Tips: Wiper Cap Stuck Fox 2.5

Working on my friends 2.5 Fox Coilovers and the bearing wiper cap will not come off on both front coilovers. I've removed the threaded allen set screw from both caps. Steps I've taken so far are below with the shock mounted in a bench vise.

1. Made a large spanner wrench with 3/16 pins, tried to tap with a deadblow to shock it and get it moving.
2. Used a monkey wrench on the knurled outer surface of the cap. No dice, it won't move.
3. Sprayed PB, and tried to get it down into the threads for the cap, left it over night
4. Used some heat to try and expand the body a bit, don't want to go crazy
5. All of the above

Still nothing, any tips/trick that folks have had luck with? When I serviced my Icons those caps came off with a light hit of a deadblow on a small 3/16 spanner made for bicycles. At this point the cap is ruined from the monkey wrench, which are easy enough to replace, but still can't get the damn thing off.

 

Very common.

Get or make some 2.5 body clamps to hold the cylinder and keep at it with the pipe wrench. Try to not damage the body and or it's coatings with the pipe wrench.

The galvanic corrosion between the steel body and aluminum bearing cap/seal head is usually the cause.

 

Thanks, I ended up getting them. I didn't have any shock body clamps, next purchase, but I clamped the wiper cap in the vise and used the preload ring locked down with the spanner to spin the shock body after shock loading it with a sledge. I can't believe how much force it took to free the cap.

BTW, will the same size shock body clamps work for Icons and Fox? I see that King makes some that are 2.0 inches id will these work for both Fox 2.0s and Icon 2.0s? Then they make two versions for 2.5 shocks 2.49 inches id, and 2.562 inches id, will one of these work for Fox 2.5s and Icon 2.5s? Just don't want to purchase the wrong size.

 

Man those bearing caps are FUCKED

 

I have the same problem with old ass rusted fox shocks I had sitting in the garage lol

 

i have the same issue.. where can one buy a replacement wiper cap for fox 2.5s with a 7/8 shaft??

 

I found what I needed from kartek and schmidty racing.
Still have to get the damn caps off tho.. those shock body soft jaw clamps are pricey! I wish I had a friend with a lathe that could just bore out a set for me

 

I've never used a lathe to make my body clamps. Mill and or waterjet.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5YYyqXgpDK/

 

You sell these?! I'm sure I'm not tho only one who need them!
I was considering using dry ice to shrink the aluminum cap enough to free it from the steel body.. any thoughts on that?

 

Not currently but could cut some out out of some 2.5-3" aluminum.

Is the wiper cap stuck or is the seal head not depressing into the body after the wiper/retainer is removed?

 

Wiper cap stuck. Broke my spanner wrench when I was trying to break the threads free.. it buggered the pin holes on the cap at the same time... I tried heating it up with some map gas and using a pipe wrench to get them free.. still no dice. Currently just soaking them in penetrating fluid. I realized that while heating the assembly, that the aluminum was probably swelling more than the steel body. That's why I was thinking I could got at it with some dry ice in hopes the aluminum cap will shrink more than the steel body

 

I've bought another pair of wiper caps since mine are starting to look like jtrues! I'm hoping that my "stubborn-ness" is greater than these damn wiper caps haha
If I ever get these off I'll be sure to put some synthetic grease or anti seize on there so I don't have to destructively remove the caps for future tuning/rebuilds.

 

Here's a peek at my shit show

 

Welcome to the suck! The cap getting stuck from heating it isn't a problem. The corrosion between the threads and body to wiper cap is what's keeping it from unthreading.

 

So I just need more leverage?

 

Depends on how bad the corrosion is.

I had a Fox 2.0 that was trashed from the same issue. The wiper cap had to get chiseled off after I heated it and used a pipe wrench first destroying most of the wiper cap.

Get some wood can make your own soft jaws to try and hold the body.

Scroll to the end of my stories and you will catch a pick of it.

https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGx...story_media_id=2494727844498630280_4777774600

 

thanks for the tip. thats nuts how stuck-on these caps get. I'm used to working with steel on steel and can typically break threads with a bit of heat, leverage, and sometimes a whack with a hammer. not a fan of this galvanic corrosion nonsense haha
Since I didn't have any soft jaws I had improvised with bolting the top hat directly to my tabletop to isolate it as best as possible.

If you were closer, I'd be more than happy to drop them off at your shop! Looks like you do some pretty incredible resurrections!!


I noticed you had sprayed a set of coilovers with steel-it. did you sand blast them before application or just rough them up and degrease them? Also, does the steel it coating make the threads for the adjustment collar have any issues?

 

Thanks!

Yes on sand blast.

Steel it holds up well but if your constantly adjusting the collars it will probably chip off.

 

I Managed to finally get the caps off!! woot woot! I then immediately proceeded to break my cheapo snap ring pliers on the first snap ring I encountered. Any recommendations on a proper set of snap ring pliers that don't suck. I imagine Amazon is not the way to go if Im after a decent product.

 

Don't for get to depress the seal head some first.

Buy once/cry once.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/Snap-Ring-Pliers/7-pc-Snap-Ring-Pliers-Set-(Red)/SRPCR107