Need some advice on my front suspention ?? help

marcus24uk

ive not long bought a gt tempest, it came with rst launch front forks on it, and there is way to much travel for me, any advice on what i can do to tighten them up,, muchos thanks

rock it ! ! !

supersonic

You got a link to the bike? The travel may be fixed.

myopic

My son has got the same forks on his Mongoose Fireball. The travel is notionally 100mm and can't be adjusted. His springs are really stiff - I can't compress the forks more than 30% and I weigh about twice what he weighs. I took them to bits last week to see if the spring could be removed before looking to see if there were lighter options available, but it looks like the springs in each leg are sealed in and couldn't be changed - I didn 't open the preload end of the forks though.

.blitz

^^^What myopic said.

Jr's Chucker has RST Launch forks and they are rock-solid. Winding the preload off makes them more supple but then they just blow through the travel on bigger stuff. Horrible rebound action as well.

supersonic

They come havily sprung as standard due to being jump oriented.

If a twin spring fork, you can sometimes remove a whole stack and use one spring.

myopic

supersonic wrote:

They come havily sprung as standard due to being jump oriented.

If a twin spring fork, you can sometimes remove a whole stack and use one spring.

There are 2 springs in them. How would you get one out, Super? The legs containing the springs looked sealed to me, but I didn't investigate if they could be removed at the the preload end as I couldn't see a way to take that apart. (sorry that the thread has moved away from how to make the RST Launch firmer to how to make them softer!)

supersonic

If like the RST forks of old, you need a top cap tool, then the whole preload adjuster/top cap unscrews form thew crown and spring pulls out. You can remove the spring, and simply repalce the top cap/adjuster.

myopic

Thanks, Super. That sounds like a good option - he only weighs about 60 kg. Is a top cap tool a std piece of kit you could pick up form LBS or is it specific to each fork brand? Is it possible to bodge with any other type of tool?

supersonic

Some are spannerable ie a hexy nut, others use a specific tool.

You should have got one with the bike actually.

myopic

Thanks again, Super. Will give it a whirl and see what happens.