Tora 301s - limited travel... lockout problem?

bartimaeus

I've not been happy with the Toras on my GT... they don't appear to have much travel at all. I've now put a zip tie on to check, and yes, there's only about 40-50mm out of 100mm actually working. The spring should be OK - it's red which is fine for my weight - but no matter what I do I can't get it to compress.

Is it possible that there's a problem with the lockout fully disengaging? And is there anything I can do about it?

I've not yet found the correct SRAM manual for the forks (which should be 2010 301 coils... though I can't see any markings to confirm). The lockout assembly appears to be a simple blue plastic cartridge with knob on the side.

supersonic

Sounds like an oil leak on the TK damper, will need servicing. Pretty sure is the same as the 2007 anyway:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=ca ... U_Mt_mQkkw

Page 14

bartimaeus

Is this something I can do myself with some oil and new o-rings? If so, is there a 'kit' for this? I've never tried anything like a fork service before, but one the purposes of having a cheap bike was to learn how to fix it - and the instructions look pretty clear. If not, is this an LBS job - or do I need to send them away?

supersonic

Is doable at home - kits were on ebay, or contact fisher outdoor or tftuned.

bartimaeus

Thanks - I will give it a go.

bartimaeus

Well, I took them apart (and they are 302 TKs when I looked properly), gave everything a clean, and reassembled with new oil, and now I have 75-80mm of decent travel, and I may get the full 100mm as today was a (very wet) gentle XC and road ride. I may now look for a set of seals so I can replace everything, but for now I'm calling this 'a win'.

Lessons learned? Well it would be a damn sight easier if I could have taken the forks off, but they seem stuck... so I may need a trip to the LBS. As it was I had to turn the whole bike upside down to add the oil to the legs. I also need to get some tools/equipment (circlip pliers, a syringe/measure) as the oil measures, particularly in the damper, have a fine tolerance - so 145ml needs to be pretty accurate. It's also tricky to get the lowers back on without mashing the wiper seals! But all in all nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be so I am feeling pretty pleased with myself

So, for any other would-be mechanics out there, if you have coil forks then it is definitely worth servicing them yourself! All you need is the right manual (thanks Sonic) - and in my case a very handy video on youtube.