Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 30 total)
  • Losing pressure in air spring of Fox fork – why?
  • perthmtb
    Free Member

    Noticed my forks were packing down on a ride last weekend, checked when I got home and only 20psi 😯 Had it been that long since I checked the pressure?!? So, pumped them back up to 85psi and they held this pressure fine all week while not being used.

    Rode them again to day – beginning of ride 85psi – end of ride 60psi – nope definitely losing pressure…

    Bike/forks only six months old, surely doesn’t need new seals yet? Any suggestions what could be going on before I take them back for checking under warranty, and lose use of the bike for about three weeks!

    And while we’re on it – where does the air go when air forks leak – hope I’m not pressurising my lowers 🙁

    allmountainventure
    Free Member

    How do you know you lost 25psi? Bear in mind that every time you connect the shock pump you will lose a bit of pressure to the pump. So if you keep reconnecting and measuring you will lose more and more air. Could it just be that?

    khani
    Free Member

    Check the valve core is tight, or stick em in the bath and look to see where the airs leaking.
    Take em off the bike first…
    Allthough at six week old I’d check the core and then take back to the shop.

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    perthmtb
    Free Member

    How do you know you lost 25psi? Bear in mind that every time you connect the shock pump you will lose a bit of pressure to the pump. So if you keep reconnecting and measuring you will lose more and more air. Could it just be that?

    Only lose about 2/3psi with each check on my pump, and anyway this was a case of pump up to 85 before the ride, check straight after, so I definitely lost at least 20psi during the course of a two hour ride.

    Check the valve core is tight, or stick em in the bath and look to see where the airs leaking.
    Take em off the bike first…
    Allthough at six week old I’d check the core and then take back to the shop.

    Valve core Ok, top cap Ok, so something else going on… Anyway, doesn’t lose air when not being used – sat in the shed for a week and didn’t lose anything. It’s only when riding it – so putting in water wouldn’t help unfortunately – though nice idea! Actually six months rather than six weeks, but still under warranty. Just if its something simple would prefer to fix myself rather than lose the bike for three weeks, which is how long it took when Fox had to fix my shock last time.

    londonerinoz
    Free Member

    I’m not sure if maintaining lubrication makes a difference, but I store my bike hanging from the front wheel to keep the seals lubed.

    Check out the Fox service guides on their site. You should be able to work out the answer from there.

    Replacing the valve core is often suggested too which is a job you can do yourself in about a minute.

    Rorschach
    Free Member

    Air spring service is 30 minute job (and straight forward enough) and you get a lowers service as a bonus.Just need a flat faced socket (or a normal socket and a file).

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Rorschach – do you know where I can get Fox air spring seal kits – even Mojo don’t seem to sell them? Thanks.

    LoCo – you lurking? Any suggestions….

    coatesy
    Free Member

    Take them off and send them to Mojo yourself,it saves time over using the LBS, and their current workshop turnaround is only two days.I suspect your previous experience was during the brief period when the entire suspension world went servicing mad.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Unfortunately I’m in Oz, and our local distributor is, and I quote LBS “experiencing delays of four weeks plus on all Fox warranty and repair work”, so even tho’ its probably a warranty job, if I can get the air seals myself, I can see if that’ll fix it…

    Thrustyjust
    Free Member

    Mine packed up, frothing air out the slider seal and luckily I was in Cwm carn and took them to Mojos. Stripped them and found swarf in them lifting the seal. Cleaned out and rebuilt and all OK again. They were 1 ride old, mind you.

    londonerinoz
    Free Member

    Mate, check out my thread and others on PMBC. I’m Jeronimo on there.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Hey Jeronimo – small world! I’m Mamil on PMBC, so have been dispensing half the advice on those threads 😉

    Issue isn’t how to take the thing apart, but finding somewhere that sells the air seal kit…

    londonerinoz
    Free Member

    Hi Mamil. 🙂

    If your current forks are like my old ones, you might be able to get away with just lubing the o-ring seals at the top and bottom of the air chamber just need some lube. Mine have lasted years longer than yours without requiring replacements.

    I take it you’ve tried contacting the service centre over East for the spares as well as all the usual online shops over here?

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Hey Jeronimo.

    Unfortunately I don’t think just a lube will do it, as I only serviced it a couple of weeks ago (but shhh, lets keep it between you and me, in case it’s my ham fisted servicing that’s the cause of the air leak, and I’ve now voided the warranty 😉 )

    And, no doesn’t seem the usual suspects like Pushys, Moruya, TBSM etc. do the fork air seal kits, and SolaSports (the Fox distributor – bless ’em) won’t sell to us great unwashed public 👿

    Have only found air seal kit in one place – here

    But… their shipping costs as much as the kit does, and takes three weeks, so was hoping for somewhere closer (like in Oz) or quicker (like Merlin, CRC etc.) 🙁

    londonerinoz
    Free Member

    Blimey, suspension servicing is such a ball ache here, plus we seem to get rorted compared to the UK.

    Maybe one of the bigger shops here might have the kit they can sell you. Is it Wembley Cycles that can service without sending interstate? They had a 2 week wait last time I passed though.

    Surely you can’t invalidate your warranty meeting Fox’s servicing intervals yourself?

    martinxyz
    Free Member

    Your pump is using the missing pressure to fill itself back up when you attatch the pump.. I would have guessed.

    The chamber of the pump holds a heap more than 3psi too.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Surely you can’t invalidate your warranty meeting Fox’s servicing intervals yourself?

    Just what I asked the service manager at a large Perth chain of bike shops this afternoon, phrased along the lines of – just thinking theoretically, if a mate of mine had serviced his own forks, using the proper Fox parts, and following the service instructions on the Fox service website to the letter, would that invalidate his warranty?

    The answer was yes 😥

    Good point about the LBS, will try Wembley tomorrow, also BikeForce Fremantle who also service locally and sell the parts…

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Your pump is using the missing pressure to fill itself back up when you attatch the pump.. I would have guessed.

    As above, it uses up 2-3 psi each time its attached, but not 60psi which is what I lost on the first ride!!

    The chamber of the pump holds a heap more than 3psi too.

    Well I guess pumps vary. Mine loses 2-3 psi each time. Its easy to check this, just attach and re-attach five or six times in a row and watch the gauge go down each time…

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Yep the warranty place is screwed up, however warranty jobs were coming out on time, my shock is 4 weeks lost in the system.

    My lbs did give the rep a very hard time over it….

    He got agreement to do the warranty service stuff in house where possible to speed things up.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Service manager of aforementioned large bike chain said SolaSports were running with a four week backlog at the moment, including warranty work – but I guess it depends how hard you complain as to whether you can get to jump the queue or not 😉

    Unfortunately, said bike shop is no longer allowed by Fox to do any servicing in-house – had to wait three weeks last year as my shock criss-crossed Australia to change a Schrader valve core! 😯

    Some Perth shops, I gather, Fox do trust to service in-house. You’re lucky Mike, if yours is one of them. Care to share the name for future reference – if Fox trust them that’s good enough for me…

    londonerinoz
    Free Member

    Did you use a new crushable washer on the air shaft when you serviced it last? Maybe that might be a potential slow leak source?

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Let me know if your stuck in Tassie 🙂

    I did pop in on Friday to see some strained conversations with Sola as random stuff was arriving in random boxes….

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Did you use a new crushable washer on the air shaft when you serviced it last? Maybe that might be a potential slow leak source?

    Ha! Now that was the subject of a long debate on a thread of mine on Rotorburn.

    I complained at the $4 per crush washer shops here wanted to charge, and many replies told me to just use the old ones.

    However, I stubbornly refused to cut corners, and eventually found someone willing to sell me a pack of crush washers for a bargain of $2 each (insert smiley for sarcasm here) and so used new crush washers.

    Anyway, the air pressure is above the air piston, well away from the crush washers, they just seal the oil in the lowers. Nope it can only be one of – ‘O’ ring in the top cap, the Schrader valve core, or the U-cup seal on the air piston itself. It’s a relatively simple system, and they are the only places for there to be a leak. One of those must be worn/mis-aligned/nicked/got a bit of grit caught in them. Might be something I did during the service, might not… Just gotta get ’em all out and replace to be sure!

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Let me know if your stuck in Tassie

    Oh Tassie 😳 For some reason I thought you were in Perth…

    What were you doing in SolaSports? Or am I getting the wrong end of the stick again – its late!

    londonerinoz
    Free Member

    I know it shouldn’t affect the air pressure normally, but if the lower o-ring was leaking only a little bit, then it might…maybe…long shot wise like. Anyway, it can’t be that if it was a new one.

    Given that you may have a wait on your hands anyway I’d still try taking them apart again to inspect, lift, relube (I’m still using Float Fluid here) and reseat the o-rings.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Given that you may have a wait on your hands anyway I’d still try taking them apart again to inspect, lift, relube (I’m still using Float Fluid here) and reseat the o-rings.

    Yep, may well do that, as you say I might find something obvious, or dislodge a bit of grit, and then I won’t have to replace all the seals …

    londonerinoz
    Free Member

    On the servicing and warranty point, how would SolaSports know unless the home servicing has obviously messed things up? Surely they’re not asking for a dealer serviced handbook before approving warranty jobs? Surely a warranty claim would be assessed on condition and purchase receipt? Pinch of salt should maybe be taken given the situation with the source of the advice.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Oh Tassie For some reason I thought you were in Perth…

    What were you doing in SolaSports? Or am I getting the wrong end of the stick again – its late!

    My shock is there but their rep was on tour last week.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    On the servicing and warranty point, how would SolaSports know unless the home servicing has obviously messed things up? Surely they’re not asking for a dealer serviced handbook before approving warranty jobs? Surely a warranty claim would be assessed on condition and purchase receipt? Pinch of salt should maybe be taken given the situation with the source of the advice.

    Agree. But its one reason I use all the proper Fox parts & oils for my home servicing, so if it ever goes back to Fox the right color stuff dribbles out. The other reason being their oil just seems to be better, although twice the price!

    Trouble is, its a catch22. If you say you haven’t touched the fork, they can claim the problem is from lack of following prescribed servicing. If you say you’ve done it, that can void the warranty. 🙄

    Warranty statements can be interpreted many ways these days, and what it comes down to is whether a company want to create goodwill, versus save a bit of money. Case in point – cracked my Trance frame two weeks ago. Giant warranty frames for life, but the small print also says its void if the bike has been used for racing or has been modified from original condition. Now there’s nothing much original left on that bike except the frame, and LBS know I do a few races, so they had a get out. But no, they did the decent thing and a shiny new frame is on its way to me as I type. That’s good service, and will probably make the difference between me buying a Giant next time, or not. In contrast, I won’t touch Trek again after a bad warranty experience.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    My shock is there but their rep was on tour last week.

    Well send him back to the bloody shop to clear some of that four week backlog! 😀

Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 30 total)

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