Good day peeps.

I had a lovely ride in the freezing and wet conditions of Boxing Day but by the end of it my Rev’s were sticking a lot.
On one of the final downs the only way I could move them was by forcing the dive using my weight and front brake.
I’ve since washed and used a bit if oil on the seals and also left the bike upside down for a couple of days and although it’s better, it still lacks smoothness.
They are a year old and have been used throughout the nastiest weather that the UK can offer.
Is there anything I can do at home or is it best to send them off for a service?

Cheers guys.

I’d try a lower leg service first, if they are a year old as RS recommend they are serviced every 50 hours of riding if I remember right.

Really easy to do, just have a look for SRAMs channel on you tube or download the manual

Thanks for the reply.

Lower leg service looks pretty easy to do myself.
I’m pretty sure I could get away with reusing the seals as there’s no oil leakage, so I was going to get a lower lube kit from TF Tuned:

http://www.tftuned.com/tf-tuned-lower-lube-kit/p554

I’m assuming the oil provided is good for the lowers and to soak the foam rings?

…and people seem to suggest using more oil than the 5ml that RS advise:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/revelation-oil-levels-and-weight-are-they-going-to-explode

go for the middle ground and stick 10ml in each?

Just go to Halfords etc.. and get some Motorbike fork oil in 5wt or 10wt or something, it doesn’t really matter for the lowers IMO as they aren’t doing any damping.

like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Castrol-17916585-500ml-Fork-Synthetic/dp/B002RX8UB4

I usually take the lowers off, soak the foam rings in oil (they are underneath the seals for the stanchions), then loosely refit the lowers and put a small amount of oil in the lowers (i’ve never measured it) through the bolt holes holding the lowers on.

Yes you can re-use the seals.

Service instructions say to clean it all down with Isopropyl Alcohol, is this really necessary if it’s clean oil on them?

Just go to Halfords etc.. and get some Motorbike fork oil in 5wt or 10wt or something, it doesn’t really matter for the lowers IMO as they aren’t doing any damping.

Hm.. I’ve found motorbike oil isn’t quite as plush as dedicated bike oil but it is far cheaper. However if you have a closed damper then the lubricating oil will be different to the damper oil, and they can use much slippier stuff to lubricate the legs. Not sure what you have in your Revs. Mine were always buttery smooth, never had to open them up so no idea what’s inside 🙂

It seems the oil in the lowers is only for lubing the stanchions, not for damping so I suppose it’s not that critical.

Any recommendations for fork grease, so that I might get this done this weekend (ie. not from the internet).

The damper is sealed off from the lowers in Revelations.

Its worth taking the lowers off if you’ve never done it. I bought some Rev’s new and they had almost no oil in the lowers (though they felt fine to use). Stops the stanchions wearing out.

Any recommendations for fork grease, so that I might get this done this weekend

You want oil – preferably the expensive specific stuff they use – you could try a next day order from a well known internet store. Otherwise, just use motorbike fork oil from Halfords (but check, they may well stock specific bike fork oil) or use motor oil or something.

When you take the lowers off, check the oil (if there’s any left) for signs of grit ingress. Soak the foam rings in IPA or GT85 first to get any minute particles out of the foam before soaking in new oil. 15wt oil is recommended for lowers. . If the oils is discoloured then check for stanchion and bushing wear. New seals and foam gliders are about 12 quid on the ‘bay, why skimp? And a bottle of IPA is an essential workshop addition, and great for cleaning forks……

If you have trouble finding IPA then I am pretty sure that Maplin’s contact cleaner is the same thing. Very useful but not cheap as IPA ought to be.

I would also recommend new seals – if your lowers are dry then there may be an issue so replacement is wise.

Right lads, I think I’ve got a good idea now.
Thanks for all the input, hopefully, by Sunday I’ll have a sweet set of Rev’s again.

Let us know how you get on.

Ok.
Riding was no longer on the cards so I opted to get the proper oil and grease for the job (along with some IPA).
I cleaned the forks and removed the lowers and found the thin layer of grease on the wiper seals had changed to a brown colour (I’m guessing through dirt) and the foam rings were almost dry of oil, and one of them had obviously twisted when the forks were assembled so that can’t have been too good.
I should have ordered new seals and foam rings but instead cleaned, oiled and refitted them. I’ll get some for the next strip down.
It’s a very simple job, and has transformed the forks back to their smooth old selves.

A year without a lowers service? You’re lucky the anodizing is still on the stanchions.

Slight hijack but didn’t really want to start a new thread whin this was similar-

After last weeks’ crash caused my cx to be out of action for a few days I was surveying the junk treasure I’ve hoarded to see if I could knock up a quick 26er I didn’t mind leaving outdoors locked to a bike staple all day at work.

The significant hole in the plan was a fork. I *do* have an old 454 Pike Dual Air/UTurn that is complete but currently in bits. I abandoned a service a while ago when I discovered why it had been a bit hard to get the lowers off – the stanchions had got a bit stuck in the bushes after being abandoned, uncleaned, mid winter. Obviously I’m more careful with my toys now. Apart from obviously wanting putting back together, it had been losing travel a bit. I bought a kit that would hopefully rectify this before discovering the stanchions and buying a different fork. The actual damage on the stanchions is basically some missing ano where the bushings would be, otherwise they feel finger smooth.

Are they worth rebuilding at all for the cost of seals and foam rings, or are they likely to be trouble forever more?