What you need
Consumables
- RockShox Monarch RT3/RT/ R Full Service Kit
;
- RockShox Rear Susp. Damping Fluid 7Wt, 120Ml
;
- Nitrile Gloves-Box of 100
;
- clean rags;
Instructions
- download the SRAM manual from the SRAM website.
Tools - basic air can service
Very few specialist tools are required. If the air can is too tight to remove by hand, then a strap wrench can come in handy:
Tools - revalve
You should also make yourself a tool to remove the IFP fill port cover. I made one by grinding a slot in the end of a 5mm allen key:
You will also need an IFP fill adapter. You can buy these from SRAM
Basic air can service
- remove shock from bike;
- give shock a thorough external clean;
- release all air from the shock;
- clamp shock end in vice with soft jaws and unscrew air can;
- once air can is unscrewed, give it a quick firm yank to get it off the shock;
- remove green top out bumper, teflon rings and main quad ring;
- remove wiper seal, telflon ring and quad ring from air can;
- remove o-ring from air can threads;
Revalving the Monarch shock
Continue on from basic air can service:
- release air pressure from IFP: after removing the IFP fill port cover, there is a schrader valve underneath. In the pic you can see the IFP fill port adapter I am using. This particular adapter came with my SKS UFP shock pump; I have modified it by inserting a plastic rod down the centre which is just the right length to open the schrader valve when the shock pump is screwed on the end.
- attach the shock pump and release the pressure. Take a note of how much pressure was in the IFP before you release it;
- clamp the lower shock mount in the vice and use a 17mm spanner to unscrew the damper seal head;
- once you've got the damper off you can do whatever tuning you wish to the shim stack;
Shim stack
This shock is a L rebound tune / M compression tune. It has the following shims:
| Item | Shim details | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outside diameter | Thickness | Quantity | ||
| Shim | 8mm | 0.2mm | 3 | These shims add length to the overall shim stack so that the clamp bolt can tighten against the shim stack. |
| Valve plate | 15mm | 1.25mm | 1 | This valve plate provides the low speed rebound oil flow path . |
| Shim | 15mm | 0.1mm | 1 | This shim is a checkplate for the rebound low speed adjuster which operates on an oil bypass / bleed circuit through the center of the damping rod. |
| Shim | 8mm | 0.2mm | 3 | |
| Shim | 14mm | 0.1mm | 5 | These shims form the rebound stack. |
| Piston | 1 | The piston is dished on both the compression and rebound faces. The dishing results in the high-speed and rebound shim stacks having preload and consequently a digressive damping curve. | ||
| Shim | 22mm | 0.1mm | 4 | These shims form the high-speed compression shim stack. |
| Shim | 22mm | 0.2mm | 1 | |
| Valve plate | 1 | |||
| Shim | 20mm | 0.1mm | 1 | These shims form the low-speed compression shim stack. Oil flow through these shims is through the centre of the damping rod and out into the valve plate through holes in the damping rod. |
| Shim | 13mm | 0.1mm | 1 | |
| Shim | 10mm | 0.2mm | 1 | |
| Shim | 10mm | 0.3mm | 1 | |