Have had a set of Argyle 409 now on my custom 4X bike for about 11 months. The bike has been regularly serviced and looked after, and always been garaged.

Recently have been contemplating sending my forks in for a service at rutland cycles as there good guys.

However i have noticed on the stanchions small patches of rust which to my disgust seems to have pitted slightly.

It can only be seen from about 2cm away and its very samll dots of it, however being air forks and the likes im slightly worried about this.

I’m also slightly dissapointed that this has happened on such a high end fork.

Do you think it warrants a letter to rockhox or am i wasting my time?

If anyones interested in a reply i get, let me know and i’ll post it

Write a letter? Why not just ring Fishers?

GB

Do you think it warrants a letter to rockhox or am i wasting my time?

Probably wasting your time as the service interval will be a lot shorter than the 11 months you’ve had the bike

4x racing?

Probably supposed to service them after every weekend if you hammer them.
In the lowers they run very little actual lube and the uppers are steel.

the forks have had an extremely easy life so far and have yet to be raced.
Service or no service i suspect this wouldn’t have prevented them rusting?

The bike has been regularly serviced and looked after, and always been garaged.

But not dried properly maybe?

always dried and admittedly maybe not oiled every ride, but for a £450 set of forks, i wouldn’t excpect this after 11 months!

might see if i can get them titanium nitride coated

Titanium Nitride is old hat, you want DLC like MotoGP forks 8)

I dare think of the cost of DLC coating

I think you’ll struggle to get DLC coating as they don’t know the exact compount of the forks and it could end up poisoning there gauges and pressure systems

why not get some aluminium stanchions? they’ll be lighter and won’t rust

you can get aluminium stanchions for them?

You can stick Pike uppers into Argyle lowers can’t you? According to Internet Facts they have the same lowers.

being air forks and the likes im slightly worried about this.

IIRC the air is in bladders, so the ‘damage’ on the stantion should have no effect on this, but it could damage your fork seal and allow the damping oil to leak? (eventually)

I found Rockshox/Fishers to be very reasonable about warrenty.
Did you try contacting them?

2cm away? 😯
You really shouldn’t have been licking them clean! it’ll be the salt in your saliva that’s caused the corrosion.

it has pitted in the stanchions though, so its only to get worse^^
[2cm away?/quote]
I could try pike uppers i guess, will the zie not be different?

Yeah i shal rig the Netherands bases Rockshox office monday i think,

How will Fishers be involved? The forks where purchased off wiggle

letter sent to fishers 🙂
hat do you think?

Hi Guys, Couldn’t find a contact address for Sram so thought i’d give you guys a try, I have owned a pair of Rockshox Argyle 409 forks in mint green now for approximately 18 months. They have been on the bike now for around 12 months so i have decided to take them to my Local Bike Shop for a full service and rebuild. Especially as I have started to notice excessive oil marks when the forks are ridden over long time periods, however nothing which seems an excessive issue currently. I have meticulously looked after the forks, ensuring that they are regularly lubricated and the bike is always garaged. On close inspection of the Stanchions, I have noticed what appears to be multiple areas of pitting on the lower rear of both stanchions. Although currently this is causing no major issues in the mechanical functions of the fork, I am quite aware that the condition will only deteriorate. I am therefore writing to yourselves to discuss my options. The Forks where purchased Brand New From Wiggle, and i have still retained proof of purchase aswell, as original packaging, Guarantee and All Manuals. If you inform me of a preferred way of contact, I can forward images of the pitted stanchions, aswell as proof of purchase and any further information you require. I am sure you will understand that the forks where an expensive purchase which one expected to be of an extremely high quality, which resultantly have appeared to be slightly disappointing, Regards, Lewis

The Rockshox Argyle is a classic Rockshox parts bin fork, the lowers come from Pikes, the uppers from the Tora – a bit like say an Audi TT if you will.

TBH it’s not common to see rust patching on steel stanchions of an 18 month old fork, as oil seepage from the seals should keep them covered from the elements.

Dear sir

18 months ago I bought a set of Rockshox Argyle 409 forks, which I’ve recently taken to my Local Bike Shop for a full service and rebuild.

I have made a point of meticulously looking after my forks, ensuring that the seals are regularly lubricated and that the bike is always stored in a dry garage. However, upon close inspection of the stanchions, I have noticed what appears to be multiple areas of pitting on the lower rear of both stanchions. Although currently this is causing no issue in the mechanical function of the fork, I am quite aware that the condition of the surface of the stanchions can only deteriorate.

I would be grateful if you would please contact me to discuss how best to proceed as I do not believe that I have abused or neglected my forks in any way and as such I would be willing to allow you to inspect them as I believe that the wear has been caused by a manufacturing defect.

Otherwise, I remain wholly satisfied with the performance of my Rockshox forks.

Regards, Lewis

For best results you need to be firm, but polite. For Christ’s sake don’t be unreasonable, I’ve found Fisher’s to be excellent in the past.

i thought that hit the nail on the head with firm but polite?

saying i remain satisfied with the forks would be a clear lie im afraid!

pjm1974 is far better at stern letter writing

I apologise that my life does not evolve around stern letter writing,
I took Maths Physics and Chemistry, I’m not a hairyfairy englishy person -_-

CIMG6346 by lewismorgan2011, on Flickr

CIMG6339 by lewismorgan2011, on Flickr

muddy i know, as i’ve just been out for a spin -_-
just quick pictures to see what you guys think

I wouldnt worry about it, give it a quick rub with some very fine wet and dry if you want to get rid of the rust spots.

It doesnt look like it will affect the performance of the forks at all.

its not rust sPots, its pitted into the forks.
Sram contacted me this morning to say send them back for warranty assesment 🙂

self moderated post

Just to be clear, are these your forks or did you copy and paste a post made by another family member?

Could be a manufacturing defect – unless you’ve been grit blasting them. To be fair their response seems pretty automated. They’re only going to assess them.

You’re first port of call should have been Wiggle though as they supplied/sold the forks to you.

These could be worth considering;
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=69142

Fair play, that looks wrong. That should not happen to forks that didn’t come from Tesco.

I think you’ll sail this one.

I thought so, they seemd helpful so lets see what happes 🙂

Looking at the pics, I’d be pretty pissed off if they were mine.
Looks like the plating has went onto an already slightly rusty stanchion.

“Lewis,

The pitting you mention is usually from material stuck in the dust seal reservoir over time that wears away at the finish on the stanchion. This is usually not a warranty issue, but we can always have your shop send it back to us under an RA so we can check it out.

Thanks,

Geoff Przekop”

I don’t think so haha, doesn’t quite explain the pitting at the top of the forks -_-

Sounds like codswallop to me. It would be wear lines like you get on Fox forks, not randomly placed dots and as you say it’s highly unlikely that could even happen at the top of the stanchion.

so i thought,
Fishers rang me and sounded really posotive and helpful, i smell some bulls**t from this guy though!

an RA?

that’s not wear from the stanchions sliding in the seal, they might argue the stanchion has been hit by debris, chipped the finish and then rusted I guess but it’s all over the stanchion.