# Seeking Rock Shox SID help please



## schneidw (Mar 8, 2005)

Hello All,

I recently bought a used Merlin to replace my too small Yo Eddy. It came with a Rock Shox SID w no shock pump. Looks like it uses some needle pump. Anyways, the fork is in great shape other than needing air. Does anybody know what year this shock might be (98??) and if I can still buy a pump for the shock? Also, am I better off rebuildign the shock with an Eglund cartridge system that hopefully utilizes the same shock pump as my Fox? PLEASE HELP!!!

Thank You
WHS


----------



## joeadnan (Oct 21, 2003)

I'd be surpised if it were a '98, as I think they were all blue, the same colour as a stickers at the bottom of the fork legs. Unless, of course, these were OEM forks for Merlin. Could that be?

The needle valve is the same as that used for footballs, which you can get at any sports store. The valve should be able to be screwed right on to a fork pump.


----------



## 95bonty (Oct 6, 2004)

...certainly looks a lot like my 1998, (although mines classic blue)

Something you may want to bear in mind, I replaced the 98 topcaps with their needle valves for those from a 2004 sid race fork, the assemby screwed right in and meant I could use a conventional schrader shock pump...my fork is still going strong


----------



## 95bonty (Oct 6, 2004)

*here's mine*

...you can see the different top caps, obviously ignore the non period graphics.

oh, if you need a photocopy of the manual or whatever PM me, am sure i could sort it out.


----------



## Lutarious (Feb 8, 2005)

*negative pressure*

can you also swap out the valve on the bottom where the negative air cartridge is?

either way, any decent shop can get you one of the little adapters for your shock pump. they are a bit finjicky, but you shouldn't have to use it often.....


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Well...the crown and stanctions are really looking 98 SID to me. Just like mine.

I don't think that 98 SID's had the built in cable hanger for cantilever brakes though. There's a better chance that those are legs from a 96-97 Judy maybe?


----------



## schneidw (Mar 8, 2005)

Thank you all for sharing your technical insights on the Rock Shox... I received some further info from Kokies over at FatCogs and he stated that "

_"Looks like a 98. Has the nicer stanches they used on the early sid races.

on the pump, you can do 2 things, buy the adapter , http://cgi.ebay.com/Rock-Shox-SID-p... QcmdZViewItem or convert them to schrader, i think they work even thought they say 00-03 http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/FK4235, just unscrew the existing and screw in the new ones"._

At this point, I am tryign to work out wether Do I need 2 of the conversion units.. I found a website that mentions the SID has both a positive and negative chamber, one unit in each leg;

Also, a came accross Total Air replacement cartridges by Eglund that replace all teh shock internals and convert the shock to Shrader too.. Any thoughts on these units? Waste of money??

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

what size is the yo eddy?


----------



## schneidw (Mar 8, 2005)

1993 M/L which translates to 18-in (C-C)


----------



## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

What would help most is a close up of each top cap and of the bottom of left leg. The fork is either a 1998 or 1999/2000 SID with Judy lowers. The 1998 SIDs used a needle and the 1999/2000 SIDs used a special adaptor.(Note: The Buzzy Shock Pump comes with both.) In 1999 SIDs starting using a negative air chamber. The 1998 SID used a coil spring. So if there is an air port on the bottom of the left leg, it's a 1999/2000 SID. No AIR port/valve = 1998 SID.

As long as every thing is working, I wouldn't bother with the Total Air's yet. And there are different kits depending on year, so you wouldn't be able to buy the Total Airs until you're sure about which fork it is.

jw



schneidw said:


> Thank you all for sharing your technical insights on the Rock Shox... I received some further info from Kokies over at FatCogs and he stated that "
> 
> _"Looks like a 98. Has the nicer stanches they used on the early sid races.
> 
> ...


----------



## 95bonty (Oct 6, 2004)

*i used these*

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=3045

I got two - one for the top cap of each leg

If you're thinking about playing with the lower leg assembly, i discovered you could swap in the legs from current SID models, improved the stiffness no end.


----------



## 95bonty (Oct 6, 2004)

*not on 98s*

i don't think the 98s have a valve at the bottom of the leg.

It's there on later forks, but i'm not sure which year it was added, I think my 02s had a valve there for negative pressure as did my 04s.


----------



## schneidw (Mar 8, 2005)

*Rock Shox SID Reprise*

Hello Grumpy/Bonty et al: I received some further insights from Jerry (Hippie Tech) and Tim (Eko Sports) that based on pictures they both concluded it was likely a 1998 model and both stated the a 'football needle attached to a shock pump' could be used to increase air pressure in the fork; What is not entirely clear to me is where are the air valves and how many exist ( 1 or 2)? Pictures are attached.. Please lend you expertise.. This is the only thing holding me back from really enjoyin the Merlin to its fullest...

As the pictures illustrate, where the upper legs meet the crown of the fork, each leg has a mini philips head screw.. does this indicate that there is an "football needle valve" in each upper leg?

Also, the lower legs each have an allen bolt at the base.

At this point, I have not removed either the screws or bolts due to fear of losing air without a way to pump up again

Please help!!!


----------



## mwr (Jul 17, 2004)

Found this on the web which deals specifically with the '98 SID

http://www.cs.chalmers.se/~olahe/Bike/Front/rssid.html


----------



## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

Yes, you've got a 1998 SID. And yes, you change the air pressure using a football needle. The air valves are on each top cap under the philips screw. There aren't any valves on the bottom of the legs. Here's the 1998 SID Manual to show you how to do it: 1998 SID Manual

jw



schneidw said:


> Hello Grumpy/Bonty et al: I received some further insights from Jerry (Hippie Tech) and Tim (Eko Sports) that based on pictures they both concluded it was likely a 1998 model and both stated the a 'football needle attached to a shock pump' could be used to increase air pressure in the fork; What is not entirely clear to me is where are the air valves and how many exist ( 1 or 2)? Pictures are attached.. Please lend you expertise.. This is the only thing holding me back from really enjoyin the Merlin to its fullest...
> 
> As the pictures illustrate, where the upper legs meet the crown of the fork, each leg has a mini philips head screw.. does this indicate that there is an "football needle valve" in each upper leg?
> 
> ...


----------



## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Yes, underneath those philips head screws are the valves where the needle is inserted. There is one on each leg. Put some oil on the needle before you pump them up so you dont tear up the seals there. Just buy a needle and thread it onto your existing pump.

I think those are great XC race forks. As others have said, its a 98 or 99 crown and stanchions with earlier Judy lowers. Also, if its got a negative chamber at the bottom of one of the legs its a 99, if not its a 98.


----------



## mccartyt (Dec 31, 2005)

*Scarred Stanchions a Problem?*

 I'm running the '99 SID on my '99DBR and noticed a year ago that the stanchion on the left side is showing wear-a vertical rub line maybe an eight inch wide and 2 inches long. My LBS said I should replace the shock, its worn out. I dont want to just toss it because it still holds air and works well at 70#. Just sticky and so I put Judy Butter on it and call it good. Any ideas should I just keep up the maintenance and ride it till it fails, look for replacement stanchions, hang it on the wall as a momento, etc.

Also, where can you get replacement rubber washers for the little phillips head "screws"?

The SID is a great XC fork and you just can't find that blue color anywhere else these days!


----------



## emily_in_nc (Jul 9, 2006)

*I need SID help too, please!*

Hi all ~ I'm in pretty much the same boat as the original poster. I bought a used Titus Racer X on ebay - great bike - but I am still clueless on how to pump up the front Rockshox SID fork. I believe this to be a 1999 or 2000 model. Here are a couple of photos:



















I have a high-pressure pump that works with the schrader valve on my rear shock just fine, but the two air valve openings on the SID fork (the positive air on the top of the left fork arm and the negative air on the rear of the left fork arm, if I am understanding everything correctly), don't work with the pump. I thought I needed a needle valve as suggested in this thread, so I found one and screwed it onto my pump just fine, but it doesn't seem to do anything with the openings on the fork. They are indented, threaded, and have a little needle sticking up in them themselves. I can push the needle in the fork down with the needle valve, but there is no connectivity. Here's the top one:










and here's the bottom one:










Do I need a different type of adapter for my pump? I can't find a SID manual for this exact model year (and even if I could, no guarantee I could understand it well enough to figure this out). If anyone does have this manual or knows where I can locate it online, that would be really helpful. The Rockshox site only has user manuals for the 2006 models, and the older maintenance manual was not of any help for such a basic function as adding air.

Any help greatly appreciated!!! I do love the blue color on this fork and would hate to replace it (though ultimately I am sure I will since I really want the lockout ability), but I'd like to be able to check the pressure and add air if needed. I could take it to the LBS and may end up having to go that route, but it would be a lot more convenient to do this at home.

Thanks!
Emily


----------



## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

mmm pink decals


----------



## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

emily_in_nc said:


> Do I need a different type of adapter for my pump?


Yes, you need an adapter. It will thread onto your shock pump and then thread into the positive and negative air chamber on your fork. Couldn't find just the adapter, but found this - pump with adapter. Maybe this ebay store has adapters separate - worth asking.


----------



## emily_in_nc (Jul 9, 2006)

ssmike said:


> Yes, you need an adapter. It will thread onto your shock pump and then thread into the positive and negative air chamber on your fork. Couldn't find just the adapter, but found this - pump with adapter. Maybe this ebay store has adapters separate - worth asking.


Thank you very much! I'll just buy a new pump if I need to - the one I have now was a gift from a friend so cost me nada.

One more question in case you know: The valve on the top of the right leg of the fork looks just like the one on the left. My understanding is that the negative air valve is at the bottom of the left leg of the fork, so what is the mystery valve on the top of the right leg?

Thanks!
Emily


----------



## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

emily_in_nc said:


> One more question in case you know: The valve on the top of the right leg of the fork looks just like the one on the left. My understanding is that the negative air valve is at the bottom of the left leg of the fork, so what is the mystery valve on the top of the right leg?
> 
> Thanks!
> Emily


That fork has two air positive air chambers - one on top of each leg. The negative air chamber is at the bottom of the right leg. The damping adjustment is at the bottom of the right leg. To adjust the rebound damping, push the knob in as far as it will go and then turn it to get the desired rebound setting. To adjust the compress, pull that same knob out to the detent point and adjust the compression to your liking. Push the knob back in and you are ready to go.

When you air it up, though, make sure you clean out that dirt that's in there or it will be pushed into the fork - and you don't want that.


----------



## emily_in_nc (Jul 9, 2006)

Thanks so much, ssmike - I looked all over the web for this info yesterday. Your post is exactly what I was looking for. 

This forum is great! :thumbsup: 

Emily


----------



## solara (Sep 5, 2007)

Hi, first time on forum, and really first time mountain biker recently. I recently got a 2000 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR XC Pro and it came with the Rock Shox SID XC.

I've been scouring the net for a manual on how to pump/rebuild the shocks. The air valve seem to have the recessed hole with the needle as described by emily_in_nc.

The links for the adapter are not valid anymore. Can anyone share a link to a picture of the adapter that I need? Or a link to a place to buy one? Thanks.

Oh, and if anyone has the manual to this fork, I'd really appreciate getting a copy.


----------



## schneidw (Mar 8, 2005)

www.bikeman.com

These guys are great and carry the adaptors


----------



## solara (Sep 5, 2007)

Thanks for the link. I'm assuming it's this adapter here? http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/PU6515

Also, if I wanted to replace the seals/wipers/oil on the SID, which size seal should I get, and which oil? I don't see any all-in-one kit to do this for the SID on that site.

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/FK308F09-Enduro+Seal+Wiper+Kit+For+Rockshox+Fork.aspx

Thanks for your help!

EDIT: Oh and for those who are looking to service their SID, here's a great page on how to do it: http://www.enduroforkseals.com/id8.html


----------



## emily_in_nc (Jul 9, 2006)

solara said:


> Thanks for the link. I'm assuming it's this adapter here? http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/PU6515
> 
> Also, if I wanted to replace the seals/wipers/oil on the SID, which size seal should I get, and which oil? I don't see any all-in-one kit to do this for the SID on that site.
> 
> ...


Yes, that's the adapter you need. It works great.  I don't know the answers to your other questions. I am waiting to take mine into a bike shop for servicing as it is leaking a little oil around the seals on one side, but I haven't been able to get an appointment. So long as I keep my bike upright, it's okay so far. I should probably just replace the fork, but I have already put a lot of $ into the bike and don't want to put any more in it at the moment.

I do have a pdf manual for the fork. If you still need one, PM me your email address and I'll send you a copy.

Good luck!

Emily


----------



## mikesnowdon (Sep 25, 2009)

I just found this thread while googling for '98 SID info. I've got a pair recently which are in great condition internally and the lowers are virtually in mint condition bar a tiny mark on one leg. They are missing the lower leg retaining bolts which I believe were titanium. They are also missing the little Phillips head vale caps. 

Im very tempted to modify them to try and get a bit more travel. From what I can tell there are 2 things which limit the travel. The first thing is that the travel of the damper assembly wont allow any more than 63mm, and the other thing is the top out bumper on the left leg. The left leg shaft would seem to allow about 75mm travel with a slightly shorter topout bumper and thinner washer to replace the two 3mm plastic washers. That leaves the issue of the damper assembly to overcome. I've noticed that the 'Motion control' dampers for current 28mm SID's are readily available. They appear to screw into the top of the left leg, only Im not sure what goes below that? I'll have a good look at the exploded diagram for the more recent SID's and see whats what. 

For the seals I intend to upgrade to the non-OEM Enduro seals having heard good things about their ability to keep out mud and grit. As Im UK based this would suit our conditions! For the lower leg retaining bolts I can use any M8 thread bolt with a compression seal/washer. I have no idea where to get eh valve caps, probably easier to fit some more recent shrader valve caps instead. Also I want to fit these on bike that will be running disk brakes so I'll try and source some more recent SID lowers. 

Sounds like a lot of effort and expense when I could easilly go buy a used SID from 2005-2009 but I love my spanners too much! 

Are there any fork fiddlers out there who can contribute any useful info that might help me with this project? 

TIA!


----------



## mikesnowdon (Sep 25, 2009)

Update on my last post:

The air piston and damper assembly in the '98 SID is held in with a snap ring on the bottom of each stanchion. This makes swapping out the damper assembly for a more recent SID damper a bit of a problem as they tend to have screw in retainers rather than snap rings.

However Ive just been on the 'sniperworks' reading through the different SID manuals (1998 to 2001 - link below) and discovered that the 2001 63 to 80mm travel SID XC uses snap rings like the '98 SID. Based on this I would seem that the air damper assembly from the '01 SID SC _could_ fit into a '98 SID thus giving adjustable travel of 63 or 80mm. Its also a dual positive air chamber design similar to the 98 SID. This is good as it means the older SID lowers can be evenly loaded as opposed to having the air spring on one side which puts stress on the dropouts and arch. One could even instaqll the left hand air piston assembly from a '01 SID XC for completeness, however the 98 forks left hand assembly could be modifed to allow about 75mm of travel (as mention in previous post).

This is pure speculation but based on the various images and having studied the internals of the 98 fork I am fairly certain this would work. I will be sourcing a 2001 damper assembly to try this mod myself and will report back her with the results. If successful I'll post a bit of a 'how-to' thread with lots of pics on how to do it.

EDIT: This is the manual where I noticed the use of snap rings. http://members.home.nl/children-of-the-korn/Images/2001 SID XC 100 Owners Manual.pdf

The '2000' version might also use snap rings and could have identical internals. Can anyone clarify this?

http://members.home.nl/children-of-the-korn/RockShoxService.htm


----------



## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

Don't forget about upper stanchion length and bushing overlap/spacing. If you increase travel you may have to space your bushings closer together or the lower bushing may not be in contact with the stanchion at full extension. (I've run into that with other SIDs and Judys.)

jw



mikesnowdon said:


> Update on my last post:
> 
> The air piston and damper assembly in the '98 SID is held in with a snap ring on the bottom of each stanchion. This makes swapping out the damper assembly for a more recent SID damper a bit of a problem as they tend to have screw in retainers rather than snap rings.
> 
> ...


----------



## mikesnowdon (Sep 25, 2009)

GrumpyOne said:


> Don't forget about upper stanchion length and bushing overlap/spacing. If you increase travel you may have to space your bushings closer together or the lower bushing may not be in contact with the stanchion at full extension. (I've run into that with other SIDs and Judys.)
> 
> jw


Very true.

I want to use the fork with a disk brake anyhow so I was planning to get a more recent SID lower leg assembly. This should mean that the lower bushings are either a little longer or located higher up. At a glance the stanchions look about the same length. I'd be surprised if there's more than 5mm difference.


----------



## mikesnowdon (Sep 25, 2009)

Was browsing eBay and suddenly my jaw fell off.....

Brand new Rockshox SID 1998 service kit!!!!!! I got it obviously  

Still need some shaft bolts for my 98 SID. Also need SID, Pilot, or Judy (pre 2000) lowers with disk mount. 

Anyone?


----------



## The Hired Wrench (Nov 6, 2008)

didn't read through the whole shebang but to clear up the lowers thing; those are off a 1997 judy xc option 2. interesting to see another set after so long. so you know, the '97 lowers do obviously work on the sid, which leaves you with 4 color options: yellow/black, white/red, black/yellow and red/white...


...if you can find them


----------



## paganinimaster (May 26, 2013)

*Having trouble removing cartridge assembly*

Great thread for this oldie fork! I'm rebuilding/servicing a 98 Rockshox Sid on a project bike. I've researched the hell out of my issue, but can't find anyone with a similar problem.

I've removed the snap ring retainer that holds the cartridge assembly in the uppers, but am unable to budge the cartridge. I can't figure out how to pull it out. The piston slides and I can hear it sucking air, but I can't pull the assembly out. Anyone have any tips or suggestions? I know there is a lock ring around the bottom, but how do I disengage it? I also got the left leg neutral assembly out easy... Thanks in advance!


----------



## Jemu (Dec 21, 2018)

Hi,

I have a Rockshox SID 1999 fork and are struggling to remove the negative cartridge assembly from the stanchion. It moves approximately 12 cm up and down but seems to hit an internal stop of sorts. I also noticed that the stanchion appears to contain 2 separate pieces as there is a clear colour difference. The other cartridge simply slid off.

How did you remove yours?

Thanks,
Jem


----------



## sxotty (Nov 4, 2005)

Hello,

I have 99 SID and am a bit confused about what options I have for it.

Trying to rebuild it for use on a kids bike. 
Serial: 09HB900112 which means it is a 99.

What can be done in terms of the damper?

What about the top caps?
From what I read it seems like it is possible to replace the top caps to get regular schrader valve, but these are 28mm legs and the top caps I can find are 32mm. This thread seems the best I could find, but it also is sort of vague and links are broken etc...
For example
https://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/seeking-rock-shox-sid-help-please-171805.html#post1652883

That post says what I need, but it just says "one of these" and has a dead link. All the top caps I can find say 32mm and I am not sure if they would work or not.

edit: No 32mm top caps wont work according to this. https://forums.mtbr.com/shocks-suspension/98-rockshox-sid-top-cap-replacement-792314.html

Found this link, but not sure it is useful
Rock Shox Top Caps and Air Valves - $8.00 - Bike Parts 360


----------



## sxotty (Nov 4, 2005)

Anyone know how to fix the rebound compression damper? I cannot pull the knob in or out. I thought getting inside would make it obvious, but I did not get inside the actual damper.

The 1999 SID has an oil change at least now. I got the whole the negative and damper side needed a special tool
140-001905-00

I found this thread, but I could not get the rods in far enough so the nut threads did not hit them. 
https://forums.mtbr.com/tooltime/rockshox-threaded-baseplate-removal-tool-one-way-improvise-714768.html
I drilled it out with a 7/16 bit (by holding the nut in a wrench at first, but then I temporarily lost the box wrench and used a socket that is open in the back which is probably better anyway. The nut will get extremely hot quickly and using oil is probably a good idea. Once done it slides over and it was very easy to use a 15mm cone wrench and unscrew them (they have backward threads), there is no reason to use vice grips unless you want to for some reason.

When I got inside the negative side has what seems like a simple volumetric spacer. I am not sure how a person could get inside to replace o-rings.

The damper side similarly did not seem easy to get inside. I think perhaps the damper rod could be clamped in blocks and unscrewed? It looks like the rod is designed in two parts. The fork is still sort of working so I put it all back together for now. If anyone has any idea of how to service the actual damper and get compression and rebound damping both working that would be nice. As it is the fork will be tremendously better for my kid than the prior heavy fork so it is not a total loss, but I would like to get it to work well. It is missing one of the plastic doodads that covers the air chamber as well. I think I am going to try and 3d print something for it if I cannot find the right part. I guess a person could lathe something if they had those tools.


----------

