2002 MXZ 500 2700 miles do a lot of 2up on sled with wife. Rear started bottoming out easily. Shock is not working at all. Should I do all shocks, just the 2 rear, or just the one rear? Cost $35 $45w/spring $55 on sled. I was thinking I'd have to drop suspension to remove? Obviously at $10 must be pretty easy to remove? Also RAVE valve cleaning checked here on site read and printed instructions. Dealer says no kit needed just clean, is it that easy disassemble clean reassemble?

Pull the shocks yourself. No need to pull the skid but you may want to just to go thru all the bearings etc. Are you sure it is the shocks and not the springs. The stock springs may be sagged now. As for the RAVE's I just pull one at a time. Take out the 2 bolts for the plastic cap and remove cap and spring. Pull out the 2 allen head bolts and slide the valve out. Notice it should say top on the top side of the valve. I vever really totaly take apart the valve. I just wipe it all down and use a scotch brite pad on any carbon. If you need to totaly take it apart just do one at a time so you always have one for a reference. 2002's had the springs on the bellows already if memory serves me correctly and they had the seals not the o-rings for the shafts. Easy to do. Did mine on Friday. 10-15 minutes. First tiume may take longer.

dooo ALLL OF YOUR SHOCKS. They have been neglected for far too long. They should have been done a long time ago. There is nothing but mud in them now. The skid is easy to remove. The springs come off easy too.
The rave valves are that easy to clean. Just doo it.

I agree, do all the shocks. It's not that expensive, and two up riding is considerably harder on them. Like the guys already said, cleaning the RAVE's is easy, just do one at a time and pay attention to what you are doing.

OK pulled just the rear shock, so no removal of frozen rear suspension. Took shock to dealer showed him it appeared fully functional, he agreed. Said 2002 MXZ rear shock has j shaped slot and had likely come loose and was moving between 2 positions. Said 2700 miles likely needs some work but run it since turn around would be at least 1 day with shock in hand.

Originally posted by daschutt@Jan 27 2004, 12:49 PM
OK pulled just the rear shock, so no removal of frozen rear suspension. Took shock to dealer showed him it appeared fully functional, he agreed. Said 2002 MXZ rear shock has j shaped slot and had likely come loose and was moving between 2 positions. Said 2700 miles likely needs some work but run it since turn around would be at least 1 day with shock in hand.
By the sounds of it you are talking about the J slot being the culpret. I had a 2002 MX Z 600 Adrenaline and my dealer was informed by Bombi that dealers were to weld washers on the J slot to effectively make it only 2 positions. This as you described was common. Easy fix. If you've had the sled from new your dealer should have done this for you already.

I had some what of the same issues.
I do a lot of 2up on my Formula Dlx 583...the rear would bottom out fairly easly.
I replaced the two rear springs, and MAN oh MAN, MUCH better.
For the few bucks...

I use to run on the hardest setting on the back and the highest setting on the front shock/coil.
Now I run mid, and mid on both...and barely bottoms out....unless it's a biggy!


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