[Closed] DIY Fork servicing, realistic prospect or witchcraft?

Once you've done it once you'll wonder why you ever paid to get it done. Manufacturers have strip down instructions on their websites. Just follow these meticulously the first time you do it.

Fork oil from motorbike shops is much cheaper than buying branded 'mtb' oil. Same stuff.

Not had any experience of Lyrics or 36's but serviced Fox floats, revs, rebas and bombers. If you are competent wielding a spanner then they are pretty easy. Plenty of videos on line to help.

Dead easy if you have any mechanical ability, and if in doubt take loads of photos as you take it apart.

There are all the tech manuals available on t'internet which tell you what to do too.

Just don't take a set apart without taking pics and think you'll remember how it goes back together a couple of years later!

One note on fork oils... they aren't all the same as one companies 5w will be thicker than another's 7.5w etc...

So might be worth buying the right fluids, on do some research as to what you need. There always used to be an oil chart about which gave a comparison if different companies oil weights. No idea if that's still about though...

If I can do it, anyone can.

To OP.....servicing either will cause kittens and unicorns to die. I am happy to dispose of them safely for you!

So might be worth buying the right fluids, on do some research as to what you need. There always used to be an oil chart about which gave a comparison if different companies oil weights. No idea if that's still about though...

http://www.peterverdone.com/wiki/index.php?title=Suspension_Fluid

Scroll down on this page.

As an illustration, both my 5wt and 15wt oils for my Rebas say 7.5wt on the bottle. It's the viscosity index which actually matters.

And yes, kittens will die...

I've serviced Lyriks (26" version) RS are great for this, they've got decent, easy to follow instructions on their website with pictures etc and they don't need any fancy tools, save for a set of Internal and external circlip pliers (£10 on eBay).

I found Fox are a lot more secretive about it and thier technical guides are poorly written using purely technical terms and without pics, they're more like checklists for experts to follow, although I haven't looked in a few years.

It really isn't difficult at all. Get the correct fluids (I use Rock Oil or Silkolene) from the local motorbike dealership. Loads of rags too. Service kits are easily available.

Have fun, it is not a difficult job at all.

Martinhutch... I knew someone would know where to find it... :o)

Thanks for the encouraging comments and input everyone. I will take the plunge I think.

I will also try to safeguard unicorns and kittens wherever possible. 😉

I have lots of rags, for which my wife constantly mocks me..... 😆 (not to be misconstrued)

What is the chuffing point of putting the wt as the primary labeling on suspension oils if it doesn't match the viscosity?!? Do they do this crap on purpose?

Please educate me if I'm being immensely thick.

Thanks for the encouraging comments and input everyone. I will take the plunge I think.

I recall a set of Pikes where the damper rod absolutely refused to stay extended so it was impossible to get the stanchion bolt started

Just saying like

It was explained to me (by a motorbike specialist) as the preferred system when the oils were relatively simple and the wt number was pretty accurate to the oil's damping/lubing properties, whether that was changing damping speed or accounting for summer/winter use. Modern oils are much more complicated with their chemical mixes so the number no longer really apply. For some reason the system was never changed to reflect this so it's far too easy to put in a eg a 5wt oil that is totally wrong.

I stick to the official stuff if in doubt, thankfully the quantities we use on forks is low so an expensive 1ltr bottle lasts a long time reducing the price shock.

I think for marketing reasons, fork companies would like us to believe that there be witchcraft in them there forks.

In reality it's a shim stack (maybe in a cartridge) and some oil and a spring (air or coil). How hard can it be? And you're only servicing it, not redesigning/optimising. Glad you've decided to take the plunge.

I would invest in a suitable torque wrench though - not that I've ever broken anything before I got one, but it's just less stressful to put stuff on at the specified torque and know it's OK (or if it's not, it's because something is worn out).

I think if you get a lowers service done without too much hardship, then you may feel a bit more confident about getting into the innards.

I'm utterly hamfisted, but managed a full service with only the bare minimum of swearing and crying.

Just take your time first time, and make sure your work area is clean, everything you need is to hand, and you're doing it all in the right order.

I don't think all fork oils are the same - some seem much better than others to me, however I still use motorcycle oil - just a brand that was recommended to me. Stiction seems critical on mtb forks and less of an issue on motorbike ones.

Re servicing - yes it's easy, but the main thing is that you have to be scrupulously clean which is a knack in itself. Consider cleaning the fork up on the outside, draining the oil then rebuilding it in the kitchen.

Also - get some syringes from ebay so you can measure how much oil you're putting back in. The other thing you might need is some kind of shaft gripper to undo certain parts. My 66s have a separate air cartridge, and to undo this you have to grip the ouside of it which is hard to do without squashing it. Originally I jsut gripped it with molgrips and innertube where the threaded top was supporting it, but eventually I made myself a shaft gripper by drilling a hole in a piece of wood as close to the right size as I could get, then sawing it in half and padding it out with inner tubes.

Also torque wrench - I overtorqued the bottom nut so many times it broke off - caused problems, that did.

Piece of cake, just take it slowly, have a well lit, clean or at least dust free place to work and crack on.

If I was to give you one tip re fork servicing, it's that lots of parts are aluminum - be gentle with the spanner, as overtightening can easily lead to snapping and shearing. Slowly and carefully does it.

Not that this has ever happened to me, you understand....