[Closed] Sticking/issue with 2018 lyrik

Sounds like the air transfer port might be blocked. It's a small dimple on the inside of the air side stanchion (about 1cm or less in length), and occasionally become blocked with grease. If it is blocked, a quick air-spring service, and clearing the port should fix it.

All you'll need is circlip pliers and some Sram butter/similar, plus the usual lower leg service stuff.

Have seen similar happen on a couple pairs of Pikes now ... And if you google it, you'll see quite a few threads popping up with the same issue.

This thread may help too:

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/pike-air-shaft-air-transfer-port/

Thanks very much tomahawk. Could that be the case even out the box? They've been like it from new, but always sat about 10%. But since riding yesterday are sitting at 20 to 30% sag.
Is this a warranty job?

Would it be worth me sticking a debonair shaft in while I'm there? Or is that throwing money away?

Iv always been very dubious of claims about blocked transfer ports. How does thin grease hold back 60 psi of air pressure? Even a tiny pressure difference is not possible due to grease. The inside of the tubes are coated in grease by design. The transfer port is a tiny dimple on the stansion and as such constantly in the proximity of it. If you get a leak in a tyre do you reach for the super thin grease to seal it up?

Ok rant over. It's probably a vacuum in the lowers pulling the forks down...poke a small cable tie between the dust seals and the stanchion...listen for a hiss of air.

I had the same issue. Constantly sat 10mm into it's travel. I used the cable tie down the fork seals trick and it worked temporarily. After a good thrashing it was sitting back into its travel unweighted. I eventually stripped and serviced the lowers ensuring that I put around 30psi pressure into the air chamber before refitting the lowers and it has been perfect since.

Let the air out and see if they suck down into the travel. If they do then air is trapped in negative. Put your foot on the wheel and pull up on the bars hard and they should return to normal (this may take quite a bit of force). Works for me when this happens.

Evening guys.

Thanks for your responses.

I let all air pressure out of forks, which was only saying 36psi for some reason? The forks sucked down to 75% of their travel, I tried yanking the bars up while front wheel locked down, but hadn't got enough strength for it to work.

Tried the cable tie down the seal, and there was a strong hiss on both sides. Pumped back up, still sticking in their travel. Tried cable tie again and still the same.

Looks like it's a strip down job ☹

Sounds like too much air from the +ve chamber has found it's way into the -ve chamber. You won't be able to pull the forks up with all the air out of the +ve side. Over pressurise the +ve to fully extend the forks, compress to about 30% to get past the equalisation point. Let 5-10psi out and compress to 30% again. Keep doing this till you have let most of the air out (hopefully now from both the +ve and -ve chambers). Re-inflate the forks in stages compassing to 30% after each 10psi increment to equalise the +ve and -ve chambers. If that doesn't work then yes it could well need the airshaft / chamber looking at. Without an air side service it could happen again anyway.

Tried the cable tie down the seal, and there was a strong hiss on both sides. Pumped back up

You need to do this with the forks fully inflated. If you do it with the forks sagged you will actually create a vacuum when you inflate them

Thanks guys.

I tried the cable tie both inflated and depflated, neither worked. I'll also try that mark90... although now I have no faith in the forks, and feel this could ruin a good ride. So leaning towards new air shaft.

Right guys.

Sorry to dig this up again, I always try and service/repair my own bikes as 1. I don't like being without them
2. Cost

But unfortunately, it maybe biting me on the arse.

Anyway, I picked up a new debonair shaft, that was 'apparently' brand new from the a seller on eBay for a good deal.
So I thought while I'm in there inspecting the forks, might as well put a debonair shaft in and kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Stripped forks, inside of fork tubes looked perfect to me, no scratches or burrs. I did see a small dimple, but that looks like it's there from the factory on the internal tune of air side.
All fitted ok, along with a lower leg service as per srams videos.
Pumped up with air, all seemed ok.

3 days later, forks are as soft as sh*t. No air seemingly in there and sticking.

Any thoughts please? Shall I reinstall old air shaft and warranty them? Unfortunalty it's a YT.
Or could this new air shaft be a duff?

Presume you greased all the air spring dynamic seals? If you don't they don't seal properly

Yes mate followed srams YouTube tutorial on debonair spring change.

That's a funny one then...iv never had an air leak on any air fork iv had except once when I forgot to grease a seal. If it's leaking out via the debonair assembly into the lower leg it should make itself known by blowing out the dust seal. So maybe it's leaking out via the schreader valve or top cap air seal. Have you checked the pressure on the shock pump...how quickly and how much pressure is it loosing?

Thanks alot ndthornton.
I will double check those suggestions tonight when I get home.

Thank you. Really don't want to have to part with the forks and send them off to YT.

I will try and offer some advice that may help.
When you strip them again (which you will have to do anyway), check the air shaft and inside of the stantion tubes to make sure they aren't scratched anywhere. If all the seals look ok, make sure there is enough grease on them, including the small o rings on the inside of the seal head. I usually slide the air shaft up and down to make sure the grease is right in there and get grease all round the inside of the stantion and over the air shaft. Be certain that the circlip is installed properly. You could at this point put some air in the fork (not too much) before you put the lowers back on. It would be very obvious if there was a leak from the air shaft then. When you slide the lowers back on, only slide them enough to get the bolts onto the bottom of the shafts, don't close them right up or you make a vacuum.

Thanks very much Calve145. I'm 99% certain I did everything you said too. I will deffo follow that on reinstall.

Just a bit of an update which may help diagnosis. This morning I went to put in some more air into the fork, once I got to 50psi I was shocked at how the fork was extended, they are only 160mm forks, but it looked more like 200mm!
... I thought, oh cr*p, I haven't placed the air shaft circlip on correctly, and it's popped off.
So quickly stripped them down, to find the circlip perfectly in position, and all work that I had done looked fine. Including the amount of grease!

Does this sound like a faulty air shaft, eBay seller who I purchased it off is happy to give a refund.
Thoughts guys? Thanks alot!

It does a bit actually. Sounds like the negative spring is not pressurising or leaking out if you have too much travel. Maybe a seal is gone. Send it back