I have an old GT with Marzocchi EXR Pro 100 forks on it. Last weekend they decided to leak heavily. I’ve never had them serviced and they have given me 4 years of good service.

Evans want £65 for a service (another £25 to take them off, so I’ll do that myself) Having had a look on the web the cheapest replacement I can find is a RockShox Dart 3 for £132 from Evans again.

I’ll be getting a new bike in November hopefully and will keep using the GT but what do people think I should do get the shock service or just replace it??

Depends how much you like the forks I guess? Have to say though, £25 for removing some forks is pretty creative. That’s all of what, 2 minutes work?

Serice them yourself and keep them going until the new bike arrives. Darts are pretty rubbish forks, and repacing seals will be pretty easy…

I’m in exactly the same boat.

Going to have a go at doing them myself and then just replace down the line with better forks.

All i need to buy is seals and a few tools.

Personally I would stick with the Marz as I think they are a better fork, would maybe ask another shop too, the forks aren’t overly complicated.

Had a similar dilemma a year ago when my Fox got in a state after scratching a stantion – the repair would be as much as a new pair of coil revelations, but decided to repair in the end as you wouldn’t be able to buy the fox new for that much and that is the fork I’d rather have – only original bits left now are the lowers and some adjuster knobs

Thanks Chaps,

The cheapest Marzocchis are about £165 so probably over budget.

A seal replacement kit is about £16, I’d need a shock pump say £18, oil don’t know? What other tools and stuff would I need?

just another vote for stay away from the dart 3s. Mine started to rust after 3 months. On the stanchions. And I kept them clean and lubed.

Shockingly poor forks. Toras are way better.

gymaint – with just those two parts you’ve mentioned, your edging up toward £50 (or £65 to evans), I’d rather spend that £50 (or £65) on a set of 2nd hand Marzocchi Comp’s (or Tora’s) off the classifieds.

Gymaint,

No mail address in your profile so i’ll have to post the link, there’s a set of Recon U-turns for sale here for £100 notes: –

http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php/topic,197330.0.html

KS

But you only need cheepy forks to tide you over until you get a new bike. Someone must have some 2nd hand ones going cheap

second the toras, avoid Darts

I’ve got some Marz MX Comps from 2004 kicking about- upgraded to Rebas. Steerer not long enough for my mate’s bike, so yours for £20+p/p. Never serviced but never had any problems! (will check steerer length if you are interested)

Tom

exr`s are more simple than a simple thing.

just buy new seals for £20, undo top caps, undo the foot nuts, remove oil, remove lowers replace seals and reassemble with new 7.5wt. 1/2 hour work max.

you dont need a shock pump. i used to use the car footpump but now i use a track pump. they are low pressure air forks.

TomB
If Gymaint doesn’t take you up on the Marz MXs can I have them (if the steerer is suitabe)?

Sorry for the Hijack
Email in profile.

Cheers.

imp999- will measure steerer tomorrow- email to follow, will try to take some pics too.

Thanks Van Halen. Any idea which seals I need. Chainreaction have a load, I e-mailed them to see which ones but they havent got back to me. How much oil would I need?

TomB – Thanks for the offer but just sell them to imp999

gymaint really take the 04 MX’s they’re bomb proof & dead reliable!

in fact if gymaint or imp999 doesn’t want em I’ll have em!!!!!!

service them.

you will be amazed how easy it is, you can get the manuals online.
buy some suspension oil from halfords
get the seals, if you are struggling through CRC perhaps think about contacting a specialist suspension company, i use TFTuned.

Imp999- you’ve got email re forks

Serviced the forks over the weekend. Took about an hour and was quite easy once you’d learnt how to do one of the sides. £21 for seals and oil, no need for a shock pump. No need for a seating tool either a large socket did the job perfectly.

Give it a go, the bike shops like the vail of secrecy on forks but it isn’t difficult.