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Old 01-06-09, 02:18 AM
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gerald_g 
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AB, Canada
Posts: 375

Bikes: Trek 1220 - Araya R200 - Specialized StumpJumper

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Stump Jumper Shock air filler dead

Hi I found a stumpjumper at a garage sale 2-3 years ago, it was cheap, so I did not worry about repairs, and picked it up anyways.

My work at the time was to make it basically rideable, and that's it.

The first most obvious problem was the front shocks - would not hold air. Turns out the way to fill them was through a rubber seal with a hole in it, using a needle much like a ball inflator. The rubber seals had dried up, and no longer held air.

All my LBS at the time, said these seals are not available, so...

At the time, I took a couple of brass thread in auto valve stems, and turned them down till they just slid into the holes in the top of the shocks. I then glued them in with epoxy glue. This actually worked well for the last couple of years. Light duty rarely ridden.

This fall however, the glue gave out on one, and so the bike has been in the garage since.

Now that winter is in full swing, and I miss riding more than I have in winters past, I want to get this bike running again, and use it in the snow. I want to give it a good overhaul that it deserves this time.

Can anyone give me some good advice here ? As I see it I have four options...

1: Source the original parts, maybe my LBS was wrong.
2: Re-glue the cap in or use JBweld this time, and go with it.
3: drill out the top of the shock, and tap to the correct thread for the screw in valve caps
4: replace the forks with non-shock forks.

I don't mind 4 because I think I have a set in the bin that will fit, and I plan to ride nothing much rougher than gravel trails.

Here's a couple of pics of the issue at hand...




P.S. If it were holding air, that cap would be higher and sticking out the top of the shock tube.
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