Outer shock stanchion oil?

[Gromit]

I have seen a few mechanics apply oil to the stanchions of a shock but never managed to find out what oil they use.

 

I also remember seeing a FOX branded oil for sale in a LBS in small sachets but for the life of me have not been able to find it on the net.

 

Do you guys also apply oil to this area after a thorough clean, and if so what oil do you use?

 

[techguy]

Just use sewing machine oil from pick n pay or something. but beware oil is a dust magnet and dust will stick to it even if you wipe off the excess...there should be enough oil in the legs to lubricate everything without adding on the outside.

[Mecnic]

The dust seals and oil wipers wipe off the oil you apply to the outside and the residual as Tech guy said will trap dust wich couyld do more harm than good

 

Internal llubrication is criticalespecially between the stanchions and the bushes, some forks also have foam rings soaked in oils for extra lubrication wich sit just below the dust wipers

 

What fork do you have?

 

Ultimately it is more important to keep the stanchions and outer seals clean than "Well oiled" (Externally) and make sure internally that all is well

 

[Gromit]

I have the Fox 32 F100RL. I have no idea how to lubricate the internals of the shock though.

 

A little help will be appreciated

 

[SwissVan]

 

Ive used Mr Min spray on furniture polish in the past to keep my stanchion(s) nice and slippery, and it does not get as dirty as if you used oil.

 

 

 

 

SwissVan2010-01-22 07:58:46

[SwissVan]

The dust seals and oil wipers wipe off the oil you apply to the outside and the residual as Tech guy said will trap dust wich couyld do more harm than good

 

Internal llubrication is criticalespecially between the stanchions and the bushes' date=' some forks also have foam rings soaked in oils for extra lubrication wich sit just below the dust wipers

 

What fork do you have?

 

Ultimately it is more important to keep the stanchions and outer seals clean than "Well oiled" (Externally) and make sure internally that all is well

 

[/quote']

 

When my on my old Rockshox SID got a bit sticky I used "try" to lube the foam strip in situ by removing the dustseal "tension spring", then slip a tapered soft object (pointy bit of a small tyrap) between the seal and stanchion and then drip some red rum oil through the small gap created, repeating the process around the circumfrence of the seal.

 

A bit of a time consuming process but together with Mr Min spray on polish it helped to loosen things up.

 

 

[Mecnic]

The in the Fox the dampening oil also lubricates everything inside,

 

My advice would be turn your bike upside down every now and then so that the oil in the bottom can run to the top again lubricating everything properly, once again as the air side only has a small amount of oil in it anyway, the actual action of going up and down forces the oil up but inverting it helps that little bit extra

 

Have it serviced regularly that it the best way to keep your fork working for years as the oil inside degrades with use and time

 

Fox is an excellent fork so keep it clean externally to prevent wear and tear and leave the inside to a pro who knows what he/she is doing

 

[Johan Bornman]

Lubricating the stanchions from the outside is futile.

 

Just keep them clean and service regularly.

[Trapper]

Just like Johan said. Keep them clean and the internals will do the job. If you're a newbie, a fall every now and then will also do the trick. Just make sure you fall enough "upside down"!

[Ken.s]

I wouldnt use any oil if possible. The dust wiper seal has a light film of grease on the inside, and below that is foam  O ring which is soaked in fox suspension fluid before it is installed. The air spring side has 30mm of fox suspension fluid and the damper side has 160mm of fox suspension fluid. More than enough oil in each leg to lube the stantions every time the fork is compressed.