Fork stanchions lubing

[TrackGuy]

Hey guys

 

What lube do you use to lube your fork's stanchions, if you?

[David Marshall]

They are lubed from the inside. A small quantity of oil is added to the lower during services. Any lube you manage to get in from the outside (which should not be possible) is going to trap dirt between the seal and wiper which is not on. Just keep them clean and keep to the service intervals.

[TrackGuy]

Oh okay cool, I saw this video:

and thought it would make sense to do so.

 

Thanks a lot

[Warren911]

Nice, thanks for sharing

Oh okay cool, I saw this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWYMTnE7RjY and thought it would make sense to do so.

 

Thanks a lot

[camelman]

This is what I use. Works like magic.

http://www.brunox.com/website/medien/produkte/372%20Deo%20125%20ml.png

Reduces the stickiness of the fork stanchions quite a lot, and if you clean it after a lube nothing gets trapped there. They sold this at the Argus expo, not sure where you can find it now. Otherwise I use plain silicone oil in a bottle. It applies a bit cleaner as it is not an aerosol that goes everywhere. Just be careful of the silicone sprays, they might have some other chemicals in there that your seals don't like.

 

The best man to ask is Droo. He has seen it all and can tell you if it is necessary to lube or not. IMHO it is a must if you want to get your money's worth and a lifetime of service from your expensive forks and shocks.

 

On top of what he did to lube, I would cycle the suspension a few times after applying the oil and then wipe off excess oil and some extra grime that comes off. In dry dusty terrain the dust tend to stick to the oil a bit but does not get in. Mud is no problem at all.

Edited July 28, 2014 by camelman

[gwhite]

This is what I use. Works like magic.

http://www.brunox.com/website/medien/produkte/372%20Deo%20125%20ml.png

Reduces the stickiness of the fork stanchions quite a lot, and if you clean it after a lube nothing gets trapped there. They sold this at the Argus expo, not sure where you can find it now. Otherwise I use plain silicone oil in a bottle. It applies a bit cleaner as it is not an aerosol that goes everywhere. Just be careful of the silicone sprays, they might have some other chemicals in there that your seals don't like.

 

The best man to ask is Droo. He has seen it all and can tell you if it is necessary to lube or not. IMHO it is a must if you want to get your money's worth and a lifetime of service from your expensive forks and shocks.

 

Can one use this on Fox forks/shocks?

[camelman]

I use it on anything with a stanchion, dropper seat posts, forks and shocks. The problem with the oil inside the stanchions is that it sits at the bottom of the leg, and if you don't store your bike upside down often, the oil does not reach the foam in the seal to saturate it and lube the stanchion. And sometimes there is so little oil it does nothing at all (usually from the factory assembly). So I use it on my Rockshox and Fox forks and the dropper seat post. I have never had a problem, and my Fox fork has gone in for a service and a warranty replacement at the agents without any question from them.

[Johan Bornman]

Lubing your fork from the outside is very good for the retailer's till. Lube your stanchions often to keep him in business. Jokes aside, a little bit of understanding of how stanchions and wiper seals work will perhaps help you make a more informed decision whether you want to apply external lube or not. The stanchions are not perfectly smooth. If you examine them with a magnifying glass, you'll see that the surface is rippled. No rough edges, but zillions of micro indentations can be seen. These indentations trap oil that is supplied from the inside, via a oiled foam ring just below the wiper (seal) and serve to lubricate the seal against the stanchion when it slides up and down. This prevents it from just "burning" away within a few cycles. In other words, the seal leaks slightly in order to not destroy itself when doing what it is supposed to do. We say, "a seal that does not leak, leaks". A paradox, I know, but stick with me. If you examine the seal/wiper assembly, you'll see it is a two part affair. The oil seal part of the rubber seal you can see, sits inside, just above the foam ring. Its job is to wipe excess oil off the stanchion as the fork is extending. It can't do a perfectly clean wipe because of the indentations in the stanchion. It leaves a thin layer of oil, just enough to lube itself and the wiper that's above it. Now the wiper, the visible part of the seal assembly, is a thin blade of rubber (just like the seal inside, but facing the other direction) with the job of wiping off any dirt that sticks to the stanchions as the fork is extended. If your seals are still good, you'll notice a thin ring of oil at the upper end of the external wiper's travel range at the end of your ride. This show you that the external wiper is doing its job by keeping that oil and dirt that sticks to it, off the active zone. In other words, we have two seals, one wiping inside and downwards, and the other outside and wiping outwards. The oil is supplied to the stanchion via splashing inside the fork and a continuously wet foam ring that smears it at the upper end. Now lets get back to the externally applied lube. It will stay there for exactly one wipe and then join the ring of wiped-off oil at the top of the fork. Weather it is pure silicone, a "blend" of exotic stuff or ox blood. It will stay on the stanchion for one cycle only. In other words, listen to Dave Marshall and don't bother with fancy boutique products with stupid claims.

[Johan Bornman]

I use it on anything with a stanchion, dropper seat posts, forks and shocks. The problem with the oil inside the stanchions is that it sits at the bottom of the leg, and if you don't store your bike upside down often, the oil does not reach the foam in the seal to saturate it and lube the stanchion. And sometimes there is so little oil it does nothing at all (usually from the factory assembly). So I use it on my Rockshox and Fox forks and the dropper seat post. I have never had a problem, and my Fox fork has gone in for a service and a warranty replacement at the agents without any question from them.

Of course you have never had any problem. That's because it doesn't do any harm, or any good for that matter. As for your argument about it passing some sort of warrantee test, that's because they can't find evidence of the oil when servicing the fork because it does not penetrate beyond the wiper. But even if they do find evidence of it, why should it be an issue? Your argument that a warrantee-pass means the product works, doesn't make sense.

[camelman]

Of course you have never had any problem. That's because it doesn't do any harm, or any good for that matter. As for your argument about it passing some sort of warrantee test, that's because they can't find evidence of the oil when servicing the fork because it does not penetrate beyond the wiper. But even if they do find evidence of it, why should it be an issue? Your argument that a warantee-pass means the product works, doesn't make sense.

 

I will concede that my comment about the warranty makes no sense. As for it not a making a difference, there I have to draw the line. I do it regularly and it makes a difference in the feel of the fork, though not so much in the shock. Maybe there is not enough oil inside and/or the foam rings are dry(I understand that their job is to lube the stanchions inside). But each to their own, I will continue to lube.

Edited July 28, 2014 by camelman

[droo]

Johan, I lube stanchions after washing the bike for that first cycle where they're not lubed, IMO it can only help. It does help that I have quite a collection of rags soaked in fork oil, so I don't have to buy anything extra.

 

A 500ml bottle of synthetic motor oil like Magnatec costs 60 bucks and will last the average rider forever, including a few lowers services.

[Johan Bornman]

Johan, I lube stanchions after washing the bike for that first cycle where they're not lubed, IMO it can only help. It does help that I have quite a collection of rags soaked in fork oil, so I don't have to buy anything extra.

 

A 500ml bottle of synthetic motor oil like Magnatec costs 60 bucks and will last the average rider forever, including a few lowers services.

I agree that it can help - for the first dry stroke. Thereafter the oil is wiped off the stanchion and sits in a ring above. A wiper in good condition will not allow more than a boundary layer of oil to remain after a stroke. If the oil is supplied from the inside, a stroke leaves a layer. If that oil is supplied from the outside, a stroke leaves a layer, Excess is wiped away, Only once the wiper and oil seal starts to wear and it doesn't wipe as efficiently anymore, then the thickness of each layer increases. I therefore maintain that external oiling is a waste of time, especially so if the seal is ageing. I'll try this analogy. Take a rubber blade squeegee and clean a window. Wet the window first, wash it with soap or whatever, and then dry it with the squeegee. Notice how the squeegee leaves behind a boundary layer of water. You have to look quickly, because that layer evaporates quickly after the swipe. Now try and get the window ever wetter. Wipe again. You'll see that the layer remains the same no matter how you wipe. The same happens on the fork, just the boundary layer remains. The only difference is that it doesn't evaporate but says clinging to the stanchion thanks to the stanchion's dimples and the fact that oil doesn't evaporate. Any subsequent applications of oil gets shifted to one side, evident by an oily ring at the highest point of the seal's travel (lowest point of compression). So yes, it doesn't do any harm and it isn't any trouble to apply, but it has no effect whatsoever on stanchion lubricity. My only assumption here is that the fork still has bath oil inside and that the bike is ridden so that the foam ring is wet. It will not work on a bike on a stationery trainer where the fork is not agitated. But, that's not a real application.