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How do Romic shocks start to blow?

ChrisRobin

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,351
193
Vancouver
Are they like Fox's where they just start leaking all over the place??? Mine is now making a 'squeeking' sound at mid stroke during compression and is seeping a little bit of oil at the compression knob. It isn't too bad...I can still ride with it since I don't really use compression damping...as long as the rebound still works. Bummer :mad:

How much is it usually through Romic to have it rebuilt?
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Aug 25, 2003
42,146
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Squirtin ketchup n' mustard on charred flesh
ChrisRobin said:
Are they like Fox's where they just start leaking all over the place??? Mine is now making a 'squeeking' sound at mid stroke during compression and is seeping a little bit of oil at the compression knob. It isn't too bad...I can still ride with it since I don't really use compression damping...as long as the rebound still works. Bummer :mad:

How much is it usually through Romic to have it rebuilt?
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If you have the "mistake" batch, they leak pretty badly out of the compression knob hole. They had a run of knobs and shock bodies that were machined to the incorrect tolerances and are very aware of their mistake. They even put up an announcement about it a while back on their website and places like this. If your's is one of them, replacement is free. I personally had three shocks with four leaking incidents before they figured out the problem.

Losing oil anywhere out of your shock is bad. It's not like you have a compression chamber of oil separate from a rebound chamber of oil. If you lose oil from anywhere, every aspect of your shocks performance will be compromised. It doesn't matter from whence it came. Your rebound damping will get worse as well.

Call Romic. They're good folks, even if horrendously busy and overworked.
 
P

prerogative

Chimp
Aug 1, 2002
31
0
Danvers, MA
I friend is having one done now, he said $40. It's been used ~14 months, the shop said it was marginal and may have contributed to the Joker swingarm failure (known problem, new models fixed). New swingarm and loaner shock that day from shop, so no down-time - can't ask for more than that . . . and all for $40.
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,000
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AK
beats me, each time mine blew it did something different.

1st time, it "gradually" lost the platform/compression damping, untill one day there was none. I was told at this time that my shock was not from the "lot" with the leaky compression adjuster, in fact I was told that was a fairly isolated problem.

2nd time, it leaked all the oil out from the compression adjuster (imagine that!)

3rd time, piston-drag caused it to self-destruct into 3 pieces.

I think the "leaky compression adjuster" story is just a cover for bigger problems that romic is having. I mean really, that was a good deal more than a year ago, and these things are still blowing.
 
Smelly

Smelly

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2004
1,254
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out yonder, round bout a hootinany
mine has blown twice in the past year and a half. both times it spit oil all over itself and made that *schllluuuck* sound for awhile, then it had no more compression damping and felt like a rotten log.
i'm with Jm on this, that there is a larger issue at hand. i after last time it blew i asked for a whole new shock. they said "we'll take care of it, don't worry" meaning they just rebuilt my old one. well, it doesn't leak oil but it feels like crap. every time romic has had my shock it's taken over a month to get it back, so i'd rather have it feel crappy than send it to them and be off the bike for the month of july.

Push Industried oughta create a romic rebuild kit. i'd gladly send Darren $100 to fix my shock once and for all. in the meantime, i'm just gonna save up for a different shock, and never buy a bike with a romic again.
 
zedro

zedro

Turbo Monkey
Sep 14, 2001
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squarewheels said:
Push Industried oughta create a romic rebuild kit. i'd gladly send Darren $100 to fix my shock once and for all. in the meantime, i'm just gonna save up for a different shock, and never buy a bike with a romic again.
Click to expand...
Darren used to work for Romic no? create your own conclusions....
 
Smelly

Smelly

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2004
1,254
1
out yonder, round bout a hootinany
zedro said:
Darren used to work for Romic no? create your own conclusions....
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that's what i thought too, but wasn't sure so i didn't want to say anything about it. i vaguely recall hearing somewhere (Mountain Bike Fiction maybe?) that he helped design it, too.
i'm not sure if Romic's problem is in the design or the manufacturing process. everyone seems to be having great experiences with Push products, which makes me think that Romics have problems with manufacturing. but this has been going on for so long that maybe it is a design flaw; maybe the twin tube damper just gets overloaded with pressure and decides to store the oil on the outside of the shock. or something.
here's a question. what size is your shock that blew? mine is a 2" stroke, Jm your was too, right? i have a friend with a 3" stroke Romic and he's never had any problems. perhaps only the smaller ones are having issues?
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,000
9,661
AK
squarewheels said:
that's what i thought too, but wasn't sure so i didn't want to say anything about it. i vaguely recall hearing somewhere (Mountain Bike Fiction maybe?) that he helped design it, too.
i'm not sure if Romic's problem is in the design or the manufacturing process. everyone seems to be having great experiences with Push products, which makes me think that Romics have problems with manufacturing. but this has been going on for so long that maybe it is a design flaw; maybe the twin tube damper just gets overloaded with pressure and decides to store the oil on the outside of the shock. or something.
here's a question. what size is your shock that blew? mine is a 2" stroke, Jm your was too, right? i have a friend with a 3" stroke Romic and he's never had any problems. perhaps only the smaller ones are having issues?
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given how many different kids of bikes have blown with them, that's about the only commonality I can think of, but I don't know how well it holds up.
 
WestCoastHucker

WestCoastHucker

RETSUBDUHT
Oct 23, 2003
3,560
710
daydreaming about a new rhythm line.....
squarewheels said:
...............here's a question. what size is your shock that blew? mine is a 2" stroke, Jm your was too, right? i have a friend with a 3" stroke Romic and he's never had any problems. perhaps only the smaller ones are having issues?
Click to expand...
mine was a 3" stroke, blew 3 times in less than 6 months, got a new replacement, i sold it......
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,000
9,661
AK
WestCoastHucker said:
mine was a 3" stroke, blew 3 times in less than 6 months, got a new replacement, i sold it......
Click to expand...
yeah...so scratch that theory..... :rolleyes:
 
ChrisRobin

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,351
193
Vancouver
squarewheels said:
here's a question. what size is your shock that blew? mine is a 2" stroke, Jm your was too, right? i have a friend with a 3" stroke Romic and he's never had any problems. perhaps only the smaller ones are having issues?
Click to expand...
Mine is the 2.75x9"

I run a softer spring than I should be running but my frame is progressive to the point where I've only bottomed it out once harshly. I'll call them up to see what they say. Thanks a lot for the info!

I'm almost tempted to buy a Fox RC and have it Pushed. But at that point, how close am I to just spending the extra couple dollars and getting an Avalanche 9x3 shock?
 
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