rusty shocks

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Halocon
i have a 2003 specialized hardrock that i bought roughly 9 months ago and already the shocks are rusting. how do i go about fixing this problem? i thought about using WD40 to try to remove the rust but it may end up doing more harm than good. WD40 may wash off the grease within the shocks (am i right?). anyways, i was wondering if anyone can give me any suggestions on how to remove the rust because im not rich and i know very well that shocks are expensive. i was thinking about maybe returning the shocks to the company i bought it from. what do you guys think? btw, why would shocks rust? i thought the components on a bike are made with aluminum.

The higher end parts are made of aluminum but lower en models can many times use steel steerers and stanctions. Usually the stanctions are plated to protect against rust but even his is not 100% effective in all conditions. You might try to see if warranty will cover that but you might be out of luck there. Try running Lizard Skins shock boots on the stanctions from now on. That should help considerably and oil them frequently with teflon oil.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Hecubus
The higher end parts are made of aluminum but lower en models can many times use steel steerers and stanctions. Usually the stanctions are plated to protect against rust but even his is not 100% effective in all conditions. You might try to see if warranty will cover that but you might be out of luck there. Try running Lizard Skins shock boots on the stanctions from now on. That should help considerably and oil them frequently with teflon oil.

hey, Hecubus thx for the advice with the shocks. do you happen to know any good rust removers? would WD40 be any good at all? or would that just make things worst?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Halocon
do you happen to know any good rust removers? would WD40 be any good at all? or would that just make things worst?

WD-40 will not remove rust, it will only make a half-assed job of preventing more rust to form. I'd go with a mild polishing compound to remove the rust and then keep the surface well greased to prevent further deterioration.