Stuff you learn(t) the hard way by being your own mechanic

[Josh_the. Man]

I know what type of oil to use and how much but the problem with buying the oil and everything is that it costs a lot of money if you don't buy it in bulk.

[dave303e]

Hey guys I need some advice. I'm 16 btw I baught myself a second hand fork on the hub 2 years ago its a Rockshox Sid xx 2014

I paid 4k. Every ride I wipe the dust off the stations with a cloth to fight half the battle of not servicing it.

 

I put in 5-7 hours per week on my bike and now it defenitely needs a service with some new seals.

I called every bikeshop in joburg to hear what the best price is and the average price was approximately 1k.

1k ?? For 10ml of fork oil some new grease on the damper and 2 pieces of rubber and foam and maybe 1.5 hours worth of labour.

 

Should I just rather buy myself a rigid

carbon fork from China for 850 rand.

I mostly ride xco in the spurleage and local mtb races.

 

well most of the cost is labor. The rest are the actual seals. It is cheaper to buy seals for my 49mm Showa forks on my CRF250 than it is to buy the seals for my 32mm Fox forks. Such is life, we don't mtb because it is a cheap sport...

[Josh_the. Man]

And also where to buy it from. Is a torch wrench necessary? Etc.

[dave303e]

And also where to buy it from. Is a torch wrench necessary? Etc.

 

Find someone who has done one of these services before. They should be happy to teach you. Otherwise you will end up spending moe money fixing it again.

[MORNE]

this reminds me...more things i've learnt from being my own mechanic:

 

yes, if you are handy is isnt that difficult to strip down a fork. the service manuals are online and youtube for many of them.

 

But.

 

coming from 160mm travel to owning a rigid carbon fork  - not having to worry about fork services and the huge amounts of money involved, also caring for stanchions like they are newborn infants etc....priceless. oh and the fomo of never having the latest suspension tech.

 

Maybe i'm just becoming more of a sucker for simplicity with age haha

i'll probably be on a SS soon too. But i love the fact that i don't need to even think about that anymore, yes there are days when i miss it, but then i just remember that somewhere someone is riding a poorly set up sus bike anyway, spending time fixating on it rather than just riding the damn bike and having fun. isnt that the point?

 

Not to mention they will spend more on servicing it (or not unfortunately) within 2 years than i spent on my rigid fork new too. I'll own suspension again I guess... (probably one of thise Lauf jobs-for reasons stated above) but for now i'm enjoying the plug and play nature of my bike so to speak.

[Blackheart]

WAWAWEWA! I hope it wasn't a new RS fork. Man that is heavy school fees.

It was a brand new Fox 36 160mm....

[Josh_the. Man]

Fork service wasn't that expensive afterall. I desided to keep the dust wipers and only replace the foam rings.The bike shop said that with my type of fork it isn't necessary to service the damper because it's a sealed cartridge damper and dust cant get in (but isn't it not the same with all shocks?????????)

 

Lower leg.... R300

Fork service.... R550

 

I was charged R300. I don't think they charged me for the foam rings. Next year Ill get myself new seals then it will cost 600+-

[droo]

Fork service wasn't that expensive afterall. I desided to keep the dust wipers and only replace the foam rings.The bike shop said that with my type of fork it isn't necessary to service the damper because it's a sealed cartridge damper and dust cant get in (but isn't it not the same with all shocks?)

 

Lower leg.... R300

Fork service.... R550

 

I was charged R300. I don't think they charged me for the foam rings. Next year Ill get myself new seals then it will cost 600+-

 

You're going to wear your fork out.

 

Get it serviced by someone who knows what they're talking about.

 

Please.

[Josh_the. Man]

I really don't think the damper is so crucial to service. Stuff like dust can't even come in so I think it fine, my hydrolic lockout still works perfectly, the mechanic said it's only necessary to open it when my lockout doesn't work.

 

I don't think mechanics knows everything but I can't find other info on Google that says otherwise... But I'm not going to wear my shock out if I don't replace the dustwipers (seals) even the mechanic said it's a huge waste of money. He said it's only necessary to replace when the seals starts to crack and looks old and worn.

[Grease_Monkey]

I really don't think the damper is so crucial to service. Stuff like dust can't even come in so I think it fine, my hydrolic lockout still works perfectly, the mechanic said it's only necessary to open it when my lockout doesn't work.

 

I don't think mechanics knows everything but I can't find other info on Google that says otherwise... But I'm not going to wear my shock out if I don't replace the dustwipers (seals) even the mechanic said it's a huge waste of money. He said it's only necessary to replace when the seals starts to crack and looks old and worn.

Dude, Droo is THE suspension guy... I'd listen to him before I listen to any one else. Sounds like your mechanic is a bit clueless.

[Hairy]

I really don't think the damper is so crucial to service. Stuff like dust can't even come in so I think it fine, my hydrolic lockout still works perfectly, the mechanic said it's only necessary to open it when my lockout doesn't work.

 

I don't think mechanics knows everything but I can't find other info on Google that says otherwise... But I'm not going to wear my shock out if I don't replace the dustwipers (seals) even the mechanic said it's a huge waste of money. He said it's only necessary to replace when the seals starts to crack and looks old and worn.

Is your mechanic also trying to sell you a rigid fork?

[droo]

I really don't think the damper is so crucial to service. Stuff like dust can't even come in so I think it fine, my hydrolic lockout still works perfectly, the mechanic said it's only necessary to open it when my lockout doesn't work.

 

I don't think mechanics knows everything but I can't find other info on Google that says otherwise... But I'm not going to wear my shock out if I don't replace the dustwipers (seals) even the mechanic said it's a huge waste of money. He said it's only necessary to replace when the seals starts to crack and looks old and worn.

 

Wishing that the moon were made of cheese does not make it so.

 

Start saving. Forks are expensive.

[Mojoman]

Wishing that the moon were made of cheese does not make it so.

 

Start saving. Forks are expensive.

Even the crap ones....

[PhilipV]

I really don't think the damper is so crucial to service. Stuff like dust can't even come in so I think it fine, my hydrolic lockout still works perfectly, the mechanic said it's only necessary to open it when my lockout doesn't work.

 

I don't think mechanics knows everything but I can't find other info on Google that says otherwise... But I'm not going to wear my shock out if I don't replace the dustwipers (seals) even the mechanic said it's a huge waste of money. He said it's only necessary to replace when the seals starts to crack and looks old and worn.

If the foam ring is dirty, then dirt gas already gone past the seal, so the seal is tired, why would you reuse it?

 

Damper oil works hard, and breaks down over time. The seals inside also break down and perish. It the lockout works it only means there isn't any air in the line.

 

By listening to the mechanic you might be opening yourself to a lesson in "Goedkoop raak duur koop."

[Josh_the. Man]

I thought about what you said and I understand. Im going to buy rock and fox seals over the internet sometime this month then I'm going to use those next year around March month...

[dasilvarsa]

Fork service wasn't that expensive afterall. I desided to keep the dust wipers and only replace the foam rings.The bike shop said that with my type of fork it isn't necessary to service the damper because it's a sealed cartridge damper and dust cant get in (but isn't it not the same with all shocks?)

 

Lower leg.... R300

Fork service.... R550

 

I was charged R300. I don't think they charged me for the foam rings. Next year Ill get myself new seals then it will cost 600+-

It's in the interest of Bicycle Shops to Replace Stuff Early.

They Replace Fork Dust Seals and Cassettes Way too Early.

The Foam Rings can be Cleaned as per RS Manual.

Let the Consumer Beware.