Thinking about sending off my fork for a service.

What are the advantages of a pro service versus the usual oil change please? I’d do it myself, but it’d mean a day of training lost, and it looks like the cost of a service kit will only save/lose ±£20 which I could afford. Looks like some TFTuned loving will cost £115 inclusive of postage. Seal kit, fork oil, float fluid + tools will cost close to £100 by the looks of it. I’d also have to fork out for the tools (drift, mallet, ratchet, the press tool for the seals) as I’ve not got access to those through work any more.

We do have another bike in the house that will be due a service soon, so that is a factor too. I am ok with bike maintenance, but it tends to take me a lot of time, and I’d usually rather spend the money than lose a morning/afternoon at the weekend that I could be riding/running.

Anyone care to talk me into/out of it please?

A lot depends on the fork and the state of it. Personally I DIY

what he said
Oil change and seals is an easy DIY job without specialist tools IME

Other oils are available for a lot less than Fox and regular oil change is the most important factor

😉

What are the advantages of a pro service versus the usual oil change please?

One is a completely different proposition to the other, just as a full service on your car is more than just an oil change. I’d be happy doing an oil change and clean up on my fork lowers but I’d pay someone to strip it completely and replace seals.

tbh even a seal change on an air fork is pretty easy – cant comment on a dampner as I’ve not done that side.

IMO, I would send a fork off if I wanted a trained pair of eyes to look for damage that I may not spot, or tuning knowledge to get the best out of the fork.

If you’re just doing routine oil & seal change, that can be done at home easily.

I go by DIY myself, but am happier doing that knowing if it all goes horribly wrong and can pack it off to LoCo with a note confession my unworthiness. 😀

Lowers service is a 30 minute job, and well worth getting into the habit of doing. Not sure what you’d need a drift for unless bushes. that’s something I’ve drawn the line at and is for me when they go to the pros.

With Rockshox forks you can pretty much do everything yourself very easily, apart from bushings (i dismantled them and sent the bits off to have them resized/replaced).

I change oil regularly and seals when needed using a kit off ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rock-Shox-Reba-Race-O-rings-Seals-Crush-Washer-kit-/181156471405)

It really doesn’t take much longer than packing the fork up to send it away, and you dont’ have to wait a few days to have it sent back.

Where do you buy your oil from? The missus has a set of Rebas that could also use a service.

I go to a motorbike shop and buy it there about £10 a litre ish

Loads of stuff on here about whether all weights are the same etc if you want to get all scientific but i am fine with just swapping think mine is Silkolene

Anyone any experience servicing x-fusion forks? I’m very tempted to get a set but don’t want to end up with something that needs regular servicing and needs to be sent off to be serviced.

Lowers service, there’s little reason not to do it yourself, it’s about as hard as changing a tyre. I always say if you can pour a shot, undo a bolt, and wipe your bum, you have all the relevant skills to do a Rockshox lowers service.

Full service, is a bit less clearcut as there’s 2 parts to it- one is the service itself, the other is the informed eyeball making sure everything’s actually working as it should be, catching wear and tear early, etc. I’m a good spanner but I still like to get forks seen by someone better informed than I am from time to time.

Frinstance, my Revs blew out the positive spring. I could have opened them up, rebuilt with new seals etc and it’d have worked but I probably wouldn’t have spotted the damaged part that caused the spring to blow in the first place- it wasn’t obviously wrong.