Fork advice

mark_jwedge

Hi

I posted on here a couple of months ago about a problem I was having with the Suntour XCR forks on my GT aggressor XC2. On a ride the forks were going stiff until no travel was possible.

I had them checked by my LBS and they said I was not lubricating them well enough and recommended a regular squirt of GT 85 spray. I have been doing this religiously before every ride and once I have cleaed the bike post ride and things have generally been ok.

Yesterday I was out and the fork started to become stiff again with no sag and very little compression on the bumps. I turned the preload all the way to its minus setting which did seem to help a little but then it stiffened again.

Any ideas? If lubrication is the problem how else should I lubrucate the forks?

Both days it has happened it has been soaking wet could water getting into the forks be the problem? If so any ideas on how to stop this?

What would a good upgrade on the current forks be?

Thanks for any advice offered and please be kind to a relative newbie!

aidso

My crapp RST fork does this but the (rubber) seal is broken and the water gets in when I wash it. Turn the bike upside down for an hour and see if anything other than your spray-oil runs out. If it does....then you've a leak.
Bare in mind, my forks are ~6 years old.

nicklouse

GT85 or any spray lube should not be used as the solvents/propellants rot the rubber.

also it can wash away any lube.

chain lube is good.

yes water could cause an issue but the fork has to be in a poor way to start with.

but it could just be that the damping cartridge is duff.

I would be back to the shop for them to check it out again.

re replacements Toras or Rebas.

mark_jwedge

Brilliant, thanks for that.

I will try chain lube this weekend and if no good will take it back to the shop.

Will def stop using GT 85

Just out of interest would any teflon grease smeared onto the forks and then pumped a few times before wiping off the excess be any good? Just wondering as a guy at the trail centre suggested it!?

aidso

nicklouse wrote:

GT85 or any spray lube should not be used as the solvents/propellants rot the rubber.

This isnt the cause of the stiffness though, right? What I mean is changing from GT85 to chain lube isnt going to fix your current issue?

mark_jwedge

It might work if the GT 85 hasn't been an effective lubricant for the forks?

diy

could just rub some suspension oil on them. any will do. failing that synthetic motor oil or gear oil.

it could be seals need replacing and are jaming, or you are getting water in and hydro locking the forks. the only way to know is to strip down and look for mayonnaise instead of fork oil.