from the 90's is going to be anodized from the factory. I know even 1989 and newer KDX shock bodies were anodized. If it was not used with low oil, then the body may be just fine.

I will say this, if it is scratched, cost effectively it is trash. Buy a used one off eBay and take a chance.


Look for ...

Technical Touch rebuild kit 129994600201
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mxr746
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mxr746 7/12/2018 4:15am
7/12/2018 4:15am
Ideally I’d find a nos oem unit and pay the ransom. But even though my current shock may be fine for now, I’m looking at collecting spare parts, or reconditioning my current parts to new oem spec. Most of the stuff for sale looks to have been laying in the tall grass for 10 years before going on eBay. I’d like to send a shock to a suspension shop asking them to coat the bore as needled to return it to new oem spec, unless of course it already is. But 20+ years I would think would have to had at least some wear.
Mx746
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Mx746 7/12/2018 7:36am
7/12/2018 7:36am Edited Date/Time 7/12/2018 7:39am
I should probably distance my situation from the question Im asking. So here is the new question.
"Is it possible to rework the internal bore of a shock that is at,near, or beyond its oem service limit, by using either anodizing, or some other hard coating, to return it to like new oem bore spec?"
mx317
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mx317 7/12/2018 9:21am
7/12/2018 9:21am
I also wonder if company that can replate a cylinder could do a shock body? You might check with a hydraulic jack,ram,cylinder company for a fix. I'm sure they run into this also.
Luxon MX
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Luxon MX 7/12/2018 10:33am
7/12/2018 10:33am
Mx746 wrote:
I should probably distance my situation from the question Im asking. So here is the new question. "Is it possible to rework the internal bore of...
I should probably distance my situation from the question Im asking. So here is the new question.
"Is it possible to rework the internal bore of a shock that is at,near, or beyond its oem service limit, by using either anodizing, or some other hard coating, to return it to like new oem bore spec?"
Depends on what it looks like on the inside. If the bore has worn through the anodize, it will quickly wear away the raw aluminum. In that case it may be too far gone to be fixable. Regardless, the first step of re-coating is to strip the old anodize off. This must be done slowly to retain the nice surface finish on the inside bores. Then it needs to be re-polished, then re-anodized. A hard anodize will typically be .002" thick with .001" of buildup. So if the bore measures 2.000" in diameter after stripping, it will measure 1.998" after hard anodize. But stripping removes the previous anodize build-up so you aren't adding much if any through this process.

So if your shock body has worn out the anodize but not into the aluminum, it is possible to preform the above process to renew the anodize thickness and make it like new again. But you need to use someone who knows what they're doing and the process is pretty pricey. You'll likely be better off finding a used shock on eBay.
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