DIY - Stock Raptor 2.5 Shock Rebuild.

[m3dragon]

Make sure to like and follow our crazy gang on the ROC Facebook: and Instagram

This thread is for those who wish to rebuild their FOX 2.5 Stock Raptor shocks on their own.

Usual disclaimers myself and the ROC team are not a company nor are we FOX certified techs. Rebuild DIY was a community effort from several members to benefit us as a community as a whole.

Tool needed

- 8 MM Socket (for spring hat removal)
- 17 MM socket
- 19 MM Socket
- Spring Compressor (recommend wall mount but if not available harbor fright works, just be EXTREMELY cautious.)
- Clean work surface
- Vice
- Measuring Container - something that can do over 800 ML or 4 cups[/URL]]
- Lots of clean towels
- Wooden dowel about 16 inches long
- Small Allen key
- Medium Allen key
- Long pick tool - 16 inches lone
- Several small picks

Additional Items
- Nitrogen Fill-Adaptor (Schrader Valve) - [ORDER HERE]
- Race Tech Pin Spanner 4.0- [ORDER HERE]
- 2 Grade 8 bolts to be used for spanner 1/4 24 bolts
- Fox JM92 Advanced Suspension Fluid - [ORDER HERE]
- Nitrogen Tank
- Gauge / Valve that is capable for 250 PSI. (We used a 300)
- Shrader valve air chuck (IE tire chuck)

Rebuild Items
- Front Shock Seal Kits - [ORDER HERE]
- Rear Shock Seal Kits - [ORDER HERE]

Custom Tools
- 3/8 by 24 thread bolt with extension and T about 9 inches long
- 1/4 by 20 thread bolt with extension and T about 4 inches long

Parts you may need to order cause of damage or not able to repair
- New front or rear screw cap (What Fox calls the cap that holds the bleeder screws and seals) $35
- Rubber Pellet - $1
- Bleeder Screw - $2
- Bleeder Ball - $2
- New shock guard rear - $20
** Prices do not include shipping which from fox is $10 flat so order a few things**

Detailed check lists

Front Shock detailed PDF download here

Rear Shock detailed PDF download here

Cost to do the rebuild
If you add it all the tools needed to do the work you looking close to $400-500 for one shock. The best scenario is to get a bunch of members together like I did and all chip in to get the tools.Then the cost one time cost is spread equality. The process to do the work is the same for 2.5s and even 3.0s. Only different is the look but the process is the same.

Build note
- Screw cap bleeder screws - CLEAN out any dirt from the alan screw before trying to remove. Alan key need to be deep or you will strip the screw. If you strip a screw and only have 1 bleeder you are still ok. If none work you need a new cap.
- Rubber pelts for charging can be used a few time as long as the needle stays pristine. If you have to poke the needle more than 5 times you run risk of needing a new one.
- Always remember to reassemble the screw caps onto the pistons before pouring fluid into the shock body.
- Use a bio-degrable de-greaer to clean all the shocks and internals. Harbor freight or any auto parts store flavor works.
- When removing your shocks, use a paint pen to mark the hat how it aligns to the nitrogen charge port. This is so when you put the hat back on you align it correctly. 2010 Screw Raptors have a different alignment we have found to any other Raptor.

Spring cap number if needing to be replaced - AL3Z18A099A CAP (FORD)

Raptor Owners
For those owners in NorCal and Northern Nevada, you are welcome to contact me or a ROC member and we can figure out a time and way for you to lean how to build shocks. This was a community effort and we wish to keep it that way.

Shock Exchange program:
http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f9/raptor-community-stock-2-5-shock-rebuild-exchange-program-44733/

Video overview on how to rebuild Raptor 2.5 Shocks.
https://youtu.be/411SvhwLgX0

 

[m3dragon]

FRONT SHOCKS

Please note some images are missing and these will be added after 9/6. Additionally some other data such as fluid levels and a few other steps will be added. Most of the steps are pretty straight forward and if you have a mechanical eye you will figure it out. These are not that complex to do as long as you take your time and don't rush things.

1. Compress spring to be able to remove top hat

2. Once compressed remove top nut using a 17mm socket

a. If the nut and shaft is spinning, you will need an open top socket to be able to place a 10mm socket on the inner nut.​

3. Once spring is removed, place spring, shock hat and nut in a safe place.

4. Remove the bump stop and place with spring and hat.

5. CLEAN the shock at this point, so you do not get dirt and grime into the shock as you rebuild it.

6. Using a fine pic, remove the hard plastic plug on the bottom of the shock

7. Using a needle, pierce the rubber seal and bleed out the Nitrogen (will take about 2-3 minutes)

8. Place the shock in a vice

9. Remove the plastic cover and place in safe place

10. Using the Tech Pin Spanner, remove the shock cap

a. Lefty Lousy​

b. You may need a pipe to act as a breaker bar as sometime the cap is REALLY on there​

11. Slowly remove the shock piston

a. You might need a little strength here to break the seal​

12. Place the shock piston on your towel

13. Carefully poor out the old shock fluid

a. DO NOT flip the shock completely upside down or the inner bypass will go flying into the oil.
b. As you poor the oil out slowly keep tilting the shock until the bypass start to fall out. Pull the bypass out and place on your shop towel.
​

14. Put the needle back in the bleeder hole to let the air pressure out as you compress the floating piston.

15. Looking into the shock you will see the floating piston; push the piston down about 1/2 inch so you can get to the snap ring.

6. Using 2 long picks, push the snap ring down and remove it,

a. You can barely see the snap ring, It is are the bottom of the blue ring
b. Easiest way to remove is flip it down then remove​

17. To remove the piston, put some towels down to catch the piston when you remove it.

18. Using your nitrogen at about 50-100 psi max, charge the shock and will cause the piston to POP out.

19. Remove the metal base off the bypass piston

20. Remove the shock cap

a. The big blue screw with all the seals​

21. Now the shock is apart, take the time to clean all the parts and internals.

a. Use a long tool (we used a long wrench and wrapped a towel around it)
b. BE VERY careful not to scratch the internal part of the bypass​

22. Place the seals that go with each section next to the parts

a. This will help keep you organized and not miss a seal
b. NOTE: Not all seals are used and all the thin seals will not be used based on what we have seen
c. Make sure to put a little oil on the new seals as you install them​

23. Replace all the seals in the shock cap

a. Note that these seals are harder and will be a little tough to put in
b. Seals need to be placed in as order​

i. White seal fist, pointed side up
ii. softer black seal, pointed side up
iii. harder black sea, pointed side up​

c. Outer Ring seal
d. Inner ring seal at bottom of seal cap​

24. Replace seal on internal bypass base

25. Replace seal on floating piston

a. Replace wear band on floating piston

26. Reinstall time

27. Using the internal bypass, place the floating piston in the bypass so that just half of the wear band is in the bypass

a. Carefully put the internal bypass in and use the wooden down tool to help list and align the floating piston into the bottom channel
b. Push the piston back in and remove bypass​

i. You will need to put a needle in so that you can push out the air as you push the piston down​

28. Reinstall the snap ring

a. Easiest was to push the ring in vertically and then twist it to level and close to the top but not all the way there.
b. Using your needle, charge the piston with 50-100psi slowly till you hear the piston POP back into place and lock the snap ring in​

i. We found this was the fastest and easiest way, as you cannot get down there to maneuver the snap ring.​

29. Reassemble the internal bypass

a. Bleeder holes should be on top
b. Place in carefully to minimize and possibly to scratch the shock​

30. Poor new FOX shock fluid in

31. Reinstall shock hat onto piston rod

a. Use oil to pre lube the piston shaft
b. You may have to use a rubber mallet to put the shaft in​

i. Place the cap on the vice to allow the shaft to pass through
ii. Hit the nut side with the rubber mallet to the shaft is through​

32. Reinstall piston shaft

a. You will have to loosen the two small Allen bleeder valves about 1/2 way to let the air and extra fluid bleed out.
b. DO NOT completely remove the small alen’s as the ball seals in there will be lost
c. You will have to push down on the hat so you can get the threads to bite
d. Tighten the shock cap and keep a rag handy to clean up the bleeded off oil
e. Push the piston down till only fluid comes out and no bubbles
f. Tighten the alen’s back down​

33. Charge shock with nitrogen to 240 PSI

34. Reinstall plastic cap

35. Reinstall bump stop

36. Reinstall spring and shock hat

37. When you install the hat, make sure the hat is aligned as show in the image below to the green dot on the body of the shock. The dot is above the charge port where you use the needle to charge the shock. Failure to align the hat means the lower shock bolt will not be correct and you have to uninstall and re-compress the spring to rotate the hat.

 

[m3dragon]

REAR SHOCKS

1. Clean the shock to keep dirt and grime out of the shock during rebuild

2. Uninstall piston guard

3. Using a fine pic remove the hard plastic plug

4. Using a needle, bleed out the nitrogen from the bypass body (2-3 minutes)

5. Place shock in a vice to remove end caps

6. Once shock has been purged – PUSH down the end cap to make the snap ring more accessible

7. Remove the snap rig

8. Using a allen key to remove the screw and seal from end of bypass body

a. Using a small bolt, thread it into the end cap and pull the cap off (thread details coming)
b. Place on clean towel in the order and orientation you take things off*​

9. Using a 1/4 by 20 thread bolt, screw it into the bottom valve and pull out

a. Here you will need a custom made tool​

OR​

b. Use a bolt and zip ties as seen in the picture to pull the inner valve out​

10. Using Tech Pin Spanner to remove end cap

a. You might need a pipe to act as a braker bar as they can be stuck on​

11. Place piston on clean towel

12. Carefully poor the old fluid into a bucket slowly tilting the shock till the internal bypass is able to be removed

a. Don’t flip the shock upside down fast or the internal bypass will fly out and get oil everywhere​

13. Clean the shock pistons at this time

14. Clean the internal body of the shock

a. You will need to use a long wrench with a towel wrapped around it to get down into the body​

15. Place the main shock body into the vice and remove the end nut 19mm

16. CAREFULLY remove the shim stack and place on a clean towel in order of removal and in the SAME orientation as you took it off.

17. Remove buffer ring

18. Remove shock end cap

19. Place seals in order they go onto the different parts

a. NOTE you will not use all the seals in the kit. The thinner seals we did not use​

20. Shock end cap - seals need to be placed in as order

a. Make sure to oil the seals before installing
b. White seal fist, pointed side up
c. Softer black seal, pointed side up
d. Harder black sea, pointed side up
e. Replace outer seal
f. Replace bottom seal
g. Optional travel seal (this is mean to see how much travel you used by setting it against the shock body before a run and at the end where it is was how much travel you used)​

21. Replace seal on inner valve

22. Replace seals on outer bypass body cap

23. Oil the shock piston shaft to make it easier to install the end cap

24. Place end cap back onto the shock

25. Place buffer on to shock

26. Place shim stack carefully back on to the shock in the same orientation it was taken off

27. Reinstall nut and tighten so that about 1/2 of the thread is above the nut

28. Poor in enough shock fluid so that the fluid is equal in both the main body and bypass body

29. Reinstall the inner valve body

a. Oil the wear band and place on the valve and carefully push into the bypass body
b. Push valve body all the way down​

30. Reinstall main body bypass

a. Bypass is notched so it only goes in one way.​

31. Poor the rest of the shock fluid into the main body

a. Shock fluid amount is about 24 ounces which is a tad over what was in there so you can bleed out some of the fluid (detailed measurement to come)​

32. Move the bypass valve up and down SLOWLY to work out any air bubbles

33. Pull the bypass valve up SLOWLY to bring more fluid over to the bypass body

34. Reinstall and tighten shock end cap on main piston

35. Loosen the two allen screws about half way

a. DO NOT completely remove these or the inner ball bearing will be lost forever​

36. Push the bypass valve body down till no more bubbles appear and only fluid is coming out

a. Make sure to use a towel to clean up excess oil​

37. Reinstall upper bypass end cap

a. Push cap down so you can reinstall snap ring​

38. Reinstall snap ring

39. Charge shock to 240PSI

40. Reinstall piston guard

For fun, notice the color difference between what the oil should look like and what was removed.

 

[vanilla_gorilla]

Mine soon!!!

 

[seapong]

@BIRDMAN this should be a sticky in the suspension section

 

[KaiserM715]

Great work. We have needed a write-up like this for a long time. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

@BIRDMAN this should be a sticky in the suspension section

It already is.

 

[m3dragon]

Great work. We have needed a write-up like this for a long time. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

It already is.

They are not as intimidating as people think. You need need a couple specialty items but after that it is just get your hands oily, pun intended.

Adding cost for doing everything above

 

[IRONMAN]

GREAT JOB GUYS!
Thanks so much for doing this, very well done.

 

[seapong]

GREAT JOB GUYS!
Thanks so much for doing this, very well done.

Anytime! We're all just trying to give back to the community. If anyone has questions regarding the rebuild or would like to get a more technical understanding of how these work, feel free to PM me.

 

[Chris Crampton]

Great write up. The only thing I didn't see you comment on is the dividing piston depth(or as its was call in the write up "by-pass valve"). There should be a measurement from the open end of the reservoir to the dividing piston. This should be set and then tighten seal head at the shaft.
Thanks to the guys putting this DIY together.