Fox rear shock question

BC said:

The Fox Alps 5R rear shock on my 1998 Cannondale Raven has become very
stiff, and makes a kind of breathy, sucking sound when it
compresses/rebounds. The LBS says it needs to be overhauled, but the
Fox service centre says that parts will be very hard to find. Is there
ANYTHING I could try doing before plunking down a kazillion bucks for a
new one?

Thanks!

so did you call fox direct? was it they that said "hard to find" or
just the lbs?

if the former, how does a manufacturer come up with a statement like
"hard to find"? - either they have the parts or they don't. does it
mean fox can't sell you the parts? won't sell you the parts? or just
that they're spendy? i've bought repair parts off fox before with no
problem.

jim beam said:

so did you call fox direct? was it they that said "hard to find" or
just the lbs?

if the former, how does a manufacturer come up with a statement like
"hard to find"? - either they have the parts or they don't. does it
mean fox can't sell you the parts? won't sell you the parts? or just
that they're spendy? i've bought repair parts off fox before with no
problem.

The guy from the Fox service centre for Western Canada said it. I
assume he meant he MIGHT be able to scrounge parts from somewhere else,
but it would take a long time.

BC said:

jim beam said:

so did you call fox direct? was it they that said "hard to find" or
just the lbs?

if the former, how does a manufacturer come up with a statement like
"hard to find"? - either they have the parts or they don't. does it
mean fox can't sell you the parts? won't sell you the parts? or just
that they're spendy? i've bought repair parts off fox before with no
problem.

The guy from the Fox service centre for Western Canada said it. I
assume he meant he MIGHT be able to scrounge parts from somewhere else,
but it would take a long time.

try calling fox direct here in california.