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So I bought some Enduro seals to service my Fox Float 32's and have tried to soak some Float fluid into the foam rings that came as part of the kit.
They just don't seem at all absorbent and are a lot less spongey than the original rings.
As the original rings are still nice and lubed, I'm tempted to stick these back in, instead of the Enduro foam rings and put the Enduro rubber wiper seals on top.
Or are Enduro foam rings/seal kits designed to work differently??
Just sit the new rings in some oil and the gently press htem with your fingers, they should soak the oil up.
It just seems to coat the outer surfaces, as they don't seem to be made of sponge like the originals?
If its the skf enduro kit the foam rings are a slightly smaller diameter as they sit lower down than the standard ones, and the extra flat black seal presses down on top of them, and then the blue wiper seal presses in the top like normal
Just leave them to soak for a bit and podge em with your fingers a few times
Not sure if they're SKF - don't think so. The card packaging just said Enduro fork seals.
There are 3 parts, a blue wiper seal, a black rubber seal with compression spring wrapped round it and foam ring.
That's the skf/enduro ones then, the foam rings sit on top of the bushing instead of in the little recess, with the black rubber seal on top where the old foam ring sat, I fitted some to my f29's a few months ago and after a few rides to break them in they're super smooth now ,..well worth it IMO 😀
You using fox fluid sachets? Found they weren't as absorbent as using rock oil. Seemed quite a solid oil, possibly as it had been in freezing cold shed
Yep, used a sachet of Fox float fluid. I've ordered a bottle of the stuff now to absolutely douse the rings.
What / where do you get Rock oil?
There doesn't seem to be much of a recess to accommodate the original foam rings or that the new rings would sit on top of the bushings?
Looks like this, the recess only seems a mm or two deep maximum if that, and looks more like the bushes haven't been pushed in far enough than any intentional recess:-
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And below - new "foam" ring on the left, having been soaked in fox fluid for days. Old foam rings on the right, pretty much as removed from the forks. Don't quite see how the new ones will lubricate the forks at well, since they don't seem to absorb the fluid and aren't stained blue....
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you did compress the rings before putting them in the oil right?
Yep, squished, squashed, compressed, coerced but no absorbtion.
They're a different material to the original rings. The originals are like bathroom sponge, and clearly porous. The new ones are more like a rubber / neoprene combination.
Hi MTBTOMO,
We have loads of spare Fox foam rings in the workshop. If you send me your address to suspensionservicing@evanscycles.com i'll pop some in the post on Monday.
Hope this helps
Robin
Hi Robin. that sounds good, thanks - have emailed you.
Cheers!
Don't think a Fox foam ring will work with enduro seals TBH as they're deeper and when compressed between the enduro lower(oil) seal and upper (wiper) seal are likely to get caught.
Good shout Loco!
Mtbtomo - take care when fitting. If they're no good then just bin em. You cant have your money back on a freebie! lol
So what order should the seals/foam rings be inserted then?
I have moulded black rubber rings, foam rings and the blue wiper seal.
Blue wiper seal at the top clearly, then foam ring or black rubber ring (with spring in the moulded groove round the outer edge)?
The original seals were just black wiper seal and foam ring below them.
The foam rings sit directly on top of the bushing, then the black seal on top, they sit lower than the original foam ring and are a slightly smaller diameter (a la loco ^)
I don't think they're designed to hold float fluid the same as the old ones as when I did a lowers service on mine they were wet with fork oil rather than blue float fluid, mine have been in for a couple of months now and ridden through some foul weather but when I split them last week they were still spotless inside so all still good up to yet
Ok, then next question.....
What weight oil should I be using for the lowers, damper and air spring side?
I've seen some places suggest 10wt, or 7.5wt if you're light. I'm ~11.5stone - is this light in fork world or I will I be ok using 10wt.
And where are the best instructions for putting it all back together...
So can anyone suggest a good on line guide to reassembly for Fox forks then?
Spot on Loco, thanks!