I have a set Rebas with a remote Poploc that I bough new a couple of months ago. The poploc is sticky, often not returning when released. It's not the cable, as I have that all lubed and clean. Was wondering about taking the blue dial off the top of the fork and lubing beneath ?? first stumbling block I have there though is getting the little circlip off. Any ideas on what the problem is and how to get the clip off without wrecking it ?

(its the one with internal foodgate).

With the cable disconnected from the blue dial, if you manually turn the dial to the 'locked out' position, does it spring back quickly? If it does, then it's the lever/cable.

Can't remember exactly but when mine was sticky, I took the poploc apart and given it a good clean. Also, you don't need any special cable or cable outer; just use some shimano inner and outer cut to the right length

Just take the clip off with some external ring pliers, shouldn't bend if you are careful so you can reuse it. Then the blue cap lifts off and you can try and get some lube in.

I took the motion control unit out of mine as just lube didn't do the trick. Needs a very big socket which I cannot remember the size of off the top of my head. Then took to it with some wd40 (I'm sure there is something more suited to the task) to free the stickiness, dried it all of and soaked it in fork oil for a few days before refitting.

If it's a Blackbox motion control, I'm assured that this is normal as although the poplock/pushlock opens the floodgate, it needs a bit of a jolt to release it. If it sticks and a push on the forks releases it, then I'm told that all is well.

However, that having been said and AFAIK, the Blackbox ones don't have a circlip, just the golden cap with a 1mm Allen screw. Yours is probably a standard Motion Control.

thanks. It's the standard motion control one, so will try and get some of those pliers. Cable and remote are fine

Cheers

I've had my rebas for a year or so now and it's always been a bit sticky. A little better after a service but still sometimes requires a quick 'bounce' on the bars to release it. It's normal i believe.

having had a fiddle with it, and taken the cable off a few times it seems as it the blue dial is the problem, it will return ok if I give it a bit of a push, but now doesn't return just from clicking the lever -(.. Will get ring pliers tomorrow and take it off and see if there is anything obvious – not wanting to go stripping down a 2 month old fork, but don't really want the hassle of stripping fork off bike, sending to Merlin and being without it for a few weeks….

just changed cable and outer – just the same… grrrr

my 2009 revs are the same – max 6 rides old. Seems like the spring has little tension. The dial is clean and free moving but the spring does not do its job 🙁

And mine pain in the arse! Just havent got round to trying WD on it yet soaked it with GT85 which freed it up a bit. Personally I think that the spring tension is to slack too. Mine is not locking out when pulling cable through and I am sure its down to the timiest bit of muck but you would have thought SRAM would have sorted the fault out by now as it seems to be affecting a huge number of forks.

glad to see I am not alone……

have ordered the right pliers, so will pull the blue dial off later im the week, but looks like that may not fix it. I have only ridden them 4 times, so could strip and return to Merlin, but then I'll be without the forks for at least a week. Might just take the poploc off and forget about having a lockout !!

i think there is a video on the website of how to take the top off – seems to imply you have to do it when you set them up which seemed a bit odd – i didn't bother and yes i have to sometimes bounce the fork to get it to move

edit – not right video this is just fitting the cable

Mine sticks sometimes, always did from new. I just bounce the front once, and it returns straight away though.

the spring inside the motion control damper is quite a flimsy piece of tat. mine became dislodged at one end causing no spring back at all. i had to dismantle the damper to reach the spring and poke it back into the hole it had slipped out of. i unwound a little bit of the spring to create a longer straight that wouldn't pull out of place so easily. i now have some spring return back to my poploc but it sometimes sticks and only works when the fork bounces. i got some tips/info off mtbreview forums on how to dismantle the damper.

link would be good then mate 🙂

sorry….i'm o.k. with bike tinkering but clueless with computers. try a search on mtbreview shocks and suspension forum, that's where i found some stuff.

any news on the "issue"

Iainc, did you manage to resolve this issue? If so, how? My Reba SLs are doing exactly the same thing!!

I ended up removing the poploc using the online peterpoddy guide and replacing with a leg top dial- it's soooo much better now. the dial cost about £25 from TF Tuned right enough, but well worth changing IMO

I’ve had exactly the same problem with my 2009 Reba WC. I took the damper out, gave it a good clean up and soaked it in suspension oil.

The fault wasn’t the cable like a initially thought.

It seems to be a temperature related malfunction. Above ambient temperatures in the mid 20’s, the damper starts to stick. I tested it by putting the damper in the freezer for a bit and it was totally friction free.

I suspect it is the result of the incorrect specification of the plastic used in the damper, and/or the tolerence of the hole tht the steel shaft runs in down the middle. The modulus of thermal expansion of the plastic would appear too high for the design.

Still, that doesn’t solve the problem. On this analysis I’d say it might help if the plastic was drilled out slightly allowing the shaft to run more freely, but because it is a factory assembled unit that can’t be dis-assembled, that’s not really viable. I think replacing the top cap with a manual knob would be the easiest solution to over come the excessive friction; shame though as its not actually the cable and lever at fault.

mine has just started sticking too on my revs, peter poddy top cap change for me when i can be arsed. it’ll make way for uppy downy seatpost lever when i can afford one.

Hello,

I have had the same issue on 3 sets of RS forks = its the poor spring thats at fault – cleaning and retensioning the poplock is mostly a waste of time – either live with it – or get a manual lockout fitted – ( this means unhooking the spring in the cartridge or buying a newer non poplock cartridge ).

Known fault according to my still mates in the bike trade.

Shame as rebas/ sids are great forks and in my experience slightly more durable than my older fox forks

It is frustrating I know !!