air shocks deflated???

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  • madmax-im
    Master of XSology
    • Sep 2007
    • 6751
    • Southern Comfort...Wendell NC

    #1

    air shocks deflated???

    not sure wtf is going on...but I'm riding along and I am noticing that the rear shocks are bottoming out over rough bumps and banging the frame...I havent added any air since we installed the airshocks several months ago...is it normal for this to happen over time or are they supposed to hold their air pressure much longer than 2 months...I guess I shouldnt assume that once set to the pressure i want that it will stay that way without some regular checking and such...We did replace all the internal seals in the shocks but yet theu still leaked out their air...
    1980 XS650G Special-Two
    1993 Honda ST1100
  • jetmechmarty
    Master of XSology
    • Nov 2003
    • 7768
    • Coldwater, Mississippi

    #2
    Are these 30+ year old air shocks? I seem to recall you're running Maxim shocks, right. Have they been rebuilt? It's likely that time. They should hold air indefinitely.
    Marty (in Mississippi)
    XS1100SG
    XS650SK
    XS650SH
    XS650G
    XS6502F
    XS650E

    Comment

    • Prothec
      XSive Maximus
      • Jul 2007
      • 587
      • Fort Myers, FL

      #3
      I don't check them very often, but they don't seem to have lost a noticeable amount of air/oil over the past 4 months or so.

      I have replaced the seals on my XJ shocks twice before they stopped leaking air and oil. I had a decent amount of pitting on the inner tube surface. The second time around I filed/sanded/polished as much of the pitting out as I possibly could and it seems to have done the trick.
      82J · 81SH · 79SF Fire Damage · 78E · 79F Parts Bike · 04 Buell Blast
      Website/Blog

      Comment

      • 3Phase
        XS-XJ Super Guru
        • May 2008
        • 5529
        • Simi Valley, CA

        #4
        Can you put the shocks in a bucket of water?

        If that's too much fun, pour some soapy water over the crossover line and the fittings.

        It's less likely than loose fittings or bad shock seals but the rubber air line might have cracked or split if the seat pan got tightened down on it.

        The steel fittings can work loose and/or strip the aluminum upper shock body. If you rebuilt them you know they use small o-rings instead of compression to seal the crossover line, ke bareful.

        The local hydro-pneumatic shop probably won't have the Japanese/British Imperial threaded fittings in stock and you'll have to make a new crossover line and drill/tap the shock body for the new fittings. If it actually does come down to that point it'd be cheaper and easier to just get another pair of used shocks on eBay and keep the old ones for parts.

        .
        -- Scott
        _____

        2004 ST1300A: No name... yet
        1982 XJ1100J: "Baby" SS Brakes, '850 FD, ACCT
        1980 XS1100G: "Columbo" SS Brakes, '850 FD, ACCT
        1979 XS1100SF: "Bush" W.I.P.
        1979 XS1100F: parts
        2018 Heritage Softail Classic 117 FLHCS SE: "Nanuk" It's DEAD, it's not just resting. It is an EX cycle.

        Comment

        • madmax-im
          Master of XSology
          • Sep 2007
          • 6751
          • Southern Comfort...Wendell NC

          #5
          Originally posted by jetmechmarty
          Are these 30+ year old air shocks? I seem to recall you're running Maxim shocks, right. Have they been rebuilt? It's likely that time. They should hold air indefinitely.
          Mark and I rebuilt them...new seals...the other day there was a small blotch of fork oil on the rear tire...coming from the right side shock......guess we're gonna have to pull them off and have and recheck every thing..
          Last edited by madmax-im; 08-09-2015, 07:29 PM.
          1980 XS650G Special-Two
          1993 Honda ST1100

          Comment

          • madmax-im
            Master of XSology
            • Sep 2007
            • 6751
            • Southern Comfort...Wendell NC

            #6
            Originally posted by 3Phase
            Can you put the shocks in a bucket of water?

            If that's too much fun, pour some soapy water over the crossover line and the fittings.

            It's less likely than loose fittings or bad shock seals but the rubber air line might have cracked or split if the seat pan got tightened down on it.

            The steel fittings can work loose and/or strip the aluminum upper shock body. If you rebuilt them you know they use small o-rings instead of compression to seal the crossover line, ke bareful.

            The local hydro-pneumatic shop probably won't have the Japanese/British Imperial threaded fittings in stock and you'll have to make a new crossover line and drill/tap the shock body for the new fittings. If it actually does come down to that point it'd be cheaper and easier to just get another pair of used shocks on eBay and keep the old ones for parts.

            .
            will try the soapy water trick need to check the crossover line too...at the time of installation everything was good. We were able to tye the crossover loosely so that the seat would not crimp it...
            1980 XS650G Special-Two
            1993 Honda ST1100

            Comment

            • bikerphil
              Master of XSology
              • Jan 2008
              • 8635
              • South Flori-DUH

              #7
              Ahhh, the joys of having air assisted suspension.
              2H7 (79) owned since '89
              3H3 owned since '06

              "If it ain't broke, modify it"

              Comment

              • 3Phase
                XS-XJ Super Guru
                • May 2008
                • 5529
                • Simi Valley, CA

                #8
                Originally posted by bikerphil
                Ahhh, the joys of having air assisted suspension.
                Do nitrogen-filled fork and shock absorber cartridges and emulators use some kind of special non-atmospheric air assisted nitrogen or what?

                .
                -- Scott
                _____

                2004 ST1300A: No name... yet
                1982 XJ1100J: "Baby" SS Brakes, '850 FD, ACCT
                1980 XS1100G: "Columbo" SS Brakes, '850 FD, ACCT
                1979 XS1100SF: "Bush" W.I.P.
                1979 XS1100F: parts
                2018 Heritage Softail Classic 117 FLHCS SE: "Nanuk" It's DEAD, it's not just resting. It is an EX cycle.

                Comment

                • bikerphil
                  Master of XSology
                  • Jan 2008
                  • 8635
                  • South Flori-DUH

                  #9
                  Originally posted by 3Phase
                  Do nitrogen-filled fork and shock absorber cartridges and emulators use some kind of special non-atmospheric air assisted nitrogen or what?

                  .
                  Yes they do. Good units have the nitrogen contained and shouldn't need constant monitoring/adjustment.
                  2H7 (79) owned since '89
                  3H3 owned since '06

                  "If it ain't broke, modify it"

                  Comment

                  • 3Phase
                    XS-XJ Super Guru
                    • May 2008
                    • 5529
                    • Simi Valley, CA

                    #10
                    Hint: air on Earth is ~78% nitrogen

                    Originally posted by bikerphil
                    Yes they do. Good units have the nitrogen contained and shouldn't need constant monitoring/adjustment.
                    And when they are not good little units and they leak, where does the nitrogen come from to refill them after they are repaired or replaced? Air?

                    .
                    -- Scott
                    _____

                    2004 ST1300A: No name... yet
                    1982 XJ1100J: "Baby" SS Brakes, '850 FD, ACCT
                    1980 XS1100G: "Columbo" SS Brakes, '850 FD, ACCT
                    1979 XS1100SF: "Bush" W.I.P.
                    1979 XS1100F: parts
                    2018 Heritage Softail Classic 117 FLHCS SE: "Nanuk" It's DEAD, it's not just resting. It is an EX cycle.

                    Comment

                    • bikerphil
                      Master of XSology
                      • Jan 2008
                      • 8635
                      • South Flori-DUH

                      #11
                      Lol, yep I got that, 3/4 nitrogen blend is just fine by me. Don't get me wrong, the XJ air shocks are fine units. Hopefully, most of them don't leak, it sucks when you start riding and then have to stop to add air. BTDT with air assist forks/shocks, never again.
                      2H7 (79) owned since '89
                      3H3 owned since '06

                      "If it ain't broke, modify it"

                      Comment

                      • madmax-im
                        Master of XSology
                        • Sep 2007
                        • 6751
                        • Southern Comfort...Wendell NC

                        #12
                        Originally posted by bikerphil
                        Lol, yep I got that, 3/4 nitrogen blend is just fine by me. Don't get me wrong, the XJ air shocks are fine units. Hopefully, most of them don't leak, it sucks when you start riding and then have to stop to add air. BTDT with air assist forks/shocks, never again.
                        in 30 years owning the Maxim I only once had a problem with my airshocks and that was back in 2009 at the XS East rally in VT.
                        1980 XS650G Special-Two
                        1993 Honda ST1100

                        Comment

                        • 3Phase
                          XS-XJ Super Guru
                          • May 2008
                          • 5529
                          • Simi Valley, CA

                          #13
                          Originally posted by bikerphil
                          Lol, yep I got that, 3/4 nitrogen blend is just fine by me.
                          Whew! Thank goodness! The price of extraterrestrial nitrogen has gone sky high ever since NASA retired the Shuttle and the Soviet Soyuz missions have been misfiring.

                          Originally posted by bikerphil
                          Don't get me wrong, the XJ air shocks are fine units. Hopefully, most of them don't leak, it sucks when you start riding and then have to stop to add air. BTDT with air assist forks/shocks, never again.
                          I try not to ride hard enough on the street to need or notice the difference in weight and performance between regular air suspension and high pressure gas suspension. I don't trust old frames.

                          I like nitrogen as a general concept in suspension gasses because it keeps the oil in the shocks/forks from oxidizing and it can cut down on oil foaming. The high pressure cartridges are nice because they're smaller so they have less mass and they can do the same amount of work as a larger, traditional air suspension component but then you have the usual problem associated with high pressure gasses and moving parts: cost and long-term reliability. I haven't seen many thirty-year-old cartridge suspension parts for sale that still work and can hold their nitrogen. You're definitely not going to refill one out on the road with a small electric or hand pump.


                          I'd still like to put cartridges on my bike though!

                          .
                          -- Scott
                          _____

                          2004 ST1300A: No name... yet
                          1982 XJ1100J: "Baby" SS Brakes, '850 FD, ACCT
                          1980 XS1100G: "Columbo" SS Brakes, '850 FD, ACCT
                          1979 XS1100SF: "Bush" W.I.P.
                          1979 XS1100F: parts
                          2018 Heritage Softail Classic 117 FLHCS SE: "Nanuk" It's DEAD, it's not just resting. It is an EX cycle.

                          Comment

                          • MaximPhil
                            XS-XJ Super Guru
                            • May 2004
                            • 4119
                            • Mississauga, ON CANADA

                            #14
                            Originally posted by madmax-im
                            in 30 years owning the Maxim I only once had a problem with my airshocks and that was back in 2009 at the XS East rally in VT.
                            Hi Ben,
                            I recall the exhaust FALLING OFF on that rally.
                            "Does my bike sound loud to you" was the quote of the day
                            Fun times.
                            Phil
                            1981 XS1100 H Venturer ( Addie)
                            1983 XJ 650 Maxim
                            2004 Kawasaki Concours. ( Black Bear)

                            Comment

                            • bikerphil
                              Master of XSology
                              • Jan 2008
                              • 8635
                              • South Flori-DUH

                              #15
                              Originally posted by madmax-im
                              in 30 years owning the Maxim I only once had a problem with my airshocks and that was back in 2009 at the XS East rally in VT.
                              Well Ben, I hope you get yours straightened out and do not have any more problems. Just remember to run about 77% nitrogen in them after fixing the leak.
                              2H7 (79) owned since '89
                              3H3 owned since '06

                              "If it ain't broke, modify it"

                              Comment

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