Replace or rebuild Rock Shox Quadra

Addendum:

I see in the owner's manual that my particular shock may have a series
of springs, not elastomers. Same principle, different part. Repeated
compression + time = no go.

Nashbar just got a bunch of that same shock NOS! Clearance for $99.

http://tinyurl.com/cxqfp

Might be easier and in the end better than trying to salvage an old
one.

just my .02

-n

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Hi,
My beloved, unbreakable, 1996 Trek 8000 hardtail has served me well and
I I hope to keep riding it for many more years. However, it has the
original Rock Shox Quadra Q21R fork, which after a lot of years of use,
has become pretty much bone-jarringly useless. The owners manual
indictates that the shock uses elastomers, which I assume have simply
become hardened/compressed over the years. I asked the guy at my LBS
if it would be possible to rebuild the shock and what it would cost,
and he responded by flipping through some books, looking confused, and
promising to call me with an answer (which he never did). My questions
are:
1. Is it possible/worth it to rebuild this shock (and can I do it
myself or will a LBS have to do the job)?
-AND-
2. If not, what shock would serve as a workable replacement for this
one (i.e. compatible with my bike and won't break the bank)? I'm pretty
easy about doing either -- whichever is simpler and will serve me
better in the long run.
I have PDF versions of the original service and owners manuals for my
Rock Shox Quadra for reference if anyone needs them to render an
opinion.

Depends on whether you can get the parts and how much they will cost.
--------------
Alex

Quoted message said:

My beloved, unbreakable, 1996 Trek 8000 hardtail has served me well and
I I hope to keep riding it for many more years. However, it has the
original Rock Shox Quadra Q21R fork, which after a lot of years of use,
has become pretty much bone-jarringly useless.

snip

Quoted message said:

2. If not, what shock would serve as a workable replacement for this
one (i.e. compatible with my bike and won't break the bank)? I'm pretty
easy about doing either -- whichever is simpler and will serve me
better in the long run.

I had a similar problem with my 1993 bike with a Specialized air/oil fork
made by Rockshox (=Mag 20). The fork was leaking oil but no parts were
available.

A new replacement fork would have also necessitated:
new headset and stem - mine are old 1 1/8 threaded
new V-brakes - new forks don't have cantilever stops
new brake lever - to match cable pull requirement of V-brakes
new front shifter - because my old shifter is integrated into the brake
lever

I looked on ebay and ended up buying a lightly used mid-90s Specialized
air/oil fork that I guess to be 1-2 model years newer than mine (probably
the Mag 21 equivalent) in good condition and without leaks for $20. The
threaded steerer tube was too long for my bike, but that just made it
easier. Because the stanchions are held on by bolts at the crown, I just
swapped out everything below the crown, adjusting the newer stanchions a few
mm lower in the crown (OK because the old ones stuck out the top that same
few mm) to maintain the same length. It was only a 10 minute job. The
bonus is that it looks just like the old fork (but less scratched up),
matches my silver frame nicely. It also had built in cantilever spring
holes in the arch that improved upon the spinning stops of the old fork.

If you want to try going this route, look for a Rockshox or Specialized fork
in good condition from the mid-90s. They should be cheap enough that it's
worth the risk going used. You don't need to find an exact model and
steerer match, which makes it easier, just make sure that they have the bolt
on stanchions. I'm assuming that they were all the same diameter and
spacing for a number of years.

[email hidden said:

"]Hi,

My beloved, unbreakable, 1996 Trek 8000 hardtail has served me well and
I I hope to keep riding it for many more years. However, it has the
original Rock Shox Quadra Q21R fork, which after a lot of years of use,
has become pretty much bone-jarringly useless. The owners manual
indictates that the shock uses elastomers, which I assume have simply
become hardened/compressed over the years. I asked the guy at my LBS
if it would be possible to rebuild the shock and what it would cost,
and he responded by flipping through some books, looking confused, and
promising to call me with an answer (which he never did). My questions
are:

1. Is it possible/worth it to rebuild this shock (and can I do it
myself or will a LBS have to do the job)?

-AND-

2. If not, what shock would serve as a workable replacement for this
one (i.e. compatible with my bike and won't break the bank)? I'm pretty
easy about doing either -- whichever is simpler and will serve me
better in the long run.

I have PDF versions of the original service and owners manuals for my
Rock Shox Quadra for reference if anyone needs them to render an
opinion.

Thanks!

Some cheap fixes I tried when my elastomers wore out and you can't wait for replacement parts to arrive.
Elastomer replacements:
firm= synthetic wine corks
medium = one inch cylindrical rubber stoppers
soft= dollar store flip flops cut with a one inch hole drill bit, compressed and then taped into cylinder that resembled a role of quarters.