Self-service of entry-level Suntour coil shocks?

[thebob]

Counterfeit forks? Nee dankie

[droo]

So after lurking here for quite a while, I've eventually pulled the trigger, gotten myself a (used) MTB after being a road-biker all my life, and while it's amazing in every way there is one small issue.

 

I'm advised that my shock needs servicing. It's a Suntour XCR 32 coil. There's plenty of info on Youtube on how to do it, but it seems that the tool to remove the caps on top of the stanchions (Suntour part number FAA122) can't be had for love or money commercially in this country.

 

Does anyone have experience servicing a Suntour shock by themselves? Have you made your own tool to remove those caps?

 

A 24mm 12 point socket will take those topcaps off without damage.

 

Clean all the gunk out, grease everything up with SRAM butter or similar suspension grease, and go ride.

 

Repeat every 6 months or so and you'll keep it working as well as it can - but if you can, keep an eye out for something with an air spring and adjustable rebound damping.

[fanievb]

A 24mm 12 point socket will take those topcaps off without damage.

 

Clean all the gunk out, grease everything up with SRAM butter or similar suspension grease, and go ride.

 

Repeat every 6 months or so and you'll keep it working as well as it can - but if you can, keep an eye out for something with an air spring and adjustable rebound damping.

 

so the grease he'll end up having in the fork will be worth more than the fork?

 

sounds like an old Mk1 golf with a drop suspension and 17" low profiles ekse

[droo]

so the grease he'll end up having in the fork will be worth more than the fork?

 

sounds like an old Mk1 golf with a drop suspension and 17" low profiles ekse

 

It'll work better than new though, provided stanchions are still good.

 

It's like putting a new cable set on a kids' bike. Doubles the value, but works so much better it's worth it.

[solty]

I'd rather have a Suntour, at least you can get spares and it's made by a reputable company with years of experience making forks. They're the biggest bicycle suspension fork manufacturer in the world.

 

What you have there is a R 2 200 disposable experiment.

I don't know, I reckon it's worth it to be a cycling hero.

[Martin PJ]

I'd rather have a Suntour, at least you can get spares and it's made by a reputable company with years of experience making forks. They're the biggest bicycle suspension fork manufacturer in the world.

 

What you have there is a R 2 200 disposable experiment.

Could be. I tried to anodize the old fork stanchions again, that didn't work out too well. Not many options if you need a straight steerer tube.

 

My son is pretty good at destroying things, it won't take him long to see if the fork is faulty.

[Martin PJ]

Feedback on the fork, it looks good and works ok. The fork is quite stiff, but if you hit it hard on something it goes all the way down. The lockout doesn't work very well, just stiffens the fork slightly. I reckon if you bought this for R1500 (i.e. price free shipping from Aliexpress) you would be happy with it.

[jnsmith]

Hi all, thanks for responses. Didn't see this until now as my notification settings were off...

 

I ended up doing as advised, stripping the bottom of the fork without taking off the top.

 

r.e. the upgrade - I'm enjoying the bike as it is, a friend of mine has an old Rockshox Reba that he wants me to buy from him but the steerer is too short for my bike, so I haven't gone that route.

 

Since I'm a long-time roadie that has only for the last 6 months or so had a mountain bike, once I get a bit more confident I'll upgrade my gear. But servicing the suntour fork was actually pretty easy.