I’m now back at the apartment in Morzine after my forks went bang about an hour ago 🙁

They were knocking/ clicking on the left side I think, and about five minutes later the top dust seal popped off with a bit of a bang and a hiss.

So- Any ideas what has failed and can I fix it here and now, I have a good selection of tools with me? I do not have a service kit.

Could a shop get it fixed before tomorrow, my last full day here? I know I could ask around the shops but at the moment I am kicking my heals whilst I wait for Mrs Ambrose to return.

Should I even bother- perhaps hire a bike for the last day, a mate has hired a really nice Santa Cruz from town for 59 Euros per day.

It would “probably” be repaired by a full service and seal replacement. We have had similar a couple of times.
If tomorrow’s your last day, just hire a bike and get it done at home if I was you…
Id be surprised if you’d get it sorted in time out there, and it could need more doing.
Get a hire bike sorted today for tomorrow and crack on!

The air spring seals are ronnied, this will in turn leak pressure into the left lower, hence the seal popping. Older U-Turn Revs did this quite a lot IMHO.

It should be fixable, but you’ll need a seal kit, some grease and some fork oil. All in you’re looking at a couple of hours’ work. As for tools, you’ll need allen keys, circlip pliers, rags, Isopropyl Alcohol, a mallet and a plastic pick. You’re probably better off finding a friendly bike shop and turning up with a box of Jaffa Cakes and some fine ales.

I’m thinking as much too, far easier. Ta.

Hmmm- problem remains. I have stripped the air side of the fork and did not find anything amiss at all. I have replaced all the seals using RS service kit as per RS service manuals. Upon re-pressurising the forks up pops the stanchion seal again.

Suggestions?

You are putting the thicker tighter seals on the top and bottom of air piston shaft? Only I serviced my fork and put on the thinner larger ones and my fork did exactly that, leaked air from lower chamber to finally blow the stanchion seal.

I’ll take a look, but I think that I replaced like for like.

Update- they live. I stripped and rebuilt again with the same (new)seal kit. All is now fine. Who knows eh?