Seals on Forks Come Off

Duggan13

Hi guys

I've had a Cube Attention for over a year now and am aware that the forks on it are pretty cheap (Suntour XCM).

I decided there was no point in upgrading them until they bit the dust though and sure enough after a fair few rides in Hayfield the rubber seals on them have come off- so they now generally sit half way up the stanchion exposing the top of the tube(s) below.

I've tried shoving them back in but as soon as I go for a ride off-road they just come unstuck again. To make matters worse I've been out in the rain and mud so I presume that there is a fair amount of grit and water in them now.

So my question is this- is it worth getting them serviced or fixed or are they likely to have bit the dust for good? I do want to upgrade them but I can't really afford the cash for a few months so it would be good to keep them going for a short while if possible though seems pointless spending a lot.

Or, is there any way of sorting just the seals out? (seems doubtful- not sure how I could make them 'stick' there permanently)

cooldad

I would see it as the right time to upgrade.

GHill

Are they really seals, or more of a rubber boot on top? Can you see the inner-workings now?

Either way, I probably wouldn't pay much to get them fixed, a good service will be a significant chunk of the cost of a new fork like a Tora.

bails87

As GHill says, if it's just the rubber boot, don't worry about it.

The forks are probably just a spring inside a couple of tubes, so if you wanted to service them yourself it might be pretty simple. Undo 2 bolts, slide apart, pour out water/grit/mud, put a bit of grease/lube on inside of legs(the forks legs...not your legs!) and bolt back together. No promises on that though.

Or upgrade.

wheelygood

Very simple fork. You can easily remove the lower legs and clean them up - and should do as part of a regular service as this prolongs the life of the fork. If the wiper seals have come off they can also be bought and replaced easily. Rubber boots are not required - just keep fork stanchions clean and a drop of fork lube regularly and they'll last longer.

Duggan13

Thanks for the advice folks.

I can't actually see the inner workings when I peer down the top though it looks like there's a small gap now where water and dirt could get in but it's not as bad as I thought.

Either way I think I'll just keep running them until I can afford some new ones then, and try and give them a quick service myself if I find the time if it's fairly simple- could be good practice I guess!