No first hand experience here but I have heard frame misalignment or side loading can mechanically damage a shock.

 

The problem is the frame and not the shocks.

 

You've got a frame with the trifecta of offset shock mount (so it places lateral bending loads on a shock), yoke (so it places vertical buckling loads on a shock) and high leverage.

If your Stumpjumper has the 45mm shock then you can change linkage and fit a 55mm shock and make life a bit easier for it. But there are no actual solutions.

 

It’s a fairly common problem with low leverage ratio and especially trunnion mount frames and the aluminum DPS damper shafts. Just service the shock regularly and inspect the shaft for wear. Nothing much else can be done unless someone (I thought about this) comes out with a steel damper shaft.

 

it's the frame. If you want to "save" it, then a full bearing replacement might help with some of the flex in the rear end.

 

Have RS already stopped supporting previous model shocks and forks? If so, that would make a lot of people unhappy... I get the marketing tactics of forcing consumers to buy new products, but it usually does not leave positive experiences with consumers..... Considering the price increase and general economic sentiment, I don't think mass riders are jumping into new products as manufactures thought they were expecting to see.

 

I needed a damper shaft for a Super Deluxe. Messaged a very decent suspension service and tuning center, they said Rockshox doesn't sell this part seperately. Went online and found like 10+ places selling it. I can't remember exactly what it was but the manufacturing date on the package was very recent.

 

Vorsprung put out a video recently where they talked about how some frames are killing shocks. As mentioned already, it's not your shock, it's very likely your frame.

 

Companies like Spec, Trek, Scott, and others aren't really interested in making season-after-season frames. That tends to be the role of the boutique manufacturers. There are always exceptions, but think carefully for your next frame. At the least, you should be complaining up and down at the bike shop, which is likely clueless as to why this happens.

 

Did you follow the "must bottom out the shock during a ride" set up advice?

 

And when you say "bottom", what do you mean?, using full travel, or feeling the shock abruptly stop?

 

I am going to take the yoke off… if there was play, it would be there or maybe the actual mounting hardware?

 

The shafts are available for Super Deluxe, but that's a recent change and supply is low. If you can find a Float X in the correct size, I'd change to that. The steel shaft should at least prevent outright failure, but no getting around the compromises with a yoke equipped frame.

 

You can get every single part for Rockshox shocks these days. They changed their policy last year in europe. Eyelet, spare shafts, pistons, you name it. Don’t know if that’s the case in US or was it because the parts being backordered for many years. Some Rockshox spare parts have ETA for 2025 and most of the parts are only available at the end of 2023.

 

It's not the whole story here. It seems like some internal parts will only be available directly through SRAM. The ETAs are bad enough that I don't even look on there anymore. That's ignoring their shipping situation. It's been awful. By the time half those parts come in, the next version will be released.

 

Update: inspected the bearings except for the one behind crank. The one on the seat stay was really bound, no movement, so cleaned it and regreased it. I regreased 2 others just in case. Maybe this was the cause? Also the front shock polymer bushing seems to have very little play, enough to make me want to replace it. The same night I replaced my chain and cassette, then said F it. So bought a new stump jumper today… go figure.

 

If they are bound up they are done. They will have significant side to side movement.
I just replaced all my rear bearings with NSK japan made ones. Made a massive different is stiffness. NTN or other japanese that it sensors both make great bearings too. DO NOT USE Enduro or eBay bearings.