I did this about a year or 2 ago, and it was hard to find any good videos to help me out, I am sure this will be very useful for anyone doing this now or in the future, thanks Doddy and GMBN you help us a lot
Doddy you're amazing! used this video to do my first lower leg service, whole procedure went smoothly and was actually surprisingly easy (with this video as reference!). brilliantly clear and concise 'How-to' video, very much appreciated.
Thanks a lot, I payed 3 times in 2 years for this service for a total of 150€, will do it myself from now on, ordered oils and service kit for a total of 60€ 😅 Excellent video as usual ❤
My Stumpy's Rock Shox Revelation needs a service soon, and Doddy was just so helpful! I am glad that GMBN opted for such a professional and technical guy into the team! Love the details and it was all a newbie needs to know about servicing fork by themselves.
I saw this video 6 years ago and I'm back. I have a RS recon. Roughly counting the bike has done more than 400 hours. The fork and back shock still feel like new.
This is exactly what I said before servicing the lowers. I didn't have any patience for aliexpress foam rings to arrive, so I bought a pair from a local bike shop (i had to beg to 3, until the last one took an entire bag from the service, after telling me they only have full service kits). Anyway, the fork felt buttery smooth for about a week and.. I lost the rebound adjuster plastic thing; it just fell off somewhere. With all being said, do at least a lower legs and air shaft service from now and then and you'll feel a difference.
@@mihaichiriac480 I feel a minimum difference between my fork and an new one in a shop of the same model. I really don’t see the point of a service, I have trashed the bike for 6 years. I think it will easily survive another 6 without any maintenance. I rather spend €2000 on a new bike and have a next generation of the same model.
@@OptimusPerformante Can't argue with that. Recon is made to last with minimum to none maintenance indeed. But i'd better learn maintenance on o cheaper fork than on an expensove one
Just did my first ever service on a 2016 revelation rl on a Trek Fuel ex 7 29. Have ridden the bike quite a bit in mud, dust, sand and occasionally perfect brown dirt. Way more than 50 hours. Changed the oil, cleaned the components and put in new seals. The oil wasn't too bad, just a bit murky. I do keep the bike pretty clean. Have to admit that the fork does definitely feel more responsive, kind of like I remember it feeling when the bike was new. Maybe there is something in the manufacturers recommendations, but I don't think every 50 hours is really needed. Maybe once a season should do it.
First time doing it. In my case, this video, the RS and the manual were very helpful. However, when trying to putting the oil into the lower legs, I should say move them until they contact the spring then move the lower legs back as much as you can. For some reason the 1cm recommended wasnt enough for me. Oil wouldn't go in. Fork is smooth again.
Doddy, can you please do another video like this but with a fox fork instead? The other fox fork service videos on GMBN aren't quite as detailed as this one. This is a great vid! :)
I took off the little springs to make it easier to put the tubes back on. Don't forget to slide them on the uppers before though so you have them there for later.
Every 50 hours of riding... is this a joke? Imagine if you had to service the shocks on your car every 50 hours... don't think the auto company would sell many of that particular car. These bike fork manufacturers need to get their stuff together and build something that doesn't need to rebuilt after every 20 rides or whatever with their $40 bag of or-ings and grease that probably costs $4 to produce. Great video as always Dotty!
Are you saying you can’t be bothered to spend 30 minutes every 50 hours to keep the performance you have paid all that money for? I only replace wiper seals on my forks at the 200hr mark so just do the oil and the form rings every 2-3m or so which are dirt cheap. Try comparing the suggested service intervals on a Volvo vs a Bugatti, higher performance machines require more regular servicing.
To slide the lowers back in i found it was easier by removing the round spring from the seals, and then of course put them back in when the lowers are in place
Do a service tutorial for the cheapest rock shox suspension forks like the xc-28. Nobody seems to have one. I know they are easy to service but it would be great to have a video backup.
Yo Doddy, just finally did this today. Fairly simple because of this vid. Thanks man! I replaced the upper seal also, was kind of a pain in the ass to take out and put in a new one.
Just got done doing mine rock shocks Judy Silver, watched so many videos then realized none of them were on the silver TK. Blue prints and instruction manual didn’t have the same components either in the diagrams… Took longer than expected but got it done still
Truly excellent video, better than SRAM's in my opinion! They suggest using a dowel and a rag to clean the inside of the fork lower, I'm assuming the omission of this step in this video means that this isn't important?
My local shop charges $75 plus parts for this service. I need to start doing it myself because it will save me a lot of money every year. I've learned to service just about everything else on my bike, but the air forks still intimidate me, probably because they're the most complex mechanism on the whole machine.
Like many videos on YuTube, you don't mention the replacement of 8mm Plastic Crush Washers and Retainers. Some time on the drive side ,this washer is crushed, and need to be changed ...
when they say 50 hours they probably assume you're riding super dusty or muddy MTB trails for those 50 hours I just wipe my stanchions and service once a year
The thing is with the minimal amount of lube these modern forks have for keeping the fork working smooth it does get dirty in 50 hours which btw translates to a lot of riding! The old open bath systems with 100s of milliliters of oil went 100 hours before service!
Very good video with easy to understand commentary during your work. I like the clean setup of your workspace and I think the content is understandable by non-English speakers as well, though as for this, more image explanation will be needed in the future. Your content is watched not only by British, American or Australian people, you should bear that in mind. Anyway, I liked this video, though I will probably never do this because I just don't have the proper tools and it's easier for me to let my bike be serviced properly by a professional. :-)
Based on your last video on how to service your fork, it says there that you should not reuse the foam seals because it is almost impossible to clean even the seals are still in good shape.
previous owner of my 2013 model Specialized Enduro bike said that neither the fork nor the rear shock had ever been serviced... in 5 fucking years. Man I'm scared to open those up. probably ghosts in there at this point
Dunno if it'll help anyone, but if you're doing this at home, I had to get out a framing hammer to "shock" loose the internals. It felt so wrong, but it was the only thing that worked. (Obviously this shouldn't be the first thing you try.)
@@yunnerd3242 yes either for very cheap forks on low end bikes or for some DH and Enduro bikes as they are meant to be more supple. Most air forks can be converted to run coil as well.
No, you'll create a vacuum in the casting, and the fork will not extend fully afterwards. I did this once while servicing my fork (because another video on UA-cam did exactly that), and afterwards I was missing a good 10mm of travel.
I wud recommend not setting same pressure, with slicker suspension your sag will set better than if it was sticky. That's more for if you're in a shop and don't have the rider to set.
Only if you are disassembling the airspring. This is a simple Lower Leg service not a Full Service. If you are careful there is no need to replace the washers in my opinion.
Guys help needed! Id like to start servicing my forks, but im scared of damaging them: the mechanic that used to service my pike said that one of the 2 bottom bolt was spaned and needed a bit of threadlocker. Can this be dangerous when i need to hit with the mallet?
I've heard that you should compress the lowers into the uppers completely (fully telescoped) before adding oil. Here that step is overlooked and the lowers are not fully compressed. Seems as if the result will have too much of an air chamber and the fork will run long and sluggish. Thoughts?
Hi! I found my foam rings broken and 1/4 was inside the tube. Maybe i didnt let them soak much enough last time or just was clumsy. But i wonder if i can put the rubber rings last instead of first, that is 1) foam rings fitting 2) put rubber rings on the upper legs and let upper legs into the lower legs 3) make sure rubber rings gets into their proper place ?
I have a suntour xc forks do you have a video on how to repair them. I want to get a new fork but I feel it will be cheaper to just do a repair and cleaning
Hi, Doddy, my fork is a RECON 335 SL/120mm travel It doesn't travel anymore than 30mm, the air spring is ok, airtight and etc However the damper leg doesn't travel even if the air chamber is empty The damper cartridge is ok, but even when it's fully opened, the fork doesn't move down, I haven't open the damper leg, but I think that the piston's transfers could be stuck Please give your opinion Thanks Jean Michel
Legend says that Doddy actually rides a bike!
No Way!!
Doddy makes the BEST service vids! Wow
Yes he does-I work in the trade and he knows his shit.
Apart from the Fact they are Cap Head Screws and NOT bolts. Bolts have hex heads......lol
Apart from the fact that he forgot all about the crush washers and seals on the bottom bolts!
I did this about a year or 2 ago, and it was hard to find any good videos to help me out, I am sure this will be very useful for anyone doing this now or in the future, thanks Doddy and GMBN you help us a lot
Doddy's presenting has definitely improved since he started out.
Doddy you're amazing! used this video to do my first lower leg service, whole procedure went smoothly and was actually surprisingly easy (with this video as reference!). brilliantly clear and concise 'How-to' video, very much appreciated.
I feel this was much more informative than the Fox fork service video. Great job!
I'm doing this! Doddy is an excellent presenter! Crystal clear and concise. No waffle, and you can tell he knows what he's talking about.
Thanks a lot, I payed 3 times in 2 years for this service for a total of 150€, will do it myself from now on, ordered oils and service kit for a total of 60€ 😅
Excellent video as usual ❤
My Stumpy's Rock Shox Revelation needs a service soon, and Doddy was just so helpful! I am glad that GMBN opted for such a professional and technical guy into the team! Love the details and it was all a newbie needs to know about servicing fork by themselves.
Doddy is actually a really good presenter although he only just recently joined GMBN :)
Can you please link the products you are useing in the description. It would make it so much easier
They have to stay neutral
@@roryquirke1002 ... Stating a massive list of sponsors in the description 😂
I saw this video 6 years ago and I'm back. I have a RS recon. Roughly counting the bike has done more than 400 hours. The fork and back shock still feel like new.
This is exactly what I said before servicing the lowers. I didn't have any patience for aliexpress foam rings to arrive, so I bought a pair from a local bike shop (i had to beg to 3, until the last one took an entire bag from the service, after telling me they only have full service kits). Anyway, the fork felt buttery smooth for about a week and.. I lost the rebound adjuster plastic thing; it just fell off somewhere.
With all being said, do at least a lower legs and air shaft service from now and then and you'll feel a difference.
@@mihaichiriac480 I feel a minimum difference between my fork and an new one in a shop of the same model.
I really don’t see the point of a service, I have trashed the bike for 6 years. I think it will easily survive another 6 without any maintenance. I rather spend €2000 on a new bike and have a next generation of the same model.
@@OptimusPerformante Can't argue with that. Recon is made to last with minimum to none maintenance indeed.
But i'd better learn maintenance on o cheaper fork than on an expensove one
Just did my first ever service on a 2016 revelation rl on a Trek Fuel ex 7 29. Have ridden the bike quite a bit in mud, dust, sand and occasionally perfect brown dirt. Way more than 50 hours. Changed the oil, cleaned the components and put in new seals. The oil wasn't too bad, just a bit murky. I do keep the bike pretty clean. Have to admit that the fork does definitely feel more responsive, kind of like I remember it feeling when the bike was new. Maybe there is something in the manufacturers recommendations, but I don't think every 50 hours is really needed. Maybe once a season should do it.
once a season then its lower, spring and maybe even damper.
First time doing it. In my case, this video, the RS and the manual were very helpful. However, when trying to putting the oil into the lower legs, I should say move them until they contact the spring then move the lower legs back as much as you can. For some reason the 1cm recommended wasnt enough for me. Oil wouldn't go in. Fork is smooth again.
Best service video I have seen so far, I really like that he explains all the steps in details and all the possible issues and solutions, great job!
Followed these instructions and knocked it out in under 20 mins. Thanks!
Doddy, can you please do another video like this but with a fox fork instead? The other fox fork service videos on GMBN aren't quite as detailed as this one. This is a great vid! :)
Fox fork lower leg service is pretty much identical to rockshox anyway.
Happy to see the installation is easier than when I hit the “buy” button in my new CSU
Finally. GMBN needed to do this tutorial. Perfect job Doddy, you got very good presenting skills too.
I took off the little springs to make it easier to put the tubes back on. Don't forget to slide them on the uppers before though so you have them there for later.
I'm watching this but I'll probably never do this.
Steven Daniels No money for a Rockshox like this xD
Steven Daniels Lol it is easy af bruh
Awesome. Easy to follow, will be doing a lowers service soon. Thanks guys.
Nah only poser with 6K bike
How do u find a poser with 500 bike like me
We need to see Doddy ride
Every 50 hours of riding... is this a joke? Imagine if you had to service the shocks on your car every 50 hours... don't think the auto company would sell many of that particular car. These bike fork manufacturers need to get their stuff together and build something that doesn't need to rebuilt after every 20 rides or whatever with their $40 bag of or-ings and grease that probably costs $4 to produce. Great video as always Dotty!
Are you saying you can’t be bothered to spend 30 minutes every 50 hours to keep the performance you have paid all that money for? I only replace wiper seals on my forks at the 200hr mark so just do the oil and the form rings every 2-3m or so which are dirt cheap. Try comparing the suggested service intervals on a Volvo vs a Bugatti, higher performance machines require more regular servicing.
I've been waiting long for such an detailed video about that topic. Thank you!
I have had my Rock Shox fork since 2003,,,, I have never cleaned them and they work fine !
Great explanation, Doddy! Easy to follow and well-presented. Thanks for the advice!
Dont losen or tighten bolts with the round head of the alen key, it can round out the bolt heads :)
very timely. i'm due for a service although i'm taking mine to the shop. one day i'll have a proper bike sheed, stand and tools.
To slide the lowers back in i found it was easier by removing the round spring from the seals, and then of course put them back in when the lowers are in place
Do a service tutorial for the cheapest rock shox suspension forks like the xc-28. Nobody seems to have one. I know they are easy to service but it would be great to have a video backup.
Just did this today following this guide and wowowow does my fork feel good!
This video is much more thorough than the Fox run through. They don’t even mention changing the seals.
Yo Doddy, just finally did this today. Fairly simple because of this vid. Thanks man! I replaced the upper seal also, was kind of a pain in the ass to take out and put in a new one.
I did this service like 5 times and its way easier than it looks
Just got done doing mine rock shocks Judy Silver, watched so many videos then realized none of them were on the silver TK. Blue prints and instruction manual didn’t have the same components either in the diagrams… Took longer than expected but got it done still
GMBN, could you do a video like this but for a cheap, entry level fork such as a Suntour XCT?
Thanks
Great video, Doddy. I'm going to try this myself, now that you got me confident.
Doddy makes real good service videos!
I was careless and didn't service my Reba and just had to spend 100$ to get it fixed since the seals. So be careful!
Great video Doddy, now I'm feeling more confident that I don't have to take my fork to my LBS since I'm overdue on the 50 hrs...
Will We see Doddy Shredding the Trails?
Ryan Lezra hopefully
Ryan Lezra you will be asleep by den??
No need to deflate or touch the rebound adjustments pal and Rockshox recommends putting oil in the airspring as well .
Thanks Doddy! for making my life much easier... it's apreciated👏🤘😎
Truly excellent video, better than SRAM's in my opinion! They suggest using a dowel and a rag to clean the inside of the fork lower, I'm assuming the omission of this step in this video means that this isn't important?
Please do a video on servicing a dual crown fork like the rock shox boxxer
Is it a good idea to clean the inside of the lowers during the service?
Thanks, you explain things so well, I have the confidence to do this now.
Rockshox forks usally come with seals and foam wipers for service, only for one service though
Doddy When will we see you ride
He does in one. He can even manual.
@@michaelculhane3058 Look at when I posted that comment.
Low viscocity engine oil works just as well for oiling your forks
My local shop charges $75 plus parts for this service. I need to start doing it myself because it will save me a lot of money every year. I've learned to service just about everything else on my bike, but the air forks still intimidate me, probably because they're the most complex mechanism on the whole machine.
wow I'm just about to do this for the first time - perfect timing!
Can you do a how to service Manitou forks video?
Manitou have their own complete service videos but you will need some special tools to do it.
Can you do this video on SR Suntour coil forks. That will be helpful to lot of people. Good video.
There are so many potential double entendres in this video. I bet the outtakes are hilarious ;)
8:02 I didn’t do that on my suntour fork and the bolt sheared off...
Another excellent mechanical video from Doddy. Done this to my yari today following this video. Piece'o'piss
Like many videos on YuTube, you don't mention the replacement of 8mm Plastic Crush Washers and Retainers. Some time on the drive side ,this washer is crushed, and need to be changed ...
Awesome video, I'll be sure to give this another watch when I service my pike in the off season :)
Great video thanks GMBN. Would it be possible to put up a video of how to service a coil fork? Thanks
Every two lower leg service you should change alu and nylon crush washers
Doddy your vids are the best on forks so I would love to see some vids on sr suntour forks as I don’t think there that bad. Thx mate. 💪🏼🤘
Hi Doddy can you do a video on how to do a 200 hour service please
You make this look so easy ....
every 50 hour is abit much, i do it every 7-8 months and has been fine for years
Can confirm that 50h is way to much.
when they say 50 hours they probably assume you're riding super dusty or muddy MTB trails for those 50 hours I just wipe my stanchions and service once a year
Chihiro Gustafson extremely fast downhill trough mud in the rain.
The thing is with the minimal amount of lube these modern forks have for keeping the fork working smooth it does get dirty in 50 hours which btw translates to a lot of riding! The old open bath systems with 100s of milliliters of oil went 100 hours before service!
How is 50 hours 'a lot of riding'? Even if you only went out once a week for three hours, that's just four months between servicing!
Very good video with easy to understand commentary during your work. I like the clean setup of your workspace and I think the content is understandable by non-English speakers as well, though as for this, more image explanation will be needed in the future. Your content is watched not only by British, American or Australian people, you should bear that in mind.
Anyway, I liked this video, though I will probably never do this because I just don't have the proper tools and it's easier for me to let my bike be serviced properly by a professional. :-)
very well expained and easy to understand. great vid m8!
Based on your last video on how to service your fork, it says there that you should not reuse the foam seals because it is almost impossible to clean even the seals are still in good shape.
Where are the cable ties when you need them?
50 hours of riding? What? Are those forks made of paper? :D
Learning guitar I've been riding pikes for 2 1/2 years not serviced yet and ride a lot. Haven't had a problem
Not yet til u replace all of it bruh :))
Learning guitar so far i should of had to do this process every week so 24 lower leg services or you know one because suntor raidons for life
previous owner of my 2013 model Specialized Enduro bike said that neither the fork nor the rear shock had ever been serviced... in 5 fucking years. Man I'm scared to open those up. probably ghosts in there at this point
Do it annually
Dunno if it'll help anyone, but if you're doing this at home, I had to get out a framing hammer to "shock" loose the internals. It felt so wrong, but it was the only thing that worked. (Obviously this shouldn't be the first thing you try.)
Make sure the bolts are only loose 3 turns or so before shocking them. I accidentally stripped some of the threads out of the spring side...🤦♂️
I was just looking for a video like this!! That’s even my exact same fork
Make a video for suntour air forks!
#askgmbn could you make a video about coil forks service in a future?
Nicolás García That will be super helpful. Good question.👍
There is no difference between coil and air forks. The lower service is the same.
Minus bleeding air pressure, plus fighting coil spring pressure
are coil forks still being made ??
@@yunnerd3242 yes either for very cheap forks on low end bikes or for some DH and Enduro bikes as they are meant to be more supple. Most air forks can be converted to run coil as well.
Could you do a video on coil forks e.g. RockShox XC30.
By the 1:04 mark already decided it would be smarter and cheaper to bring to my LBS.
Lol I have a headshok Fatty M, but still interesting to see how easy it is on this modern stuff
A classic!
Doddy, after the lower lube oil go's in dont you have to compress the fork down before the bolts go back in so there's no trapped air in the lowers???
No, you'll create a vacuum in the casting, and the fork will not extend fully afterwards. I did this once while servicing my fork (because another video on UA-cam did exactly that), and afterwards I was missing a good 10mm of travel.
Doddy, show us your skills!!
Doddy, can you do a Rockshox 200 hour service, as I cant find a guide for it anywhere?
Check the Rockshox website. They have all the info.
I like how the clean rag is a dirty rag.
I'm not sure which pike that is then, but those new rockshox pike forks are supposed to be serviced when u hit 150h
Very good mechanical videos 👍🏻 The 50 hr service intervals, does anyone do it this regularly?
2:43 that's a hell of a tap!
I wud recommend not setting same pressure, with slicker suspension your sag will set better than if it was sticky. That's more for if you're in a shop and don't have the rider to set.
do you not add new crush washers to the screws? and do you have to cycle the fork to recharge the negative chamber?
Only if you are disassembling the airspring. This is a simple Lower Leg service not a Full Service. If you are careful there is no need to replace the washers in my opinion.
brilliant video ! keep up the good work!
Do you have a video that shows how to fix the rockshox rs1 pop luck for front suspension getting stuck?
Guys help needed! Id like to start servicing my forks, but im scared of damaging them: the mechanic that used to service my pike said that one of the 2 bottom bolt was spaned and needed a bit of threadlocker. Can this be dangerous when i need to hit with the mallet?
is the "lower leg service" enough or is there more to do? When i look at the Rock Shox service kits, they include all kinds of stuff....
there is 200 hour service where you basically rebuild whole fork. find your fork service manual to do it right.
Excellent video. I’m just confused oh one part. For my Rockshox 35 silver it recommend 10mls of oil. Is that 10ml per leg or 5ml per leg?
I've heard that you should compress the lowers into the uppers completely (fully telescoped) before adding oil. Here that step is overlooked and the lowers are not fully compressed. Seems as if the result will have too much of an air chamber and the fork will run long and sluggish. Thoughts?
Hi! I found my foam rings broken and 1/4 was inside the tube. Maybe i didnt let them soak much enough last time or just was clumsy. But i wonder if i can put the rubber rings last instead of first, that is 1) foam rings fitting 2) put rubber rings on the upper legs and let upper legs into the lower legs 3) make sure rubber rings gets into their proper place ?
Really need to do this my fork has been untouched for over 100h
You are most likely good for another 100h. This is overkill to me.
I have a suntour xc forks do you have a video on how to repair them. I want to get a new fork but I feel it will be cheaper to just do a repair and cleaning
Hi, Doddy, my fork is a RECON 335 SL/120mm travel
It doesn't travel anymore than 30mm, the air spring is ok, airtight and etc
However the damper leg doesn't travel even if the air chamber is empty
The damper cartridge is ok, but even when it's fully opened, the fork doesn't move down, I haven't open the damper leg, but I think that the piston's transfers could be stuck
Please give your opinion
Thanks
Jean Michel
damn. I have had my rockshox for 11 years and thought they may be due a service... lol :)
Hey guys nice video congregation. Juts i have a question how much oil did you put on. On each side?
Great explanation. I've got an old Marzochi coil fork, I imagine it is the same process?