Shock Rebuilding

[pharit]

I;m lookin at buying some aftermarket shocks on ebay.. cause i;m a cheap basterd and don;t wanna spend all the money to get brand new shocks. Anyway i was wondering if buying a pair of used aftermarket shocks would be worth rebulding or not.

[yfz450admirer]

I have rebuilt several shocks through a guy hear in Vegas, Dula suspension. He revalved a rear shock for me for $100 with new oil--worked great. For new oil it costs me $40 per shock. New seals and oil on my works performance triple rates cost $100 for both. I think rebuilding shocks bought used is a viable option for saving money.

[beak7707]

What do you mean??? Yes they are worth rebuilding, every shock that is rebuilable will need to be rebuilt at some point in time. Most racers have theres rebuilt up to 2-3 times a yr. Even if you bought brand new ones 90% of suspension people would recommend them being rebuilt once a yr depending on how much and how you ride. If you find a good deal on used ones you will be money ahead. I would recommend trying to find some that are setup for you, weight, riding style, and for the a-arms you are running. The rebuilds are cheap but the cost of revalving and changing springs for your weight can get into some higher$$$.

[DaleJrFan]

I have a set or works shocks that i bought used and had rebuilt, they work great. I am still looking for a set of used elkas with rezzies on ebay that i can pick up cheap and rebuild. Great way to save some money.

[pharit]

Originally posted by beak7707
[I would recommend trying to find some that are setup for you, weight, riding style, and for the a-arms you are running. The rebuilds are cheap but the cost of revalving and changing springs for your weight can get into some higher$$$.

Yeah ive taken this into consideration. But thanks guy for the response i thought this was goin to be a dead forum from the get go

[fasterz]

how much is it to just have them recharged? mine dont need to be rebuilt cuz they only have a few rides on them but i want them fresh for the 05 season

I would HIGHLY recommend having the shocks rebuilt if you purchase them used because you never know actually how much time is really on them. Also, I recomend to all of my customers to have there shocks rebuilt at least once a year. The oils wear out and loose viscocity, just like the oil in your engine does. It also gets dirty too. You would be surprised how much abuse that oil goes through in a shock! I've taken some apart and they smell like 80-90 weight if not worse. Also, if your shock oil is worn out, once it heats up your shocks will fade big time. The oil may go from a 5wt. to a 2wt. when hot. This changes ALL of the valving.

To keep shocks in their optimal condition they need to be rebuilt at least once a year anyway. more if you are a serious racer. It is also a good idea to get ANY used shock you buy revalved to your specific needs. If you buy a used set I would say it would be more than worth it to send them off and get them revalved the day you get them!