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As per thread title. New pike ultimate. Worth pulling the lowers to check what's in there from the factory lubewise, or just ride and do lower leg in a couple of months?
Anyone got recent experience of RS QC from factory?
Many thanks.
Yes, worth doing. I'd probably ride them for a couple of rides and do it then.
Better than it used to be, still wouldn't trust them though! Always pull fresh forks apart, including the air spring to check everything is correct.
Why wouldn't you?
Do it.
I pulled mine apart after one ride and there was next to no oil in either leg.
I did recently with a Lyrik ultimate.
It was OK as it happens but I always do it anyway as they've been a bit hit and miss for me in the past.
My Sids that came with my 2019 Spark were missing a dust seal spring and there were no crush washers on the lower's bolts. Did a lower service and no oil came out. QC?
How are Fox in the QC department?
Yes deffo. Air piston globbed with grease and not enough oil in the lowers. Crush washers missing completely or on one leg. 2 out of 3 sets with issues for me.
Just done them. Not massively bad. Seemed to be more oil in air spring side though. Not much grease on wiper seals and not a great deal in the air spring - was expecting a big load of the stuff but there was less rather than more. I have 3/4 rides on them so I'll see if they feel any better tomorrow.
I've got 3 RS forks and did lower leg services on them all from new, not enough oil in the lowers was the common issue. No parts were missing. The air spring doesn't needs loads of grease, too much and the positive/negative air spring transfer port may get blocked.
Not sure of the oil levels on a pike ultimate, but my 2018 pikes only have 10ml in each side IIRC (I always have to check before doing a service!) and tbh, if you were to open them back up after you'd done a service and rode for a bit, 10ml doesn't look much.
I think some people expect too much oil in forks.
Pulled my 35's apart.
Oil in lowers but the seals were a bit dry and the foam rings were moist rather than soaked.
10ml doesn’t look much.
This is true. My 2015 Pikes need 2.5mL in the damper-side leg. That doesn't look like much at all! I think a judicious dose of SRAM butter helps more in the smoothness stakes 🙂
An air spring I pulled out the other week - this was factory fresh a few months ago...Yes the transfer port was blocked!
That doesn't look anywhere near as bad as some pics I've seen, especially with fox forks, and the -ve isn't caked in it.
SRAM actually recommend applying a generous amount of grease using a dowel for the inside of air spring exactly where the transfer port is. Blocked transfer port = internet snake oil?
As I say mine had hardly any grease.
I'm going to do my first lower leg service on my revs soon. Ordered some oil and a syringe and going to follow a youtube vid. Anything to watch out for?
I used a thin coating of dynamic seal grease and 3mm oil in the uppers. It didn't suck down afterwards and works well. I have seen suck down from a blocked transfer port a few times, it's definitely a thing. Especially using the grease I found in that fork as it was "clumpy".
I’m going to do my first lower leg service on my revs soon. Ordered some oil and a syringe and going to follow a youtube vid. Anything to watch out for?
I don't know Revs, but on some RS forks it's easy to shoot some of the lower oil into the bolt hole in the bottom of the shafts rather than into the lowers if they're too close to the top.
Quick side-question if I can...
We're very fussy about oil levels in the lowers of our forks, and indeed oil quality / type.
I've never really questioned it but why?
We've got this 10cc of oil swashing about in the bottom of the lowers, not a lot. Unless you're really deep into the stroke I can't imagine the lowers dipping into it, there's no pump taking it to the top or anything like that, does it splash about enough to reach the bushings? I can't imagine it's ever going to reach the foam rings unless you leave your bike upside down for a few mins.
Would it really matter if you put in 12cc or 9cc or used the wrong weight?
In theory. It will affect the spring rate of the sliders faux chamber a touch.
can’t imagine it’s ever going to reach the foam rings unless you leave your bike upside down for a few mins.
This. But I do it regularly, because dry running of sliding parts is the fastest way to costly replacements, down-time for fixing and crap fork performance.
on some RS forks it’s easy to shoot some of the lower oil into the bolt hole in the bottom of the shafts rather than into the lowers if they’re too close to the top.
This is how I recharge all my semi bath lube after Ive reassembled the fork.
As long as you use a fully synthetic oil of similar viscosity, you'll get no degradation to internal plastic and similar performance.
Personally, I use something a touch thicker in the foam rings so its less likely to drain out, and something a little thinner in the semi-bath so its more likely to readily pass the bushes when the bike is tipped upside down. Marginal gains I guess, but my oil supply is dictated by what I have on the shelf.
No. You can use Castrol GTX in Pikes if you like. I've done it before - although I didn't use it for long enough to recommend it - maybe it does something bad to anodising / seals in the longer term.
Blocked transfer port = internet snake oil?
Yes
I am continuously amazed by the widespread belief that grease so thin it is almost oil can hold back 70+ PSI of air pressure. Perhaps we should start using suspension grease as super glue!
Inverting the forks before use will lube the bushes and foam rings, storing the bike vertically on a wall hook by the front wheel works.
If you over fill the lowers massively you can lock the forks.
Too much oil in the damper side can lead to ingestion through the lower seal head and an over filled bladder that is then pushed into the stanchion, eventually they split.
I would imagine changing the air/oil volume in the lower would change how it will work as a form of air spring?
If you take the lowers off a new fork then sure you'll think there's not much in there but don't forget that the 10ml (for 35mm chassis forks) is adhered to all the inner surface of the lowers so it will appear like there's not much in there. I think people just expect Niagara falls to come cascading out of the lowers when they undo the bolts!
As for grease blocking the negative air port, don't get me started on that 😉
The common cause for the air shaft sucking down is the negative air port wearing a tiny dimple on the quad air seal. A new air seal on the piston and bobs your uncle!
And if you measure 10 ml you'll see theres more than enough to coat everything and have a bit at the bottom.