Ok so I have a Rockshox Pike 351 coil u-turn (came with a spesh pitch – same as a 454 I think but with an alloy steerer). When I first rode the thing it was fitted with a stock ‘medium’ spring. I’m 14st fully kitted up and found that I was flying through the travel and topping out too often.

So I upgraded to a ‘firm’ spring and now no matter how heavy a landing I always have 2″ of travel remaining. In other words it’s like a 4″ fork. It feels as though it’s topping out way too early. I have the U turn fully open, set to 140 by the way.

Is this normal?
Is there something up with the fork – is this just a trait of coli suspension?
Have the LBS that fitted it done something wrong. Is possible to shorten the travel internally on these forks?

Any help/advice greatly appreciated as its starting to do my head in. It’s also getting dangerous as I’m trying more and more extravagant landings to try and budge the thing past 100 mm of travel

Sounds like the damper seal might have blown internally, leaking into the lowers and limiting travel. Is any oil leaking on the damper side stanchion seal?

Is this seal easy to replace as I think the exact same thing is happening to my brothers Recon 351’s

Not that I’ve noticed recently but when they were reasonably new there did seem a lot of oil coming from the lock out. Interestingly that stopped working today – is that anyway related?

If it is a damper seal is it an easy/cheap fix? Could I do it myself?

Not an answer to your problem, but have you thought of getting them pushed? They are a good fork to start with but after they have been pushed they are even gooderer.If your forks need sending off for a service or for fixing it is well worth the extra cost. You get them tuned to your weight and riding style. Tftuned does it.

I had though about it but being only 8 months old i thought i’d give them a go first and see how they performed.

Whats the turn around time and cost for Tftuned?

Have you got an o ring or zip tie on?

Wind the rebound damping right down to slow. Set your forks to 140mm. Go for a little pootle around – few bumps, curbs, speed bumps etc.

Now wind in the rebound about half a turn at a time, so the action gets a little faster. Keep going until you can jump off a curb but the bars don’t “kick back”.

I had a firm spring fitted to my Revs and wasn’t getting full travel immediately. Took a few miles for the oil to settle, the seals to settle, and for me to realise I didn’t need full on fast rebound damping with a heavier spring. I now use about 3 half turns and they feel superb. I’m also getting full travel too.

You won’t be able to fully compress the forks by simply pressing on the bars with a firm spring.

I’ve found THIS on TF Tuned’s website, it’s £139 but currently unavailable 😐

Send them on monday and back by thursday, £140 ish, you can really notice the differnce, especially the middle and end stoke, if you got to spend £100 havin them fixed or if they are due a service its well worth it. honest.

forgotmename – Member

Not an answer to your problem, but have you thought of getting them pushed? They are a good fork to start with but after they have been pushed they are even gooderer.If your forks need sending off for a service or for fixing it is well worth the extra cost. You get them tuned to your weight and riding style. Tftuned does it.

I thought PUSH was for air forks, not coil ones?

And the description on TF says it gives you more resistance further down the travel, feeling like “more travel”. Surely the OP doesnt need them to feel like they have MORE, just the 140 he should be getting?

£140 seems to be throwing money at the problem. I don’t reckon he needs them PUSHing, but he could go back to the place that serviced and fitted the new spring and get them to recheck their work.

aphex, you could be right there, if so M D ignore my ramblings.

cheers guys

the firm spring has been in since april and i’ve adjusted the damping often. I did the skyline last section twice last weekend and the fork didnt budge past 100mm.

I bought the bike just afer crimbo – whats the chances of a warranty fix/return to the shop?

Good

If you’ve changed the spring in the forks then I reckon you will have voided the BIKE warranty.

Having said that, the work was done on the forks in April so just ask them to give them a look over and take a packet of nice biscuits in for them. ;o)

Have you tried storing your bike upside down overnight? I’m sure I read somewhere that oil can build up on the lower leg. Might have settled or just been overfilled, which may be preventing you achieving full travel.

Do you get the same whatever the u-turn is set at?

Not that I’ve noticed recently but when they were reasonably new there did seem a lot of oil coming from the lock out. Interestingly that stopped working today – is that anyway related?
If it is a damper seal is it an easy/cheap fix? Could I do it myself? oooo not tried winding them down and seeing what happens. i’ll do that next.

I do remember quite a lot of oil leaking out of the right leg – would this point to solamanda’s answer being correct and if so has anyone changed a damper seal? Was it a happy experience?

Possibly blown seal. Did you try to get full bounce with the lockout lever on by any chance (accidentally of course)?

Sounds like the damper seal might have blown internally, leaking into the lowers and limiting travel. Is any oil leaking on the damper side stanchion seal?

This

take the spring out and see if you can compress the fork right down, if you can’t the lowers are full of something.

Fair bet it’s damper oil thats leaked past the o-ring.

cheers guys looks like i’ll have to get the spanners out!

i think i may have ‘accidently’ headed downhill with the lockout on….surely that wouldnt knacker it up this much?

It should’ve blow-off (f’nar f’nar) if the lockout was overloaded throught the internal flood gate

Ok so i wound them down to 95mm and the fork is moving no further. So at this setting i’m getting about an inch of travel.

Looking like a knackered damper seal.

Not read the above but I ran almost complete floodgate then set the lockout at just-off lockout- forks dont sink etc.

Not read the above but I ran almost complete floodgate then set the lockout at just-off lockout- forks dont sink etc.

near-maximum compression damping and almost no bypass – you could save yourself some money & buy P2s, Hora

Or buy Lyriks and wind down part of the travel to give you a higher spring-rate 8)

It’s possible you’re all barking up the wrong tree –

Having had a fair bit of experience with RS forks, and posessing the exact same bike, I reckon that you’ve got the wrong spring in. I’m 15 stone now, and was a bit heavier when I bought my Pitch (+ riding kit), and the standard medium spring was only a bit too soft for me, and I ONLY use my Pitch for heavier duty stuff. I’ve now got the firm in and it’s about right for me, when in theory I should be on an X-firm spring. RS spring weights are notoriously over sprung for their weight recommnedations.

Having said that, you should get more travel out of it that that, and –

Have the LBS that fitted it done something wrong. Is possible to shorten the travel internally on these forks?

Yes they might have, but it really is VERY simple to change a spring
And no, it’s not possible to internally shorten the travel.

There is no reason why this should be happening, unless you asked them to change the damping oil at the same time and they’ve cocked it up, but that would be a really, really basic, unforgiveable error on their part. RS forks are VERY simple to take apart and service, but some mumpy could have overfilled the oil….. 😕

One other thing occoured to me – Where did the spring come from? Did you see it? Did the shop source it? Did you just say “I’m 14 stone, fit a new spring?”

Because I reckon it’s more than likely it’s not a heavy spring, that it’s an X-heavy…. That would explain everything!

Where do you live? If you’re anywhere near Farnborough, Hants, or at Bristol Bikefest this weekend, I’ll gladly check them over for you.

Also, I’ve got an easy to follow guide to changing RS coils springs, and you could have a quick look inside and check what spring really is in there (They are colour coded) just to be sure, if we can’t meet up sometime…?

Email in profile, give me a shout!
🙂

Ahh. Sorry, I posted after only reading a few replies.

Sounds like a damper problem. Did this only happen AFTER the spring change? (It sounds like it)

I reckon the LBS have overfilled the damping oil. If they have, they owe you!

Or buy Lyriks and wind down part of the travel to give you a higher spring-rate

Why would that give a higher spring rate ? ARe Lyric springs progressive ?

You sure about that pete? I’m 80kg on a firm spring and it’s quite a bit too soft.
Also too firm a spring wont feel like a solid ‘bottom out’ as such. OP, remove the spring and if it is still bottoming early in the travel you can be sure that it’s nowt to do with the spring

Edit- took me so long to reply pete had posted again!

You sure about that pete? I’m 80kg on a firm spring and it’s quite a bit too soft.

I’m sure about my own findings, yes! 🙂
But as you can see above, I’ve corrected my diagnosis of this problem….

And spring weight is also partly personal (Riding stye, terrain etc) and partly bike specific too, which is why I started my first post with “it’s POSSIBLE” not “it’s DEFINATE”

🙂

Its in the book (bedtime reading)- something like- putting in a heavier spring for heavier riders gives a higher spring rate (not sure on the wording)- abit further on- winding down your travel also gives the same effect (higher spring rate)

Cheers PeterPoddy this is great help.

Where did the spring come from?

The shop I got the bike from – Leisure Lakes. I know they get bad press but they had a good deal on the Pitch Pro

Did you see it?

Nope

Did the shop source it?

Yep

Did you just say “I’m 14 stone, fit a new spring?”

Yep

When I rode the medium spring I was flying through the travel on the piddliest singletrack. To the point where I was almost going over the handlebars through rock gardens!

I’m based in Solihull and not going to BBF this year unfortunately. If you ever go past this way it would be great if you dropped in for a quick scan.

What colour is a firm spring and can you send me your guide on how to remove the spring so I check they haven’t fleeced me?

Thanks again for you help

On another note the lockout stopped working this week as well – anyway related?

Just a thought, but did you make sure the “thing” inside the coil was screwed all the way up ?
(Dont know what its called, like a rubber thing that runs inside the coil)
Not sure if this would limit travel but I recall it being mentioned in the instructions when I changed my 454 to an X-Firm.

Oh, & there is very little difference between Red (med) & X-Firm (Black) so it sounds like something is amiss from the coil side when you swapped.

Firm is Blue IIRC.

Stop-Press…Just noticed, you didnt fit it. Sorry. You need a big socket to take out the Spring stack, 24mm I think. Dont try with an open spanner / adjustable as its alloy & can round off easy.

Yes this all started after the spring change

MD, I’ve replied to your email, but reading this now it look like a shop cock-up
Did you pay them just to do the spring, or for a ‘service’ of any kind? It really looks like they’ve fouled up.
You need to know weather they changed the oil in the other leg as well, because as sure as eggs is eggs, I reckon that’s where the problem lies.

just the spring – i’m tempted to go out and buy the tools and do it all myself. just dont trust Lesiure Lakes.

If the seals have gone where do i buy replacements?

I’m sure about my own findings, yes!
But as you can see above, I’ve corrected my diagnosis of this problem….

And spring weight is also partly personal (Riding stye, terrain etc) and partly bike specific too, which is why I started my first post with “it’s POSSIBLE” not “it’s DEFINATE”

haha sorry I didn’t mean to sound arsey. I just meant that maybe you actually have an X-Firm? It’s just that merely standing out of the saddle bring the standard spring 2/3rds through it’s travel on my forks.

As for your other diagnosis, it could well be an over filled damper, but really odd if the shop even touched the damper during a spring upgrade to be honest.

MD – spring is in one leg, near enough all on its own. the damper (cartridge where seals etc would be) is in the other leg

You could do the spring side (put your old spring back in & see how that goes) but if the fork worked OK during April it “can’t” be the spring that’s at fault

Get it back to the shop. I don’t see how warratny has been affected by changing the spring – it’s what rockshox suggest as the (only) means of adjusting sag/spring rate. If you start poking about in the damping side, THEN you might struggle with warranty repairs.

thanks for the help everyone

just taken my spring out and low and behold the problem still persists. got to be the right leg issue. warranty job