+1 for the Aldi/Lidl silicone spray.

It was £1 a can a couple of years ago when I bought a dozen…no doubt the UK 5% inflation will have doubled that by now.

PaulD

I always use GT85 for everything… I love the smell!

Although this thread has made me realise why my fork seals didn’t last long!

Now I have to buy into the marketing bollocks and buy some fork oil! 😕

Now I have to buy into the marketing bollocks and buy some fork oil!

To be fair suspension fluid isn’t as expensive as GT85 by volume and if you apply it sparingly you won’t use it as quickly. Fork oil only comes in biggish bottles an you tend to use lots doing a fork service, a few drops every now and again isn’t gonna drain the bottle.

^^ fork damper oil doesn’t actually make a very good lubricant.

I’ve just striped, raked out (literally) and refilled a marzocchi doppio air cart. Over the years fork damping oil had gotten into it (and possibly some from factory/service) and caused the thing to jolt up and down, the O rings using the damper oil to stick to the inner walls of the unit like crazy. Post clean op, a few smears of Slide lube (usually for a lathe saddle etc) in there and now buttery buttery buttery smooth, the difference was incredible.

Have a few pairs of forks to build this week and I think Havoline slide lube will be finding its way into other parts of the fork*

*bush’s often have a teflon or ceramic coating on them that is quite porous and actually requires the right kind of fork damper oil/open bath oil to provide any form of lube; if you use the wrong oil the fork will feel slack and have all the smoothness of a washing machine been dragged through gravel (and it’ll likely wear through the stanchion or bush in a matter of hours).

Been using GT85 since day one. I spray it into a cloth and wipe the stanchions.
I also use mineral brake oil applied with a brush to my mechs and cassettes.
My 2004 SIDs seem happy enough.

Splash of water if it’s really muddy, wipe clean with a soft rag. Done.
Never use stanchion lube, don’t see the point. Just keep lube topped up in the lowers where it’s needed.