Grease for fork internals.

Kowalski675
Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
edited January 2014 in MTB workshop & tech
My Epicon forks arrived today and I want to swap them from 100mm to 120mm travel, as shown here:

http://muddygoose.wordpress.com/2012/10 ... epicon-x2/

Quick question: when re greasing the internals on reassembly, can I use any general purpose grease, or should I be using a specific type? Cheers.

Comments

  • Dick Scruttock
    Dick Scruttock Posts: 2,533
    Buzzys sick honey.
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    Rick Draper wrote:
    Buzzys sick honey.

    That just seems to be a general all purpose grease with a fancy name. I'd rather not buy anything new, if I can use one of the greases I already have.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    What do you have?
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    supersonic wrote:
    What do you have?

    Sensible question, lol. Bicycle specific grease (or at least labelled as such), I have this:

    http://www.fenwicks.info/bike/index.php ... bly-grease

    On my motorcycle lubes shelf (almost as big as GT's mum's bedroom lube shelf) I have various others - lithium grease, molybdenum grease, Castrol LM grease (another high melting point lithium based one, designed for wheel bearings), red rubber grease (for brake caliper seals & pistons), copper grease (obviously not suitable), silicone grease - the usual sort of things for motorcycle maintenance.

    I was leaning towards the Fenwicks one or silicone grease (with a smear of the waterproof Fenwicks grease on the threads of the retaining screws at the bottom of the fork legs).
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    I'd use the Fenwicks.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    I'd use red rubber, very waterproof and the weakest link on the suntours is the wiper seal....
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    Cheers for the replies. Gonna use the Fenwicks on the shaft and lube the wiper seals with the red rubber grease when refitting the stanchions (it's designed for rubber seals) - I bought it for brake caliper seals, but it's expensive and I only have a very small pot of it (enough to last for years servicing brake calipers).
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Not really expensive unless you buy in small quantities!
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-x-500g-RED- ... 51a5cadcd3
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    I'll have to get some of that - the stuff I got years ago was about a fiver (IIRC) for a tiny pot about the diameter of a 10p piece and 10mm deep. It'd take me a few lifetimes to use a big pot - not often you fully strip brake calipers.
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    Did the 120mm conversion this evening. The grease inside appeared to be a silicone grease, so i used my silicone grease with red rubber grease on the seals.

    Rather stupidly, after going to the effort of digging out a suitably sized o ring to act as travel/sag indicator I then forgot to add it to the stanchion when reassembling, so had to separate the fork legs again to put it on. D'oh. :roll:

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