[amirh1]

I bought a Levo Expert ($9k) + shop-installed new DHX2 coil. All according to spec, work performed only by LBS, I bought both at that same LBS. Two months later shock just snapped in half while riding a mellow trail. Apparently now Specialized and Fox are issuing warning that Spec' bikes are incompatible with Fox coil shocks! Both Fox and Specialized are not offering any replacement, or to fix my carbon frame which was damaged by the impact. Fox rebuilt my coil shock and sent it back to the shop - so I can ride it until the next failure... Hu?!
This seems so wrong in many ways. I'm left with a damaged carbon frame, and useless (to me) rebuilt coil shock. All because Fox and Specialized decided to wait until November 2020 before announcing that the two are completely incompatible (and dangerous). What do you suggest I do? Has anyone had experience taking these companies to small claims, and reporting them to CFPB?

On the right is what the shock looked like after breakage - would you ride this again? I was lucky not to have my leg chopped off...

 

[acer66]

Did not know that frames can be air shock only.

Who okayed the coil shock, the lbs or Specialized?

With “they’re offering no replacement“ are you referring to the shop, the manufacturer or both?

I hope you can sort things out.

 

[EatsDirt]

Looks like a Fox failure? Did the LBS that installed the shock also sell you the bike?

If so, the LBS probably needs to step up and start rattling cages. You're probably running into the blame game where Spec is blaming Fox and vice versa.

 

[Suns_PSD]

This particular failure is not unheard of on Spesh bikes using coil shocks.
11-6 builds a special steel shaft coil shock just for solving this specific issue. Might consider reaching out to Push.
The other option is purchase an air shock. Believe it or not I have an unused RS Superdeluxe air shock that was a new take off from a '20 E29. I'd sell it for $250 shipped if needed.
GL

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk

 

[92gli]

Your beef is with the shop that took it upon themselves to do the swap. In the world of full suspension frames, swapping to a coil is NEVER approved unless the manufacturer publishes comment that it is. Doesn't matter what the shop thinks or what people on the internet did. Try to put this on the shop and see what happens. It will quickly become "we just did what you asked us to".

 

[92gli]

What is CPFB? You mean CPSC? If yes, modified products aren't eligible for complaint.

I'd also wager that the shop never had any conversation with S about replacing the frame. They know damn well that's not happening.

 

[Cleared2land]

Your beef is with the shop that took it upon themselves to do the swap.

^^^ This, if understood correctly. I see all responsibility upon the LBS who selected this for your bike.

 

[Danzzz88]

I see this as Specialized fault, they know very well people upgrade components, if the stupid yoke design puts so much stress on a coil shock shaft that it will snap it they should have made that clear from the outset, the Dhx2 is not really at fault here as it works on all other frames without failure, the elephant in the room here is the frame not the shock, it's the frame which has caused this to happen and therefore Specialized should be liable.

 

[Suns_PSD]

If it was a non-stock part, and the owner choose it, clearly it's his problem if not really his fault.

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk

 

[jeremy3220]

This particular failure is not unheard of on Spesh bikes using coil shocks.
11-6 builds a special steel shaft coil shock just for solving this specific issue. Might consider reaching out to Push.
The other option is purchase an air shock. Believe it or not I have an unused RS Superdeluxe air shock that was a new take off from a '20 E29. I'd sell it for $250 shipped if needed.
GL

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk

Which begs the question, if the frame is putting that much side force into the shock isn't it adding friction to the shock stroke?

 

[Carl Mega]

I'd like to hear more.

First, it doesn't sound like you have an avenue with Fox. With the shock fixed, I'd simply think about selling it and writing off the loss.

On the frame, what is the extent of the damage? Scratches or unrideable/looming failure?

If the LBS did the work and packaged this as part of the purchase, I think that's where you are going to get the most traction. Simply put, there is liability in installing incompatible parts - I think they are lucky there is not bodily injury. If I was in their shoes, I'd be trying to work something with Spesh to get a fresh front triangle on the cheap and get past this mess.

It's sort of an unfortunate situation for you as it's easy to see a triangle of blame happening: shop says we did what you wanted and can try to pivot to Spesh and/or fox, fox says incompatible use, specialized says aftermarket mod.

What resolution would you find acceptable? It might be best to set sights on mitigating the out of pocket re: shock fixed & sell it & get an air shock or the takeoff, gratis new front triangle installed from lbs and just eat the downtime and misc collateral costs. Sh1t show situations like this could really cost you some head-space-time.

 

[Blkdoutindustries]

I see this as Specialized fault, they know very well people upgrade components, if the stupid yoke design puts so much stress on a coil shock shaft that it will snap it they should have made that clear from the outset, the Dhx2 is not really at fault here as it works on all other frames without failure, the elephant in the room here is the frame not the shock, it's the frame which has caused this to happen and therefore Specialized should be liable.

I'm sorry but like anything in life the moment you modify something from what the manufacturer intended it be you are basically giving up on warranty or liability claims, specially if the part that fails is the part you replaced, so to the op I'm sorry but to me this is on you and it sucks but Specialized didn't do anything wrong. Also it doesn't help that this style suspension is known for putting side loads on the shocks and you used a DHX2, a shock that has a tiny 9mm shaft compared to most shocks that run a 1/2" shaft (12.5mm)

 

[Jesse Hill]

Which begs the question, if the frame is putting that much side force into the shock isn't it adding friction to the shock stroke?

From my understanding it’s not from side force but has to do with the extremely high initial leverage rate of specialized frame with the yoke. Same thing used to happen to cane creek and they made a larger shock shaft to try and stop it. Now the x2 also being a twin tube not needing a large shock shaft is having the same issue (no surprise). If I remember correctly basically the frame wants to accelerate the shock so fast that the fluid can’t flow fast enough which then overstresses the shaft and causes it to bend/break. I think there was a similar concern for it on the push link nomad v2 so it could only use shocks with a 1/2” shaft too but this is going of memory from long ago.

 

[Carl Mega]

^I think the question will be if the LBS was functioning & advising as an agent of the mfgr aka dealer or just providing labor.

eg: "Oh you'd like a coil, sure thing we recommend fox dhx2, let me work that into your bike sale"

vs.

"hello mr. lbs, I'm bringing you this shock, will you attach please?"

If I was the shop manger, I'd want this to probably go away and work with the customer on a reasonable compromise. Depends on the situation. If that labor rec form has "voids warranty, customer request, labor only" well, that's a position of plausible deniability and is going to hurt OP in proving negligence.

Last Edit: I think of this similar to a common thing we used to deal with, customers who wanted to install a fork with longer travel than what the mfgr spec'd. We would not do this work. Liability not worth undertaking.

 

[SingleSpeedSteven]

How did the swap to coil even initially come up? I agree with others that the shop should be responsible for this, but there needs to be some accountability on your part. First because you know just like everyone else that aftermarket parts void warranty. Second because you can research this stuff too instead of just relying on a shop to tell you what you can/can't swap.

That said, any bike mechanic worth his weight in wrenches will know that you at least research compatibility of swapping critical components like a shock, and always check if it will void warranty. When you're talking about $9k bikes, that whole "I was just doing what the customer told me" excuse is nonsense.

 

[Blkdoutindustries]

How did the swap to coil even initially come up? I agree with others that the shop should be responsible for this, but there needs to be some accountability on your part. First because you know just like everyone else that aftermarket parts void warranty. Second because you can research this stuff too instead of just relying on a shop to tell you what you can/can't swap.

That said, any bike mechanic worth his weight in wrenches will know that you at least research compatibility of swapping critical components like a shock, and always check if it will void warranty. When you're talking about $9k bikes, that whole "I was just doing what the customer told me" excuse is nonsense.

Agree but unless it was a previous known issue and the shop ignored it I don't see how the shop would be liable, same with Fox, there is no way they could actuary test their shocks on every single frame ever made, so unless that shock was an oem then that falls on the owner to do his homework plus Fox itself already replaced the damaged shock. At this point I would just try to get the LBS to get me a front triangle at cost and have them throw the labor to swap the parts for free, realistically that's about as good as you'll be able to do I think

 

[SingleSpeedSteven]

Agree but unless it was a previous known issue and the shop ignored it I don't see how the shop would be liable, same with Fox, there is no way they could actuary test their shocks on every single frame ever made, so unless that shock was an oem then that falls on the owner to do his homework plus Fox itself already replaced the damaged shock. At this point I would just try to get the LBS to get me a front triangle at cost and have them throw the labor to swap the parts for free, realistically that's about as good as you'll be able to do I think

I get what you're saying, but this is a known issue with the general riding community, and mechanics are just as capable at using Google as the customer is. When I worked in a shop I used Google all the time for things I wasn't sure about.

Personally, I would have Googled it and then warned the customer that there have been plenty of instances of Specialized frames not being compatible with coil shocks. If they argued and hold me to do it anyways, I'd put a massive note and disclaimer in their ticket, so that when they came back in with a broken shock/frame I could pull the ticket back up and tell them to take a hike.

 

[Blkdoutindustries]

I get what you're saying, but this is a known issue with the general riding community, and mechanics are just as capable at using Google as the customer is. When I worked in a shop I used Google all the time for things I wasn't sure about.

Personally, I would have Googled it and then warned the customer that there have been plenty of instances of Specialized frames not being compatible with coil shocks. If they argued and hold me to do it anyways, I'd put a massive note and disclaimer in their ticket, so that when they came back in with a broken shock/frame I could pull the ticket back up and tell them to take a hike.

Oh I agree with what you are saying 100% but that doesn't mean that that would be enough to prove they are liable if he wants to do small claims court, realistically he would have to show it's a common known issue on that specific frame with that specific shock to get a judge to side with him, that's why I think that at this point anything he can get from them would be better than nothing

 

[SingleSpeedSteven]

Yea, I see what you're saying... The bike shop could be real dillholes and fight it with technicalities I suppose. Hopefully it works out for OP but it doesn't look too promising.

 

[Blkdoutindustries]

Yea, I see what you're saying... The bike shop could be real dillholes and fight it with technicalities I suppose. Hopefully it works out for OP but it doesn't look too promising.

Specially if he goes in all combative asking for a new frame from them, I would just go in and have a friendly really to see what they can do before asking for anything, he might be surprised by how much can be done when you are nice and calmed