Pinkbike Poll: Has Your Shock Ever Failed?

Jan 6, 2022 at 9:19
by Seb Stott  
Specialized Stumpjumper EVO


Recently, Vorsprung Suspension published a pretty interesting video making the case that shocks with a clevis link (above) or trunnion mount (right) could potentially accelerate wear due to the lateral loads the shock experiences when the frame flexes. Trunnion-mounted shocks connect to the frame with two widely-spaced bearings, making for a stiff connection. This means any lateral movement at the other end has to be accommodated by the shock bending. Clevis links increase the leverage over the shock, meaning a given lateral force is more likely to cause the shock to buckle or bind, making it unable to absorb bumps, or leading to the shock wearing out or even breaking.
Standard Eyelet vs Trunnion
A trunnion mount (right) creates a stiffer connection to the frame.


Personally, I've seen several shocks misaligned in the frame, and sometimes visibly move side-to-side as the frame flexes. This does seem to reduce sensitivity, but I've only ever had two shocks fail - one was the notorious first-generation Cane Creek Inline DBair, and another was a first-generation Fox Float X2. In more recent years, however, shocks seem to hold up pretty well in my experience.

Bottom eye on the shock is broken
photo
Trawling the PB forums, there are a few horror stories of broken shocks, but is it all that common?

What do you think?

Have you ever had a shock fail?

By fail I mean it can't be fixed with fresh oil and seals.



When was the last time your shock failed?



How often do you service your shock?





Author Info:
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Member since Dec 29, 2014
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331 Comments
  • 345 8
 I'd count "spewing oil and total loss of pressure" as a "failure" even if it can be fixed with new oil and seals, personally.
  • 58 0
 Same. In which case, count me in for "a bunch"
  • 48 0
 This exactly. I have a hard time thinking trunnion is the problem when my DPX2 nukes its damper internals twice a year.
  • 5 0
 Yeah exactly. That is a big fail and that has happened to me 2-3 times with current bike (few year period) once during a big DH day, I cut That Some slack since it’s a trail bike, but it’s happened before in less dramatic fashion where all of a sudden the bikes a low rider sitting halfway in its travel. One thing I will say is15 bucks for a UNIVERSAL fox repair kit that you can pick up anywhere is a great move by Fox. I can accept products that fail every once in a while as long as repairing them isn’t a huge PITA or expensive. I’d take a smidge less reliability to maintain a light high performance bike. I keep a rigid steel bike for unwavering reliability.
  • 16 0
 @CTDchris:

By "UNIVERSAL" do you mean the 803-00-142 air sleeve kit? That won't really solve any issues other than maybe an air leak. Air leaks are super rare.
  • 8 0
 Yup. Shock stays packed after a big hit? That's a failure, even if all I need to do is pull it apart and relube all the things.
  • 1 0
 If that is the case I want to change my answer!
  • 13 0
 @RoboDuck: I think you misspelled, "I need a different shock"
  • 14 2
 I had multiple rides ruined by a stuck down Monarch. The fix was as simple as removing and cleaning the the air can since some grease had plugged up the pos/neg transfer port. I am easily able to do this myself with no new parts but not trail side so for me, walking back 4 miles to the trailhead with a stuck down shock counts as a failure.
  • 52 2
 @ihertzler I'd agree with you. Anything that renders the shock unable to perform as per normal, meaning a malfunction that prevents the bike being ridden normally, should be considered a "failure", even if it's not severe and it is fixed easily.

I think the poll should perhaps say "have you had a shock fail in significantly less time than the manufacturer's service interval, or in some manner (eg snapping a shaft) that is not related to maintenance of the shock" if the goal is to discern whether or not the frame has a significant influence.

With that said, seals are wearing items like tyres or chains or anything else - if they simply fail because they're worn out after a reasonable period of time, that's a different issue and generally not a design problem. If your trunnion mounted shock "suddenly" started leaking after 200hrs of riding without service, that's probably not related to it being trunnion mounted, and more related to the amount of normal wear the seals will see over that time. Did the frame cause it? Have you landed sideways hard enough to bend your frame out of alignment without noticing? Did the shock manufacturer's QC cause it? Did poor design of the shock cause it? Did you point a pressure washer at your bike and ram a ton of dirt and water into the seals? Do you frequently ride in moon dust or mud? All these things could be some or all of the cause. Frames are a significant part of it but they aren't the whole picture.

It is worth noting that we see a biased sample - we see tons of the broken stuff, but we don't really know what percentage of the bikes out there that pertains to. As it currently stands though, according to the poll it seems like at least 1/3 of people here have damaged a shock in a way that is "not able to be fixed with oil & seals". Whether that means you also needed a new damper body due to some wear/scoring from dirt ingress, or you snapped a shaft/eyelet, or broke a shim inside has not been specified by that.
  • 9 2
   
  • 14 10
 My FOX RP3 got "suck down" if i put 300 psi in it i got 1 inch of travel. Used it that way for 2 years.

Fork angle gave ton of confidence, was like riding a hardtail but with a touch of smooth.
  • 3 0
 I’ve had this happen twice on a Marzocchi bomber coil shock. Complete loss of damping, oil everywhere. The shock was warrantied for a separate issue by my LBS, then blew up after about 6 months of riding. Got it rebuilt and it blew up again 2 months later. Never buying another one of those.
  • 15 1
 I don't always break shocks, but when I do, I'm hucking to flat with 50% sag.
  • 1 0
 I think it has to be considered along side the service interval. If a shock spilled its guts within a few months of being new, yes it’s failed shock. If the same happens after 3 years of not being serviced, then I would expect that to some extent, due to seal wear?
  • 3 0
 @RoboDuck: Yep same thing here on DPX2. Under warranty, seems the shims break letting air into the oil or something.
  • 4 0
 @tacklingdummy: This is shocking news.
  • 3 1
 @freestyIAM: I had the problem with a stuck down monarch a few times too. I just sat down on the tire and pushed up on the extended seat so that the positive and negative chamber can equalize again. The shock then worked just fine, can really recommend to try this as a trailside fix.

As for the poll: I think its more about the influence of frame flex and trunnion, so i dont see a stuck down shock or oil spill etc as a failure. It is very hard to tell where the problem lies with issues like these. It can always be something wrong with the shock manufacturing, maintenance etc.
Only with a catastrophic falure like a broken shock as in the pictures you can really be sure it had at least something to do with the side loading. I definetly dont see a stuck down shock as a failure. I also had a shock show significant wear on the stanchion, but i am not sure it was because of the linkage, could have just been to much dirt ingress and not enough service or something like that

It doesnt really matter though, to really prove the effects of flex you would have to do a big study comparing different frames and mounting options. I guess then you could also include all kinds of failure as manufacturing and maintenance could be neglected with a big sample group and the only other variable being the frame/mounting and maybe riding style
  • 3 0
 @RoboDuck: Yep, totally agree. I'm lucky if I can get two months out of my DPX2 before the damper nukes itself. Single most frustrating part of my bike.
  • 1 0
 @cgdibble: Me as well but only once
  • 6 0
 Does planned obsolescence count? If so, then yes. Two Specialized Brains later....
  • 4 0
 I hear what you are saying, but if you abide by the recommended service intervals, this sort of "failure" rarely happens. Most people neglect their suspension or just do a lowers/ air can service and then complain when their damper fails claiming "I just serviced it" ... (I have serviced suspension professionally for the past decade). I have customers that do full rebuilds twice a year because they ride 5+ days a week all year long and just flog the shit out their bikes (500hrs or so ride time in a year). Low and behold they never have "failures" because I catch things that are wearing out and replace them before it is an issue. Most people would not wonder why their engine failed if they only did an oil change every 20k miles.
  • 1 0
 @shred-harder: No kidding! Were you undersprung or sending it super hard? I’ve been thinking about getting a Bomber shock for park duties
  • 4 0
 Exactly. If it interrupts your ride it’s a failure. Irrespective of how trivially it can be fixed.
  • 1 0
 And doubly so when the only way it can be fixed is a visit to an authorized repair center. (looking at you Cane Creek)
  • 1 0
 The reason that's hard to count is that it can be caused by a lack of maintenance. In fact it is *usually* caused by a lack of maintenance. It's kind of like blaming Toyota when your engine fails because you change the oil every 40,000 miles. The engine failed, yes, but only because you did as an owner.
  • 3 0
 @WaterBear: @willdabeast410 of course an old unserviced shock is more likely to fail, but it's still a failure. I'm not saying its a common occurrence (for me, only once, and I do happen to mostly take care of my suspension). While service intervals are important, 50 hours is an unrealistic expectation - especially if you don't live in a place with sloppy, component-ruining conditions. A lot of us on here would be having to do lowers/air can service every 2 months, which simply isn't going to happen. I would feel justified blaming SRAM or Fox if my shock blew after 100 hours since it's last seal replacement.
  • 2 0
 Ive never failed to be shocked
  • 1 0
 Agreed, that’s happened to me. A group night ride in Burke VT. Had my 12yo boy making fun of me for going so slow. I told him my shock didn’t feel right. By ride’s end it was in two pieces!
  • 1 0
 I had an obnoxious, repetitive failure where the main shaft seal head on a coil shock wouldn't stay on, so I'd painstakingly rebuild it and bleed the damper just for it to dump all its oil a few rides later. Everything looked good, but the threads must have been damaged or something. It technically just needed a rebuild...twice a month. Such an annoying problem.
  • 1 0
 @RoboDuck: really ? DPX2? Never had mine fail. Float X2 on the other hand…
  • 63 0
 I´m working in a suspension service center. Right now the damper that comes in every week with problems is the Fox Float X2. But they can mostly be fixed. In 90% of the time if we can't fix shock it's only because the manufacturer doesn't support it anymore with spare parts. The worst in this are all the "special" dampers like brain or thrushaft.

Regarding the frame design, we also suspect that frames that are too stiff are bad for the shocks because the shocks have to take all the load. One example would be the Pivot Firebird with a Float X2. We had several customers with this combo who all complained about air loss on the trail. No mather how we serviced it, it always came back. They all run different shocks now, mostly coils and have no problems anymore.
  • 13 0
 interesting. i've had to do 2 warranty services on my '21 float x2 in the last year due to progressive air loss (on a meta - which is trunion mounted). not an uncommon issue with this shock, it appears. perhaps poor seal integrity exacerbated by the trunion?
  • 14 0
 @xy9ine: To us it seems like the main seal is just not designed well, so especially in corners the shock is kind of "burping" due to the lateral loads.
  • 5 0
 @IamGroot5482: yer. i was hoping it was a factory defect rather than an inherent design issue. will see how this rebuild holds up; biannual service returns gets a bit old after a while...
  • 6 0
 @xy9ine: If it fails again quite soon you should think about changing it, but if it holds up it´s a great shock. I actually also run a Float X2 and till now (knocking on wood) it works perfectly. It´s just the combo with certain bikes that is just not working well for long.
  • 21 3
 Why would the frame being too stiff be bad? If it's stiff, then the linkages will be moving in consistent lines/arcs, which the shock should like.
  • 13 2
 That’s why I stay clear of any bikes with proprietary shocks like treks or specialized’s. The often 15% on paper claimed “benefits” or marketing bs on these types of shocks claim. True or not. Will never be worthwhile enough to ruin a bike trip due to lack of parts or local service knowledge if something goes wrong or breaks on them.

Also imo, the X2’s are by far the best feeling air shock on the market currently when they’re in tip-top shape. But I always found them to require way more maintenance than other air shocks (even compared to a float X on my other bike) to keep them feeling that way.
  • 11 0
 @justinfoil: Only if thr alignment is 100% accurate
  • 3 1
 @justinfoil: Agreed, this simple statement doesn't seem to make sense.
The stiff frame would only be an issue if the linkages were un-stiff,
thus transmitting all lateral loads into the linkage, and in turn, the shock.
Pivot's upper linkage seems pretty compact/stout.

Maybe the orientation of the FloatX2 in the frame (canister down)
is preventing relubration of the seal, and thus early failure?

Also, sidenote, I personally feel that 29" wheels put more torque on a frame (and fork for that matter),
due to the larger diameter, and longer chainstays.
Be curious ot know if a model that can be set up in both MX and 29 configurations
sees greater/less wear in one of the setups.
  • 6 0
 @blcpdx: Keith Bontrager used.to say you're only as stiff as your flexiest part. The stiffer a frame and rear triangle get, the stiffer the links need to be too. Not sure, but this might be it.
  • 6 0
 My Rockshox Thrushaft has failed twice and needed to go for surgery in Squamish. Don't know how this adds to the discussion.
  • 2 0
 I’ve had to overhaul my x2 more frequently than I would like. Three times in the last 12 months. This is in contrast to the super deluxe on my bike that sees twice the use, but admittedly milder riding, has been overhauled twice (my maintenance schedule). The spud lux hasn’t dumped its oil without warning like the x2 does.
  • 5 0
 I have a 2021 FloatX2 that I rode for 6 months with no problems other than never being able to find a sweet spot on the setup and then put it on a box a year ago after I got DB Kitsuma Coil. I put the float X2 back on a month ago and it was making squishing noises and clearly had a bunch of air in the damper. The piece of shit failed sitting in a box.
  • 8 1
 think of the entire frame, from axle to axle, as a single rod. If you push it in the middle it will flex in a bow shape, with the same bend angle at all points along the rod. If the rod doesn't have uniform stiffness, like mixing carbon triangles with alloy links, especially with dual-short-link designs, then the stiff sections will flex very little but the more compliant links will have a ton more torque on them, flexing a lot. This goes straight into your shock, ESPECIALLY if its a horizontally oriented shock.

This is why flexy frames like the steel Starlling Murmur doesn't actually wear shocks out, even when the frames are poorly aligned (almost as if they were welded up in some bloke's backyard shed).
  • 2 0
 @blcpdx: yeah, I'd think the orientation is a big factor.

It's actually part of the reason usually I hang my bike by the front wheel, or leave it upside down for a bit before a ride if I got lazy and just leaned it in the basement: get some oil up to the top of the fork lowers and shock (although my shock normally sits with the seals down, hanging puts it more vertical)
  • 3 0
 @cjeder: Yeah, I think that's probably true.
Ultimately that force has to go somewhere.
By intentionally increasing the stiffness of each element,
frame/component manufacturers are unintenionally redirecting that load
to the weakest/most sensitive point, which is internals of the shock.
Cars have bushings on the upper and lower shock mounts.
I'm surprised noone is making an aftermarket shock-mount bushing kit
that are some sort of rubber. (please direct me to it if they are)
Enve's recent reduction of their MTB rim profile (and thus rim stiffness)
in the face of competition's (arguabily, naturally) superior ride quality and durability,
could be seen as a nod to the usefulness of targeted flexibility.
  • 1 0
 My 2017 Firebird has a Fox Float X E-vol and I haven't had the issue. I guess it's only an X2 issue?
  • 1 0
 @ream720: Yes, it's mostly an X2 issue.
  • 1 0
 @hamncheez: That's a good explanation. Starling has also an article on its website about flex in frames and shock wear.
  • 1 0
 @An-Undocumented-Worker: Oof! Mine did that but after about 20 hours on the trail. It's currently winding its way around the planet for warranty while I've bought a Super Deluxe Coil to run for the several months I expect that to take. I think the coil is probably going to stay on the bike even after the X2 gets back...
  • 5 0
 @blcpdx: increasing a frame's structural stiffness (not the shock mounting rigidity) will almost always reduce the side loads on the shock, because whatever load you put in at the wheel will result in a smaller amount of displacement of the frame, meaning less misalignment of the shock mounts. Certainly increasing stiffness of the frame can increase the forces that the frame itself has to deal with, but that's separate from the shock.
  • 1 0
 Have you noticed that the X2s fails only on bikes with trunnion mounts or it doesn't play any role?
  • 52 6
 Absolutely shocking poll.
  • 13 2
 I kinda saw it as a failure really.
  • 10 61
flag jeremy3220 (Jan 14, 2022 at 12:35) (Below Threshold)
 Wow, what was your inspiration for this amazing pun? I never would have thought to use shocking as a pun for suspension shocks. Hilarious and brilliant.
  • 45 3
 @jeremy3220: Hey, man, decrease your pressure a bit! Don't blow a seal! I hope you rebound over the weekend and don't sag about.
  • 7 39
flag stumphumper92 (Jan 14, 2022 at 13:31) (Below Threshold)
 @jeremy3220: I am so sick of puns go back to reddit..
  • 15 2
 @jeremy3220: quite quick to spring to the hate. Possibly you could rebound with a good response, but I won’t be shocked.
  • 18 3
 @stumphumper92: there's always someone to damp the mood
  • 17 1
 @jeremy3220: It's a shame you fellas can't see eye to eye.
  • 6 1
 I’m having a stroke reading this comment chain.
  • 35 1
 I killed twelve RS Monarch Plus shocks in two years. I'm actually quite proud of it. I class killed as air loss, damper cavitated or snapping an eyelet. SRAM Tech loved me. Putting a whopping great yoke on a horizontally mounted shock of a horst link frame with no seatstay bridge was asking for trouble. Don't have to service it if it blows up before the service interval. Win.
  • 13 0
 "Don't have to service it if it blows up before the service interval. Win." Greatest words I've ever heard
  • 1 0
 @mullw05: the force runs strong
  • 7 0
 Specialized + old Monarch = Fun education in engineering
  • 2 0
 What frame? I have a 2017 polygon which I think was basically destroy shocks. I am not an extreme endurobro by any means but after two monarchs in a year I gave up on them
  • 1 0
 What do you ride when your shock is being warrantied? I mean a failure every two months when the turn around time on a warranty is probably 3-4 weeks means your bike is not being ridden half the time.
  • 2 0
 @woofer2609: I was sponsored by the company. They sent me a spare. The best one was being out in Finale Ligure and having to pay a LBS to make one working shock out of one with a blown damper and another with a snapped eyelet.
  • 32 0
 Stoked that @VorsprungSuspension is getting some credit here. This was an excellent video and I think it is definitely time that the frame manufacturers get some pushback for these design choices that often leave suspension manufacturers holding the bag.
  • 5 0
 Agreed and always lap up and appreciate their knowledge. But I laughed at "making the case" and "interesting" in the article. Does anybody seriously think long yokes and poorly aligned trunnions are not causing problems with shocks? I thought that was well accepted truth at this point.
  • 8 1
 And doesn't Exhibit A start with an "S" and end with a lawsuit?
  • 3 0
 @dancingwithmyself: Anybody with any knowledge of suspension does.

But there are a whole lot of people who just want to get on their bike and go ride it, and have no idea what caused their shock to break, they just know that they got on their bike and their shock broke.

And suspension mfg's have to be super careful with wording when explaining it to people (and generally opt to dance around the issue), because the last thing they want to do is piss off their OEM customers by telling somebody who's shock just broke that "it's your bike companies fault because they made a poorly aligned frame, take it up with them."
  • 33 1
 "Clevis links increase the leverage over the shock, meaning a given lateral force is more likely to cause the shock to buckle or bind, making it unable to absorb bumps, or leading to the shock wearing out or even breaking."

This isn't precisely what we're saying - it's not lateral force or lateral misalignment that causes issues with clevises, it's just that the eye to eye length is so much longer for no increase in bending rigidity that they are inherently less able to resist buckling. Get a 30cm/1ft metal ruler and compress it lengthways between your two hands and watch it buckle easily. Cut a 5cm/2" segment and try the same with that piece and see if you can get it to buckle.
  • 2 3
 I somewhat disagree. Disregarding the stupid Specialized bolt on design, yokes attach by rotating the shock eyelet 90 degrees. This allows for "yaw" pivot motion, and the yoke link is mounted 90 degrees to this, allowing for "pitch" pivot motion. This effectively isolates much of the "bending" the shock would normally experience in, say, the old Specialized design that was bolted directly into the shock body.
  • 1 0
 @hamncheez: Not all shocks are like this, unfortunately. Some 2017-2018 Specialized frames I’ve ridden had the yoke rigidly mounted to the end of the shock, with no allowable play.
  • 4 0
 @TurboDonuts: that's what I'm referring to, "the old specialized bolt on design." It actually ran on most specialized frames from 2011 to 2018
  • 2 0
 Kudos for making one of the finest tech videos I've seen @VorsprungSuspension - glad to see it's gaining traction (arf arf), so bike designers & suspension companies will hopefully be forced to consider the issues you raise.
  • 3 0
 And be sure to cut 5cm out of someone else's metal ruler, not your own
  • 3 0
 @hamncheez: if the shock can pivot part way along its length (especially while both ends are held rigidly in that plane), that will by definition introduce buckling because now the shock is no longer aligned properly as a compression column - it is not at all equivalent to a spherical bearing for example. However, I don't believe that there is typically any significant "yaw" pivot motion as you describe it - the buckling mode described here is actually in the vertical plane (ie looking from the side of the bike, not the top), not from side loading itself. The mode of failure I am suggesting is due to a reduction in the ratio of polar moment of inertia (shock's resistance to buckling in compression) vs column length (eye to eye length). The frame could be perfectly aligned and not flex whatsoever laterally, and this mode would still exist. It could be the case that the Specialized yokes were actually better in this regard (the anecdotal evidence seems to suggest otherwise though) because the interface between the yoke and shock was much more rigid and harder to introduce buckling (vertical misalignment) in, while the angular misalignment laterally is reduced with a yoke due to the increased length.
  • 2 0
 @VorsprungSuspension: I wonder if it is more modern shock design rather than the frames that are the issue. I had a 2011 Enduro with a FoxRP23 on it. I never bothered to service the shock in the 2.5 years i owned the bike (the frame cracked at the BB eventually) and the shock never failed. An old XC bike with a Fox Float I hammered with bent shock bolts regularly never gave a problem either. Were these older units built more robustly than newer shocks?
Bring on the 2018 Enduro and after 2 years or so, the Monarch Plus failed internally with a tiny crack in the adonized damper shaft. No warranty and no spares available from SRAM. I now have a second hand Ohlins STx22 - also a problematic shock but since a service has been great. It has a steel damper shaft and I suspect this won't develop a crack like the Monarch Plus. It may leak some air again, but at least its serviceable.
  • 2 0
 @headshot: I actually had one of those Enduros too, and while I didn't have the same good luck with the shock you did (mine lasted about 4 months), with that particular bike they put the yoke on the more robust (to bending) end of the shock.
  • 16 0
 I had 4 trunnion mounted shock failures in the last year. 3 shock failures on a 2020 enduro on a dhx2 and float dhx2. 1 shock failure on a transition spire with a super deluxe ultimate. Before getting a bike with trunnion mounted shock I haven't had a shock failure in years.
  • 9 7
 So you're convinced it's because of the trunnion design and not because of Fox & Rockshox's crappy QC?
I've had two different DHX2's blow seals within 6 months of being brand new in the last year.
  • 2 1
 @jbrown-15: it definitely could be QC issues
  • 19 0
 @jbrown-15: it's extremely difficult to discern between the two causes in individual cases, but when you see enough of them you can begin to see trends. Nobody broke the CCDB damper shafts in any significant numbers from their debut in 2005ish until 2010 when they started being specced on bikes with reasonably long yokes.
  • 1 1
 How did they fail?
  • 2 0
 I've had 3 DHX2 non trunion failures. Bent shafts each time
  • 2 0
 @bbachmei : @thebradjohns: I've also had two DHX2 blow up in 2021. One trunion on a brand new 2020 bike. The other was a 2019 but annually serviced, failed, got rebuilt by Fox and then happened again 2 months later. Haven't bought a Fox product since.
  • 17 1
 I say next poll should be "have you ever bought a high end fork and suffered chronic annoying CSU creaking since, apparently, the top manufacturers still didn't figure out how to glue a metal rod properly?"

Can't believe it's 2022 and we're still dealing with this embarrassing issue so often.
  • 21 7
 This is a silly survey. Are we talking structural failures? Or hydraulic/damping performance failures? Two TOTALLY separate topics, and both are common.

Edit: Serving a damper/air can rarely would have anything to do with a structural failure of an eyelet or body either. Pretty much irrelevant.
  • 2 0
 Duplicate
  • 11 0
 Disagree: if you have to send a shock in for warranty service/replacement due to failure during intended use, it is a Failure, Capital F. Particularly with Fox shocks require nitro charges after damper service, a damper failure is beyond the reach of 99.9% of riders and even most local shops. There are 20 LBSs within a 45min drive of me, but not one has a Nitro tank, much less a mechanic they let work on dampers: they all mail them off to a specialty suspension service.
  • 2 1
 Don’t make it too complicated.
  • 4 0
 There should be a separate question for hydraulic vs structural failures, then the follow-on service question would make sense
  • 1 0
 I had a RS Monarch RT3 from my Tallboy 1 that was stuck down. Removing the air can resulted in the shock shaft cracking at the top cap. Otherwise, it should have been just fine with an air can service.
  • 5 0
 @powturn: Actually, X2 and DHX2 haven't needed fancy nitrogen charges for a couple generations now, just a simple adapter to charge the IFP with a shock pump, similar to most (all?) RockShox reservoir shocks.
  • 2 0
 @powturn: Considering the examples and shit in the article refer to external structural failures, it kinda does make sense to have a different poll for structural vs internal.
  • 3 0
 @justinfoil @chrod - fair points, and after rereading article I have to agree: there should have been separate questions for types of failure.
Also, thanks for update on Fox: my two damper failures were on older versions of the Float CTD, which required Nitro. Don't you need a shock pump that goes to like 400psi to recharge a shock with air though? Afraid mine only goes to 250psi.
  • 1 1
 @powturn: hit a welding supply they’ll bump it
  • 3 0
 @powturn: the ones I've seen that use plain air need much less pressure. I think 120ish in newer Foxes, and I think 250 psi was the max on a Monarch Deluxe, so totally within normal shock pump range.
  • 13 0
 Yes... repeatedly.

2019 Stumpjumper Comp Alloy. Jacked the DPS at least twice. Fox said they'd never seen some of the damage on the internals like I'd done. Then I decided to go with a coil, so I got a Marz CR coil. I blew up two of those before Fox decided that the CR and the Stumpy don't agree with each other and asked if I would take a Factory DPX2 instead as a replacement fo the Bomber CR. I agree and I've been happy with that shock ever since.

I've also had multiple issues with my fork when it was a 34, but since I upgraded to a 36, it's been all good.

Moral of the story: 200+ pounds and laps at Angelfire don't always mix on a medium travel bike.
  • 11 0
 "Moral of the story: 200+ pounds and laps at Angelfire don't always mix on a medium travel bike." Yeah I would definitely agree with this. LOL. Especially a high leverage ratio mid travel bike.
  • 9 1
 @notsosikmik: my kid just sent me some instagram parody post of a guy talking about how "big boys" outfit their bikes (shocks insanely high pressure, cush core, DH casing tires, high pressure in the tires, 220m rotors with e-bike pads)... and I was ashamed that it resonated so much with me.

Might be time to lose some weight.

Oh, I found it:

www.instagram.com/reel/CYt7SM8F-y-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Lulz
  • 1 0
 @Hogfly: to be fair Angelfire can be hard on shocks, I've blown two shocks riding there within one year.
  • 2 0
 @Hogfly: oof. hits a little close to home. My kid is a little too young to do that yet. Guess I have something to look forward to. . .
  • 16 0
 Shocks need to be serviced? That's news to me.
  • 2 0
 You would be surprised the damage that some of these frame designs can do to a shock that is being regularly serviced within the recommended intervals. Often before it is even due for the first one.
  • 4 15
flag alexsin (Jan 14, 2022 at 17:37) (Below Threshold)
 Don't get it serviced. All it needs is something $500 from Vorsprung. Good as new.
  • 15 1
 @alexsin: I saw you make a similar comment in the past, seems like a weird thing to say when we’ve operated a service centre for the past decade. Does anybody oppose proper maintenance and servicing…?
  • 12 0
 I broke a Push 11.6 at the shaft when a stray rock the size of a fist kicked up into my GG The Smash frame and somehow got tangled up with the spring. It was the damnedest thing because I had just had it serviced. You know what Push did? They asked me to send it back and they fixed it for the cost of shipping.
How’s that for badassery?
  • 12 1
 DVO Topaz: 5 times in 3 years of ownership, scratches on the 125$(!)-body twice, leaked from the rebound know twice, sucked air in once

RockShox SD Coil: once in 3 years of ownership, leaked from the reservoir

RS Monarch / Monarch Plus: about once every other year, scratches on the body, sucked air in

Fox X2: none so far in 5 months of ownership, we´ll see...
Fox DPS: none in 3 years of ownership, XC bike though

And that for a sub 70kg rider...
Same rate for droppers btw.
Forks all creak in the crown after half a year, only cure is pressing the steerer out and pressing it back in with loctite.
  • 2 0
 Same “wear” issue for me on the DVO Topaz in just over a year of use with one service.
  • 1 0
 the good thing is you can rebuild dvo so easy..but yes.. these work very good until you blow a seal
  • 2 0
 On same frame or different frames?
  • 1 0
 Different Reigns from 2015 to 2020 and a Speci Enduro @Rainallday:
  • 1 0
 My topaz used to leak air from the piggy, I've replaced the bladder and the valve but it did not solve the problem...
  • 9 0
 I feel that by answering "never" i'm jynxing it

so i prefer to not answer at all lol
  • 2 0
 My thought exactly !
  • 2 0
 Me too. They're trying to sell bikes with psychic warfare. We've walked right into a classic Jinx. Daggumit.
Time to send the coil to Push. Jinx removal is part of the yearly service right guys?
  • 1 0
 Definitely jinxed myself, answered never three days ago…blew out a dpx2 yesterday !
  • 6 0
 Here is what Marzocchi says at least for coil shocks:
www.ridefox.com/fox17/help.php?m=bike&id=1138

They're not too specific but lateral force seems to be an issue.

And what can potentially break a coil shock might lead to extra wear in an air shock. The Monarch (+) seemed to have some issues at least.
  • 7 1
 Honourable mention to the Pole Evolink 158 that would sideload the RS Super Deluxe so much with all its incredible rear end flex (it's compliance brah) that the shock was scored inside and out so deeply that half the internals needed to be replaced. The local RS techs couldn't believe that a shock with this much wear came off a bike that was two months old and ostensibly in as-new working order. Imagine their surprise when I was back less than a month later with all the same issues.
  • 4 0
 You can't fit a Super Deluxe to a Evolink 158. I have been riding mine for multiple seasons with a Monarch+ and Vivid Air without problems.
  • 5 0
 EVOLINK 158 is not compatible with metric shocks. If you shortened the eye to eye, that might encounter over-rotation of the links. If the shock is longer, the shock might be in the wrong position at the beginning of the stroke. However, the frame might have a misalignment issue as well. Either bent frame, or directly from factory. Please send more info to our customer service or our Pole Bicycle Riders Group on Facebook. EVOLINK does not have any of those issues that t Steve mentioned in the video. EVOLINK has the traditional shock setup without any shock extenders. It's made with standard bushings.
  • 4 0
 Get a Bomber coil CR they said, simple and reliable. It’s just gone back for the third time in a year for a knocking damper. I was riding up hill when it went last time.
Glad I didn’t sell the X2 that came with my Rune.
  • 4 0
 That's a feature, not a problem. The wave spring (039-00-167) under the compression valve breaks, the compression valve can then move freely inside the reservoir when the shock changes direction and you feel that as a knock. This has been happening ever since the days of the Fox Van RC (your Bomber is just a re-stickered one) and will continue happening until Fox addresses the design.
  • 2 0
 @farkinoath: I guess when they stop fixing it under warranty, I better find something else.
  • 4 0
 I broke a rockshox coil with du bushings so I am not sure the data is really related to the article, the question is too broad

but to be clear the R3ACT suspension (polygon/marin) really really sideloaded the crap out of shocks.

with trunnion shocks it will be the frame manufacturers design responsibility to limit the flex at the shock (which is normally very close to the seat tube pivots anyhow).

Forget about sideloading causing failure, it also increases friction and stiction and will make the bike harsh. Its a lose lose for a bike to sideload the shocks and if a frame manufacturer overlooks it; the bike will be a poor performer.
  • 4 0
 Fox Float X2 shock brand new in 2018 (MY2019); 185x55 trunion mount on a 135mm travel bike.. At 13 months, the air shaft/seal had failed, most of the damper seals had failed, and the stanchion had cracked at it's threads. Fox basically told me, "well, you're 1-month out of warranty, so tough shit". Ended up being a $350 repair.

I will never buy a Fox product again.
  • 1 0
 I mean you should have serviced it within that time anyway.
  • 5 0
 @VorsprungSuspension. Fantastic contribution to this article. I too have had premature failure of shock internals on a yoke linked bike. Always wondered if it was the linkage influencing the wear!
  • 5 2
 I see people take the 140mm Orbea rise and make it a 160mm rear with longer eye to eye and stroke shock. First thought is Awesome! Second thought is, shit, it has a yoke and this is foolish. Sure mullet it and slacken it out more, but I don't think that frame is going to do well as a 160mm rear end.
  • 6 0
 Can we include- how often did you send in your shock for service and it came back broken?
  • 5 0
 Does it count when they lose the whole thing?
  • 1 0
 @Mac1987: lol
  • 3 0
 Scott Ransom E-Ride, fox x2 trunnion shock. Significant wear marks at all the pivots from either poor design or the frame is flexing under load. Shock has heavy wear internally after 45h of use. Apparently the bike is fit for purpose according to the shop and Scott, I'd counter that given the evidence presented and their lack of replies to the issue.
  • 5 4
 Scott is the worst. I will never buy another Scott bike again. Their design is shit. They think it's cool to use bolt heads that aren't Allen key compatible which makes you spend more money on one specific bike brand hex key and for which there are no other discernible benefits to owning, and their proprietary nude shock is the most blatant money grab for services from fox factory only. I sincerely hope Scott goes out of business so no one has to deal with their shitty bikes anymore.
  • 2 0
 @ryd-or-die: It's called Torx. Even the cheapest multitool I own (which came with a Polygon hybrid) has the right sized Torx driver for any trailside adjustments to a Scott.

Do Rockshox Nude shocks also need expensive services from Fox factory only?
  • 1 1
 @boozed: Scott doesnt provide a multi tool with their bikes that includes any torx driver's. Another reason the brand sucks ass. And yes, nude shocks can only be sent to their factory, or at least that's what I've had to do after asking a bike shop on either side of my state to do a 50hr service on it.

Sorry to the Scott fanboys I've apparently enraged. Doesn't bother me though. I'm positive they'll run into issues with their bike soon enough and they'll understand after that.
  • 1 0
 @boozed: two separate bike shops, mind you
  • 1 0
 @ryd-or-die: your profile says you are in Utah. I am about 90% sure Suspension Syndicate in SLC can service that shock.
  • 1 0
 @notsosikmik: it's not a nice enough shock to warrant servicing from them, imo, though I'm sure you're right. Beyond that, I'm just annoyed to no end that Scott likes to do their proprietary shit so you can't swap out better shocks. It's 100% on me for buying it in the first place, but it would've significantly reduced my downtime if even just one other shock besides the nude would work on their stupid bikes.
  • 3 0
 Interesting. I had a 2016-18 Gen Stumpjumper that was plagued with failing shocks. All three of the shocks I had on that bike failed. All three showed excessive wear on the internal air shaft. Specifically the the “riders right” side of the shaft.
  • 4 0
 This is why we need spherical bearings on the both ends of the shock. Having those, even a very flexible frame will not transfer any latheral loads to the shock. I'm surprised that that hasn't been introduced yet.
  • 3 0
 dt swiss use spherical bearings
  • 2 0
 Geometron is using it on the G1 as standard equipment. The technology is readily available it just needs to be standardized and adopted.
  • 3 0
 Cc DB air multiple failures. Replaced with a fox X2 that failed. Also a dpx2. All of them making squishy squelchy noises and no damping. Fox van started knocking. Superdelux coil cracked on the rebound thread. Cc kitsuma coil went loose, lost damping and started knocking. All the above well within 12 months of ownership and I don't ride hard or that often. Ohlins ttx22 currently, let's see how that does.
  • 1 0
 @mcozzy - I killed a Kitsuma DB in 3 months, they wrote the body off and credited me. Swapped to a Float X2 and that failed after 5 months, massive internal wear - Fox have just replaced under warranty. Both shocks went very squelchy. I'm thinking don't bother fittings it and selling. Been recommended Ohlins TTX - both mine were trunion mount on a Cube Stereo 160 HPC - Were yours trunion mount by any chance?
  • 1 0
 @arpeggi8: turned out to be an assembly and manufacturing issue on the kitsuma coil. Undertorqued main body leading to the internal tube moving and ifp scored due to poor design, resolved with a retro fit bladder design. All recently fixed under warranty and sold. Was on a specialized yoke, so known to be hard on rear shocks.
  • 3 0
 I had a 2018 Stumpjumper with a bad shock. It stopped holding pressure about two weeks after I bought the bike. The local shop sent it in for replacement, but the same shock came back a few weeks later. About two weeks after that it was leaking oil and losing pressure again. After repeating this cycle a few times I sold the bike. I took a bit of a hit on the sale, but I did disclose the issue with the shock.
  • 7 1
 Snapped a shaft of first Gen DHX2.
  • 3 0
 Lol, why would this get down voted? It's a fact not an opinion.
  • 1 1
 @jomacba: I’m wondering the same thing about my comment about my dhx2 that failed hahaha. It rode great before it broke though.
  • 5 0
 @jomacba: Hey bro, you're disparaging the brand of sticker on the window of my lifted truck!
  • 1 0
 @BikesNRussets: The shock was good in the small stuff but didn't really handle the bigger hits too well. The Gen 2 DHX2 is brilliant though.
  • 3 0
 @Eatsdirt: That's a fair point, many apologies!
  • 3 1
 @jomacba: I have the latest one, i found it handles big hits pretty good so that’s definitely factual. I didn’t snap anything, but I broke something on the inside and my shop was confused about what was going on so they sent it to fox and they replaced it. I probably screwed it up pretty bad hahahaha.
  • 1 0
 @BikesNRussets: My first second Gen DHX2 had a clunk from the factory. It felt great on the trails but no matter what I couldn't get rid of this clunk. I finally sent it into fox, and they replaced it with a 2022 model. No clunk. Rides beautifully.
  • 5 0
 If the hypothesis is based on the mount style, shouldn't the poll options include that?
  • 2 0
 In 2019 I had the main seal on the positive air chamber of my Float DPS fail. I'll consider this a failure as my LBS (which is a Fox service center) couldn't fix it and it had to be sent to Fox under warranty. I also had a Fox Float get stuck down way back in '07 or '08. The seal between the negative and positive chamber failed. Luckily that was on a demo bike so I just handed it back to the shop & forgot about it.
  • 2 0
 My 2018 Jeffsy ate the shock due to what YT called "rear triangle misalignment'. They tried to claim it could only be due to me landing lots of large whips sideways which, whilst flattering, is not the case!

Luckily for me they were forthcoming on warranty and honestly a pleasure to work with to get the issue resolved; a new frame and shock and i did the rebuild myself.

www.pinkbike.com/photo/18873752
  • 2 0
 2021 Transition sentinel here!! Came Fitted with 2021 Fox Float X2 Factory. TWO failures within 9 months due to cracked bodies at the threaded end connection point on Two different supplied shocks by Fox. Now been given a Fox Float X Factory to test for now. Until new Fox upgraded Trunnion mount parts arrive to the UK for my Float X2 Factory under warranty.
  • 2 0
 Popular enduro bike, 2017 model year with a yoke. 100% failure rate across maybe ten bikes sold through the shop I worked at the time. Most people went through at least a couple of shocks. Mix of air springs sucking down and dampers blowing due to flex. If you raised a fuss after the second or third they'd just send you a coil which seemed to hold up much better. In all fairness the bike brand sorted it out every time, but the manufacturer of the shock started refusing warranties as they knew it was an issue with this particular frame. One guy went through six shocks if I remember correctly! Couldn't just fit any old shock to it too as they had a proprietary shock eyelet that limited you to only a few options. And maybe giving a little too much away, but another proprietary feature that introduced a few extra seals to the air can definitely compounded the problem.
Said brand quickly ditched all the proprietary crap, thankfully! I've avoided yokes ever since, but never had an issue with trunnion shocks!
  • 1 0
 I don't know enough to divine which brand it was, but I'd really like to know because it sounds like my bike
  • 3 0
 @ryd-or-die: specialized
  • 2 0
 @VorsprungSuspension why do you think so many frame manufacturers use clevises instead of extending the seat stays/ rear triangle all the way to the shock? Also, do you have any thoughts on which design is worse for this between clevis and trunnion?
  • 2 0
 I dunno. On my '16 Stumpy I rode about 20x the service interval until I for some reason decided to have the Fox shock serviced. Three rides later it turned into a spring. New service, and it lasted for about a year of abuse before the same thing happened. LBS mentioned that there were occasions where service kits were of poor quality, but it was hard to discover. I've been lazy with servicing since, about once a year. And it's never happened again. Got a '19 Stumpy CC, and that shock puked all it's oil after about 4 months, which was common AFAIK. Sold the bike. Never had it happen on any other bikes, though, but I have gotten 6 or 7 RS forks replaced under warranty over the last 8 years.
  • 2 0
 2x Cane Creek Inline Air going borked (early examples)
1x Fox DPS on an Enduro 29 with direct mount yoke (awful wear to shock body)
1x RS Monarch (premature wear)
1x Fox Float X2 going all mushy quite quickly (technical term) but fixed with service
1x Cane Creek Coil Inline needing remedial work for top out noise (I know it's not a "failure" but included anyway)
  • 5 2
 I still have PTSD from the double barrel breaking twice (on the shaft) on my Kona Operator lol (+1 bonus rock shox kage breaking too)
  • 4 0
 Other than leaky internal seals allowing oil/nitrogen to party together, no problems.
  • 1 0
 Happens to often. Wonder if it would be possible to a add a manual reset like on some dropper posts
  • 1 0
 Had an X-Fusion O2 PVA that, after some abuse, got stuck down and wouldn't extend no matter what. A rebuild fixed it. Was a fine XC/AM shock otherwise. Have a Fox DPS Evol that is very consistent, in that it sucks no matter what. Have a Manitou McLeod that needs to have the negative chamber reset every few months, but works very well otherwise and I use the chamber reset to do a relube as well. Got to keep everything lubed up for better feeling anyway !
  • 1 0
 So, those pics show a broken eyelet, on a non-trunnion shock and not driven by a yoke; and another non-trunnion and non-yoked shock with the end cap removed, with what looks like (from this angle) undamaged threads (unscrewed, not broken?).

No examples of what are supposed to be the most damaging architectures?
  • 1 0
 How does a stuck-down shock fit into this? I had a CC DBair IL get stuck down on my '19 Stumpy LT after 1/2 ride. Not fixable with just seals and oil, but not completely broken: usually stuck-down can be fixed with lots of positive pressure and creative extending solutions, or the risky "just yank the air-can and hope it doesn't shoot off too far".
  • 2 0
 broke a 2011 fox vanilla shock at the piston end where it bolts on, on a santa cruz driver 8 , love the bike by the way. about 9 years ago on a down hill run half way. ugh. not fun. lol
  • 1 0
 Never any failiures as listed above but I've had a few shock issues. Two seal issues on my Monarch Plus RC3. With the original Monarch RL it squeaked shortly after new and after two separate services. The Cane Creek DB Air IL I currently have on there also now started squeaking (but does need servicing to fair). All on a 2016 Process 134 with a yoke/linkage driven single pivot.
  • 2 0
 Different shocks on my 2016 Specialized Enduro lost oil after a few weeks of use. Sounded rather like a frame issue because many people had it with various kinds shocks. Never had issues with any other bike.
  • 1 0
 Great and informative video. Let's also take into consideration the lack of full serviceability of modern shocks. I had the rebound fail on one. When I finally dug out information on servicing it, and looking beyond the special tools needed, I got to the part where it needed to be recharged with nitrogen and gave up. The service took two weeks and cost over $200! A replacement "spare" was going to run me close to $600.
  • 1 0
 I've killed two monarchs and a (recalled) dbair il on my clevis linkage process 134, and I killed a dpx2 on a 2019 stumpy Evo which is also clevis. Dpx2 and monarchs we're scoring on the damper shaft, dbair il the damper shaft snapped at the head which is what they were recalled for and I got a replacement free no problem. I can believe that the problems I had cash be chalked up to side loading with the clevis. I have a trunnion float X2 on a 2020 Enduro at the moment, we'll see how long that lasts.
  • 1 0
 Servicing Gen 1 Processes with the clevis link and old enduros the side loading would pit out the internal damper rod making even a full service useless. That's an expensive fix no one wanted to cover under warranty. I'll never buy a clevis link bike. I think these full-on structural failures are from not running enough spring rate or a impact that would kill any shock though.
  • 1 0
 I assume PB meant structurel filtre of the shock, I would say It happens no matter u service it or not, however more due to frame/shock design;

for example some S fries re not compatible with certain coil shocks basically due to yoke design that will cause excessive force
  • 2 0
 Similar design to motorcycle shock big differences in the amount of metal around the place but maybe that’s an idea….. put more metal where there’s higher stresses

It seems paring things down to have a headline grabbing weight is popular……till it breaks
  • 1 0
 Fox air and coil, Rockshox coil and DVO air and coil have all puked air and oil and caused me to walk out. XC, enduro and DH bikes. The last one was a couple months ago. Never snapped one… yet.

Fork bushings, blown dampers and creaking csu’s too. Bikes are fun but not cheap.
  • 1 0
 I wonder if any Romic, Progressive 5th element, Manitou swinger coil didn’t blow up. What a crappy shock era that was. Other than the Avalanche dhs, which was totally bulletproof.
Too bad they still aren’t producing anything for bikes weighing less than 50lbs, was good no nonsense bit of kit.
  • 1 0
 Had an X fusion that would blow the rebound circuit every other ride. Simple case of unscrewing the can to release stuck air an reassemble an presure up again just fucking annoying. I think the problem was the frame manufacturer had specced a WAY under weighted shock for the frame.
  • 1 0
 Only shock that ever failed was the early CCDB coil shocks that had that ridiculously small diameter and extremely weak shaft. I'm only 135 lbs and broke that thing so fast. Thankfully, they replaced it free of charge with a larger diameter shaft.
  • 1 0
 I've had an Fox Float X2 fail three times. Not until I got is custom tuned did that stop. It was good of fox to give me a free custom tune for the shock. Would only get 3 months out of it before it failed. Good on Fox to help me out though.
  • 1 0
 By recommended service intervals, I can do a majority of things to service my suspnsion myself, but every 2 years they will go in to the shop for a complete and proper service. Once I complete my suspension maintainers course and register my repair business, this will no longer be a thing though lol
  • 1 0
 You could've also asked about obtaining parts to fix broken shocks. I recently sent a Fox X2 away for service as it had become squelchy. My fault for leaving it too long between services but it turns out the air can and damper rod needed replacing due to scoring. Presumably a bit of grit had entered the shock. The air can isn't available for 3-4 months and the update kit that would've also done the job isn't available either, and no idea when it will be. End result is I bought a new shock from another manufacturer. Goodbye Fox.
  • 1 0
 Early RockShox elastomer forks died after 15+ years. the elastomer was no longer elastic, just goo and solid chunks. I think it met it's service life. Besides, this was on the "female" bike for whoever I was seeing at the time.
  • 1 0
 I had a vivid air and Deluxe plus both get stuck down due to sucking air into the negative chamber. The vivid had to be drilled and has never been used again, the deluxe is shelved, still stuck completely sucked into its travel. Releasing a product with a design flaw like this is not acceptable commercial practice in my opinion. I no longer support the brand.
  • 1 0
 Not sure if this has been mentioned but so many of the bush pins in Rockshox eyelets are so stiff and hard to rotate that I'm sure this is compounding the issue of some shock failiers as its not allowing the shock to pivot around its mounting axis as its meant to do ! Just my 2cents.
  • 1 0
 DHX 2 - super performance but ZERO reliability. Serviced every 6 moths . Tried different service center did not helps .
Marzocchi bomber CR - self disassembled after first bikepark - garbage .
RS any coil / x-fusion any coil - this is the only stuff which works in long-term.
  • 1 0
 Shock failed once, cost me about 300 plus bucks to repair on top of fees paid for service. Than looked at cost for continuous servicing of a rear shock and front fork and made the decision to go to a hardtail. Have not looked back.
  • 9 6
 Y'all need a question in this poll -- "have you ever had a shock fail and why was it a cane creek"
  • 1 0
 Never had a serious problem when I had bouncy bikes.
And now....well....on a hardtail until my back says it's enough.
By that time shock issues will be a thing of the past, and we'll all have flying cars, right?
  • 3 0
 There is only one answer for broken bike parts when it comes to me: "not yet".
  • 8 4
 Funny, my dhx2 just failed last week! but fox replaced it for free.
  • 6 5
 Don’t know why I got downvoted, it rides so good and I’m stoked to ride it once I get the new one.
  • 4 0
 @BikesNRussets: because this is pinkbike
  • 1 1
 DVO Topaz T3Air in Evolink 140. lost air on drop landing in Leogang. about 80% SAG. Repair under warranty within a week.

Ruben Torenbeek will happily tell you what he thinks about Trunnion…
I mean, when bike designers hate it and know it sucks. But still kinda forced to use it. Bad situation.
  • 4 1
 (Some?) Yoke designs seem to be very harsh on shocks. Wonder if high leverage rates are also contributing??
  • 2 1
 Ding ding ding!
  • 1 0
 A lack of metal seems to be the big factor
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: you mean small diameter shafts?
  • 1 0
 @supermike306: well does a small diameter shaft have less metal than a large diameter shaft ?
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: on the surface of it yes, but it depends also on wall thickness and ID/OD measurements-so structural rigidity is not necessarily down to purely the amount of metal used, but moreover how it is used. If the solution to strength was solely the amount of metal used then we'd have a lot of heavy components. From my own personal experience of failure and my knowledge as an engineer it seems larger shaft diameters are beneficial for other reasons such as providing a better connection at the eyelet where play often develops.
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: put simply, a wider hollow shaft does not nessarily have more metal by volume or by weight than a thinner shaft which is either solid or with a smaller internal bore. So is more metal the answer?
  • 2 0
 @supermike306: oh your an engineer
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: yes but by no means an expert on suspension kinematics or shock design. But enough knowledge to understand the principles of what's going on here with some of these shock failures. More important than the engineering bits here seems to be the relationship between frame maker and shock manufacturer to solve this together
  • 1 0
 @supermike306: and I’m still none the wiser more metal less problems
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: actually it's just as much if not more to do with frame design and forces loading up the shock due to these designs in directions which are destroying shocks. Vorsprung points out spherical bearings being a solution OR better frame designs and tolerances. I'd say they sound about right there but in the mean time yes it's good to see shock manufacturers making coils with bigger shafts
  • 1 0
 a bigger shaft has more metal in it
  • 1 0
 The last shock I killed was a Double Barrel Air that the service center had botched the rebuild on. Other than that I'm blessed by the suspension gods. I've blown my fair share of Rock Shox fork dampers though.
  • 2 0
 By fail I mean it can't be fixed with fresh oil and seals. 26 people responded 'It happens to me all the time' WTF Please enlighten us to why...
  • 2 0
 My old Cane Creek DB Air was the worst thing I ever put on a bike. Every 10 rides it needed to be re-built and yes I was using a professional shop to do it as well.
  • 1 0
 But was the one working on it a professional? Lot's of imbeciles clamp bikes into a stand!
  • 1 0
 Did you read watch the video? Probably a frame issue not a shock issue.
  • 1 0
 @CSpurb12: maybe the frame didn't help but even cane creek admit the gen 1 DB air was notorious.
  • 2 0
 Had a riding buddy crash into the strut on the back of my Proflex 857 and broke the Noleen NR2 on it. That was a LONG time ago...
  • 3 0
 Let me know when we can talk about fork failures. In which case mine led to a broken back.
  • 3 0
 I'd count "compression damping switch does nothing" as failed even if I mostly run the shock wide open.
  • 2 1
 Rock Shocks rear shock on my gen 1 Hightower can't handle park days. It gets too hot then the seal on the inside slips off and the dampener goes down but not back up. After it happened a second time I bought a coil.
  • 1 0
 had a 2021 x2 performance fail on me after literally 3 seconds of riding, and by fail I mean it was so hilariously underdamped that it was almost completely unrideable on the enduro it came on.
  • 1 1
 Once had a Progressive 5th Element Shock fail on me on my old Santa Cruz Bullit (no, not the ebike monstrosity that they now claim is a Bullit). To be fair though I cased a huge jump on it and Progressive stepped up no questions asked to replace it.
  • 3 0
 Never (I don't use fox shocks)
Zero problems with Cane Creek DB Air and Coil
And EXT
  • 2 0
 It's funny the two pics of shock failures do not show the "stiffer" trunnion mount. It's almost like engineers are learning......
  • 1 0
 Broke three Cane Creek (2 Coil, 1 Air). The Air in a Canyon Spectral after 3 years. The Coils after just a short time in my AF Ibis Ripmo. Also had Issues with a Fox DHX2 in the Ripmo.
  • 2 0
 10 ride old Fox Float X2 (2021) blew and ended up with a broken shoulder. Cheers to Fox for their premium pricing and recently reduced quality control.
  • 1 0
 My second mtb is and Will always be a rigid fatbike. Its not effective as a full suss but.......it rides. No brainer here... And I have a second suspension combo for my full suss.
  • 2 0
 My thru shaft shocks from Trek failed to the point that they weren’t repairable. Three failures in total from normal riding. None of my normal shocks have failed.
  • 1 0
 So why not a Trunnion-mounted rail Shox? And 2 of my air shoxs now are stuck down from this -21 weather. I guess air shoxs don’t work in the cold? And how do I get my air shoxs to return back to position?
  • 1 0
 I have the same problem with 2 RS shox and it never gets below zero here
  • 1 1
 Seriously, people should consider a hardtail. Modern hardtails are so much better than say, 10 years ago. Decent tubeless tyres for puncture resistance, 1X drivetrains so you don’t constantly throw the chain and near DH bike geometry means you can get away with so much. Not for full on downhill duties but day to day trail rides you can do a surprising amount with a fraction of the maintenance. It’s not uncommon for riders to have several bikes, so make one of them a hardtail. Fully rigid though, might be a bit too far!
  • 1 0
 Never because if I ride more I service it more. Why be stuck in the middle of nowhere because of piss poor attention to your kit?

Same with cars. Some people literally don't touch their cars. Madness.
  • 1 0
 My 2020 Scott Gambler has been through 6 warrantied Van RC before being upgraded to a 2021 DHX2, that all be it lasted longer, but has since failed in the same way. Trunnion mounted.
  • 2 0
 The one downside with trunnion shocks though is that the repair is much more expensive if your shock bolt threads get damaged!
  • 6 4
 When a frame company specs a Whimpy RS deluxe select on a 170mm park bike to save money I blame the frame company not RS
  • 2 0
 This!!
  • 2 0
 Old school Vanilla coil had voids in the casting and exploded but that was over 10 years ago.
  • 1 0
 Rockshox Deluxe coil, clean separation body one side, shaft and oil the other, 1 Shocking moment. thoughts were like...imagine if that happen there...???
  • 1 0
 I have a display shelf for old blown-out shocks and forks. Sure they probably could get fixed but by the time they fail they are ready to be replaced.
  • 2 0
 For those of us who have been riding since the days of the Mag 10, the simple answer is “Uh… yeah!”
  • 1 0
 Yes, and it only took RockShox 9 months to replace it. Like a cunning Fox I made sure I had a more trustworthy brand of suspension on my next bike.
  • 4 0
 As cunning as a fox that's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?
  • 3 0
 @iamamodel: As cunning as a fox what used to be Professor of Cunning at Oxford University but has moved on and is now working for the U.N. at the High Commission of International Cunning Planning.
  • 1 1
 @iamamodel: Foxford university.
  • 1 0
 Happened to me once, an RP23. Surprisingly enough, it was the shock I serviced most dutifully. That's the way she goes, innit?
  • 2 0
 I bought a brand new super deluxe ultimate 6 months ago. I have to pump it up every ride, doesn't hold air Frown
  • 3 0
 Is the Schrader valve core loose?
  • 2 0
 @Beaconbike: wow thanks for the suggestion I will check this
  • 2 0
 @Dogl0rd: If my air sprung fork ever doesn't hold air, this is the reason. Not too often, maybe every few months or so. In my case it could be because the shockpump I use requires me to twist a part that drives the valve core pin in (to open the valve). Maybe those who use a pump that works with a lever to do that don't have this issue. Not too much of an issue for me, just something to check every now and then.
  • 2 0
 @vinay: I think you are right!! I'm grateful for the responses to my post! The core tightened down a bit when I turned it. This may have saved me a trip to the shop and a week without my bike. I am pretty decent at working on my fork, but I've had trouble getting shocks open, so I usually just bring it to the shop. Will test it with a ride this week. Great advice Smile
  • 1 0
 I have had several shock failures that amounted to being frame misalignment issues from a Specialized Enduro and a Banshee Rune.
  • 2 0
 Over boinged my rear boinger a handful of times. Nothing a quick rebuild can't sort.
  • 1 0
 Awe ya I blow through at least 8 shocks a season. No one makes a tough enough shock for me. Next year I’ll be running a motocross shock. We’ll see if that’s any better.
  • 2 0
 Give the new e-Storia a go. I bet that can handle it.
  • 2 0
 I’m totally kidding btw. No I haven’t broken a shock.
  • 1 0
 I heard that Knollys are notoriously hard on shocks and the shocks develop the same problem over and over thus leading to more trips for service. Any insights on this ?
  • 1 0
 I've been riding a fugitive with an X2 for a couple seasons and fortunately I haven't had any issues
  • 1 2
 This is kinda hilarious, as two days ago my rear air shock's o-rings let the air past after a massive 3' to flat.......When it did that, I kinda stared at it and realized my new bike was already 3 years old....I'd kinda forgot all about it....New seal kit on order! Shocks are very reliable these days, even when you neglect them for years. Amazing
  • 1 0
 @VorsprungSuspension would putting a slightly compressible rubber or plastic washer between the rocker and mounting point of a trunnion shock help the issue?
  • 2 0
 Unfortunately not, it would prevent the bolts doing up properly if it was compressible, as the shock needs to be clamped hard up against the bearings in the rocker.
  • 1 0
 Snapped the shaft on my Super Deluxe Coil. Frame manufacturer double checked alignment and said all was good. RS warrantied it.
  • 1 0
 DHX2 and Float X2 upper eyelet with micro cracks leaking oil 2 times is enough? Fox should recall It... A Lot of friends with same issue...
  • 1 0
 Fox float performance evol trunion mount on my first bike in 2017 (Giant Trance 2) needed rebuilding 3 times per season. I hated the lack of reliability on that shock setup.
  • 1 0
 How about a cracked shock shaft that makes an otherwise perfect Monarch Plus a piece of junk because no spare shafts are available SRAM? Will never touch another SRAM shock.
  • 1 0
 Does severe play in the fork count? like, holding the front brake and pushing the bike forward makes the wheelbase get shorter.
  • 1 0
 Does failure include speeding up your rebound a couple of clicks, feeling the knob come off in your hand and watching oil piss all over your garage floor?
  • 2 0
 I love how the first picture for this article is a 2019 Stumpjumper Evo. IYKYK
  • 1 0
 After all of the issues they had with this same thing on the Enduro 29, how did their engineers not learn their lesson? Surely the warranties must be recorded and assessed
  • 1 0
 I wouldn't waste my time servicing them. If it stops working I'll just pick up a replacement from ebay and sell the dead one as spares.
  • 1 0
 Not sure if it counts as a "failure" but shock stopped holding air recently. Seems fixed after a service at least!
  • 1 0
 Outer stanchion on Fox Float X2 2021 cracked. Shimstack fell aparat on Fox Float CTD 2015.
  • 3 1
 Where's the "I ride a hardtail option"? Wink
  • 2 4
 Hard tails are sick!
  • 2 1
 The hardtail option is
. never
. never
. What is this "service" you speak of?
At least that's what I clicked Smile .
  • 1 0
 Snapped a CC DB IL shaft. it is much lighter (dainty) than the old DHX coils after comparing.
  • 1 0
 Snapped the shaft on an IL coil too. Was replaced with a beefier DB coil one and it’s still going on the gf’s bike
  • 2 0
 That's my jeffsy with the busted shock!
  • 1 0
 Pretty sure you're not legit "downcountry" until you've destroyed at least two DPS's.
  • 1 0
 2007 Scott Ransom Equalizer shock at 400psi OIL EVERYWHERE sorry I'm having really bad flashbacks!
  • 2 0
 Pinkbike Poll: Has Your Favorite Podcast Ever Failed?
  • 1 0
 I have bushing side wear on my shock after running the specialized enduro 29
  • 1 0
 2014 Spez Enduro 29 is notorious for destroying the original spec cane creak inlines and double barrel, the shock flexes both laterally due to side loading and vertically in the middle due to the compression path and the clevis. I could literally flex the shock in the middle by hand and burp air from the seals
  • 1 0
 Meh, from the above shock breakage photos, nothing a few zip ties and some duct tape can't fix.
  • 1 1
 Not sure who creates these polls and processes the data, but I trust they're aware which option us hardtail riders are clicking.
  • 1 0
 I blew out the bushings and then damper on a Fork... but it was a new SID Ultimate so all I had to do was ride it.
  • 1 0
 My Pro Flex requires very little service, and has been problem free for decades.
  • 1 0
 Half the bikes I've bought used have had failed shocks , but none of mine have ever failed
  • 1 0
 I have a rockshox setup on my bike so this is news to me
  • 2 1
 I ride a hardtail, so....
  • 1 0
 "Service" can mean a few different things... too ambiguous of a question.
  • 1 0
 I ride a hard tail no shocks on that
  • 1 0
 Useless poll for this topic
  • 1 0
 Whistler bike park has claimed the lives of two of my shocks
  • 1 0
 JERICHO FREAS needs a new shock where time he rides!
  • 1 0
 guys, who broke shock absorbers dt swiss?
  • 1 0
 What a shocking poll! I’m completely broken over the responses…
  • 1 0
 I've had only one real failure. Never again Ohlins.
  • 1 0
 No, ‘cos it never got delivered.
  • 1 0
 Apologies, it was a monarch Plus
  • 1 0
 @philthyphill puccazzu u munnu se espludirunu
  • 1 0
 Gioia u trovai
  • 1 0
 My hardtail has twin shocks and one needs surgery.
  • 1 0
 Ironic that they have a spesh as the article's thumbnail.
  • 1 0
 Multiple multiple Fox X2's and one Push 11-6
  • 1 3
 Small sample size, as I've only had 2 FS bikes. But my 2002 Gary Fisher had a Cane Creek AD-5 that has developed a leak. I tried to replace O-ring but that didn't help.
  • 2 5
 Had a Slash for 1 1/2 years. Had 3 shocks die on me.

Then got a Reign and put a DVO on it. Aircan blew right off on a shock with a couple dozen rides.

If you ride hard, shocks die.
  • 1 1
 I guess people aren't pushing their squish vey hard......
  • 1 0
 @wyorider: you think anyone on here rides a bike? Do some quick calcs posts per year multiplied by time ( words per min) it becomes evident that some have time machine typing
  • 1 0
 Who hasn't
  • 1 0
 CANE CREEK
  • 1 0
 DPX2 = suck..
  • 1 0
 My legs are my shocks!
  • 1 0
 dsfadf
  • 2 4
 lol yt or cane creek had them pull the original photo
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