Fox forks play

d8mok

Hi,

Looking for a little help. My 2008 stumpjumper expert came fitted with Fox F90 RL 32 forks when new. After 5 trouble free years , I think today I found a problem.

Got back from a ride , and noticed some play in my front end, and a slight knocking sound. Assumed it was the headset as felt similar, but after stripping and regreasing the headset I'm now convinced the play is coming from the forks.

If I put my hand around the stanction I can feel movement. It's worse in the disc side for sure.

What is the problem? Any ideas of a fix?

Hope it's not new forks time.

If it makes any difference I purchased the bike new , but I guess warranty is long gone.

Thanks for any help.

Dom

BigLee1

Ever had them serviced?

Is there any wear marks on the stantions?

Are you 100% sure the headset isn`t to blame? Have you held the front brake on with one hand and rocked the bike back and forth with your fingers on the upper then lower headset?

sensi10

It sounds to me that there is play in the fork bushings , which sometimes can feel very similar to play in the headset. Also could be play in the brake caliper as the pads can rock back and forth. To isolate the forks remove the front wheel and have somebody hold the bike up with the back brake on hold the forks with both hands on the lowers and try and rock the forks back and forth to feel the play. :?:

d8mok

No never had them touched as far as servicing.

No wear on stantions that I can see.

Yeh it's def not the headset.

Local bike shop maybe bushings need replacement. But this is £250 ! As new lower legs are needed.

d8mok

sensi10 wrote:

It sounds to me that there is play in the fork bushings , which sometimes can feel very similar to play in the headset. Also could be play in the brake caliper as the pads can rock back and forth. To isolate the forks remove the front wheel and have somebody hold the bike up with the back brake on hold the forks with both hands on the lowers and try and rock the forks back and forth to feel the play. :?:

Yeh I took the wheel out and did that already. It's for sure the forks. All the brakes are fine.

dusk

sounds like wear in the bushings, you need to service them more than every 5 years!

BigLee1

Is it going to be £250 better? Or will you run them until they are well and truly knackered while keeping an eye on ebay?

It might be worth giving them a service and just keep running them, you`ll be able to see if there`s any bushing wear where they are stripped

d8mok

Thinking I will just run them until they break now then.

Never had any forks serviced until there is a problem with them. Can't justify £100 a year just on fork service it's madness.

Can't understand why you can't buy bushes and fit them for little money.

BigLee1

I`ve just serviced my own forks and rear can for about £75 all in, enough oil now for another 3 services so just a seal kit needed from now on front and rear for about £40
Theres loads of youtube vids about it, dead easy!!

cobba

d8mok wrote:

Local bike shop maybe bushings need replacement. But this is £250 ! As new lower legs are needed.

Why can't the the bushings be replaced.

The 2002 - 2008 32 mm Lower Leg Bushing Kit is Part No. 803-00-102
This kit will cost about £25 to buy and new seals will cost about the same.

Bushings: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fox-Forx-32mm-Fork-Lower-leg-Bushing-Bushes-803-00-102-/400382881008
Seals: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fox-Forx-Fork-SKF-32mm-Low-Friction-Seal-Kit-803-00-613-Talas-Van-Float-/160836572746

See how much Mojo will charge to fix the fork: http://www.mojo.co.uk/servicing.html

Fox Info: http://service.foxracingshox.com/consumers/index.htm

dusk

I just bought a service kit and did my own service including seals, it was less than £50 and there is enough oil to last for years. Bushings and seals shouldn't need changing often

Dirtydog11

Can't justify £100 a year just on fork service it's madness.

I completely agree, it makes no sense when you have a perfectly good pair of hands at you disposal. :roll:

At least do a lower leg service, it's easy and will cost no more than a bottle of oil.

Assuming there's any oil left in the stanchions it will have "broken" down over the last 5 years and wont be doing it's job some of that play could be due to the above.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/technical- ... -2010.html

d8mok

Had a mechanic mate look at them and it was a loose bolt. Feel silly now. But lessen learned from this is that I will service my forks more regularly. So now they are back to normal , am I better sending them off to be serviced? Or buying a nice new set and selling these ones as I can get a good deal. What would a set of f90 RL forks fetch that look in very good condition but need a service?

Dirtydog11

A mate recently sold a pair of 2009 Fox F 120s on Ebay for £150, I suspect you would get similar for yours.

A service will cost you around £90.00 although I'm not sure whether that includes seals and foam rings. After five years without a service who knows what they'll find, I wouldn't be surprised if they needed a new CSU due to worn stanchions (you wont know till they're apart).

Personally, I do everything myself and spend the money I've saved on tools. If I had to go the LBS everytime I needed a new part fitted/adjusted or forks servicing I couldn't afford to keep them in the condition they're in.

maringirl

Recently serviced some Fox forks which hadn't been touched for 2 years - the oil was disgusting - full of rubbish instead of being nice and clear. That crap will be wearing away at bushings. So don't leave it too late. With regular servicing forks will go on for ages - have Rockshox Psylo on my bike from 2005 - still very good condition cos they've been attended to.

d8mok

Right decision made. Gonna take them apart myself on Friday, to see if I can see any obvious wear. I will change the oil and maybe seals (they don't leak) and put them back together. If they are worn ill buy a new set and sell these ones.

However since these have spent a lot of time locked out and on the road I think they will be serviceable.

What oil can I use or is it strictly fox green 10wt? And I assume I the pillow pack float fluid is the only thing of its kind?

Like this

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165507

Dirtydog11

Probably nothing wrong with the one you linked to, personally I'd go for Fox oil (Green 10wt), the reason being is that oil weights vary from brand to brand, one brands 10wt is another's 7.5wt .

A pillow of of Fox fluid for the air-spring side costs about £1.50 so at that price it's not worth using anything else (rumour has it it's 85wt).


Have a look here for a comparison of various manufacturers oil weights, Fox Green isn't listed but it does show how weights vary (see bottom of page).

http://www.peterverdone.com/wiki/index. ... sion_Fluid

BigLee1

TBH for the sake of £50 or so you`ll get the seal kit and enough oil to do 5 oil changes and you get the proper fox stuff. A better bet than a "probably" of someone on the internet methinks

And while your at it get a torque wrench

BigLee1

Heres some vids you might find useful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t24xff7Je5Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4iWo7Skqms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3r3tGbn2I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaT2k3lq600

d8mok

Thanks. Will have a look later today once I get home.

Dirtydog11

"Probably", but.............

Dirtydog11 wrote:

personally I'd go for Fox oil (Green 10wt), the reason being is that oil weights vary from brand to brand, one brands 10wt is another's 7.5wt .

Jeez, I've even give the reason why. :roll:

d8mok

Update.

Well I had yesterday entirely in the garage working on the bike. It needed some tlc as other than cleaning I'd never changed any parts.

Removed 90% of stuff from the frame, cleaned and replaced. Inc a polish.

Fitted new headset and bb.

Still need to fit new chain but waiting for jockey wheels to arrive.

Serviced my forks myself , with a fox seal kit and some castrol fork oil. Cost less than £30 and the forks feel good, and seem smoother. The stanchions weren't worn at all and the oil wasn't that bad that came out. Actually enjoyed doing it. Need to test run it, but they lock out properly, feel smooth and don't leak so should be sound.

My only problem is the headset doesn't seem right but I will mess with that one night. I've fitted a fsa orbit mx , and pretty sure it's pressed in ok. All seems even, and every goes together perfect. But when I tighten it up even a slightest it makes it tough to turn the steering. But if I loosen it even a tiny bit, it has play. Any ideas? There isn't any uneven tight spots when turning so I think the crown race is pressed ok, and everything is in the correct order.

Dirtydog11

LOL nice one, I didn't expect that!


Re - the headset....... I'd be inclined to check that the cartridge bearings have been installed into the cups the correct way up.

Diagram here everything look right?

http://www.fullspeedahead.com/storage/i ... t%20MX.pdf


Edit: In those photos there's no crown race fitted to the fork, could that be your problem?

d8mok

Hi,

Yeh all assembled in correct order. And crown race was fitted after those pics.

I've done loads of headsets and its got me baffled.

cooldad

Sometimes the best thing is take it apart and put it back together again.
Too much thinking can hurt the brain.

d8mok

All sorted.

It was one of the thin seals that was upside down.

Cheers for the help and diagram

Just waiting for my jockey wheels and its done

BigLee1

Top job!!