Fox fork servicing - difficult?

reformedfatty

I moved house about 6 weeks ago and in the new place I've been hanging my bikes on wall hangers by the front wheel (like this http://bicyclebuysell.com/images/2014/06/1402367492.jpg), and I've noticed my full suss has dripped some green liquid onto the floor beneath it. Couldn't see where it was coming from when I gave it a brief look, but the brake fluid is red, the rear shock is a rockshox monarch and nearly new... and the fox 32 rlc forks were second hand, and contain green fluid!

I'm guessing when I look closer it'll prove to be the fork. I've never done fork servicing before, one for me or send it off to mojo / tf tuned? I'm happy with pretty much all other aspects of bike maintenance - building bikes up from a frame / bleeding brakes etc, but taking apart forks is new territory to me.

The Rookie

The only parts that may leak are the O-ring for the damper top cap or the dust seal on the stanchions, either are a very easy DIY job.

You need to wipe the fork with some loo roll and find out where the leak is from!

reformedfatty

Damper top cap is where it's coming from.

Guessing this is what I need?

http://www.mojostore.co.uk/fox-maintena ... 2x18535483

cooldad

Not if it's coming from the top cap. That's a wiper seal kit.

The Rookie

Have you checked the cap is tight?

Have you removed the cap to check the O-ring?

Best case is 5 minutes work, Worst case a new O-ring for the top cap.

reformedfatty

No, all I did was a cursory wipe to establish where the leak was coming from. I'll have a proper investigation tonight, I had envisaged it was going to be something more complicated than the a top cap seal, but that comes from me not having had forks apart before, so whilst I know how it all operates in theory, It's not the same as having seen it all in bits.

reformedfatty

oh, and a thanks for the pointers so far. I'm guessing if I need a new O-ring i'll have to go hunting for a generic one rather than getting it as part of a service kit?

The Rookie

Yup, just measure the O-ring for diameter and 'thickness' and get a match.

ade555

You can try mojo for just that but you need to call them, they will know what size it is, only thing I would say see what else you may want as postage is a bit steep. If you can pin point what year is your fox forks would make life easy on finding info how stuff comes apart.

Do you have one that have travel adjustment?

reformedfatty

Finally braved tackling this after realising it was actually the wiper seals leaking and getting a kit from plush suspension.

Straightforward in the end, one side the internals needed a fairly decisive thwack to release them but was using a 10mm deep socket so no chance of damaging the rods.

Wiper seals were the old style so hoping for no more leaks, new ones were tricky to seat and I found myself looking at all sorts of tools for it online until i discovered a household paint roller is the perfect diameter. Done!

Not ridden yet.. fingers crossed.