RS Solo Air fork issues

Got a SID with Solo Air, and it seems to be getting progressively shorter in its travel, looked at photos from when I built the bike a month or so back and the fork is about 15mm longer than now.

It’s like too much air is leaking into the negative chamber – anyone had similar issues? If I take all the air out it sucks down pretty hard, seals about 5mm from the crown, I can extend them about 60mm with a lot of force, but they shorten instantly when you let go.

Assume removing the air spring entirely will release the negative air, but presumably it’ll happen again when I pressurise and compress the fork?

It’s currently sitting at the 25% sag mark without any weight on the bike.

Solo airs don’t have a negative air side.

Surely they do, it’s just not user adjustable?

Apparently there us a little port between the two chambers on solo air and it gets blocked. If you’re handy take the air cartridge out and clean it all up. Reassemble as per the online vids and it should be ok. Well it was for my revs that did the same.
They still have a neg chamber.
Plenty of vids online

Awesome, thank you. Sure they’ll get me through the race at the weekend, deal with it next week!

Have also heard if you leg the air out and pull them up hard it can help.
Not sure on the SIDS but on the rev if you undo the bolt at the bottom of the air leg you’ll see a valve. Depress it and the air from had neg will come out – watch for oil.
Google is your friend for checking.

I have the same problem with my 2013 reba solo air, only 6 months old, I’m in two minds whether to send them back to Merlin or strip them down myself at the moment.

Just been and looked – sure enough, air valve under the bolt in the LH leg, depressed that, loads of air came out, pumped up, fork perfect again. Only took 3 rides to go weird last time, so imagine it’s a short term fix and they’ll need to be rebuilt at some point, but one less thing to worry about!

Cheers for the help.

Fair enough. Lyrik solo airs don’t.

Sure? They need some sort of negative chamber to work surely? The only difference is that Solo Air (like Fox, DT etc) automatically balances it whilst Dual Air allows you to adjust it yourself.

Nope. Dead simple. Air spring, and then bottom out spring.

I think. Been a while since I’ve swapped them from two step to solo air.

Just let the air out of the negative side on my Reba’s, pumped up again, and got all my travel back as well, will see if it lasts.
Thanks.

air valve under the bolt in the LH leg, depressed that, loads of air came out,

so dual air not solo air?

Must be, solo air only have one valve at the top and self balance. From SRAM:

Its enlightened design lets you add air to your forks through a single Schrader valve, filling both the positive and negative air spring chambers simultaneously.

Dual air have a valve at the bottom too to fill negative air and this bottom chamber should be within 10psi of the top. Higher than the top and you start to loose travel. I usually go 5-10psi lower. No air in this will give a very stiff start stroke.

Solo air does have a second schraeder valve “in” the air spring rod. It’s hidden under the foot bolt.

Somehow – and I’ve not worked out how – the negative spring can become over pressurised and “suck” the fork down into its travel. This has happened a few times on my solo air reba’s. Releasing the pressure from this valve allows the fork to re-extend.

So yes – you only fill the air spring from a single valve at the top and the transfer port machined in the stanchion does allow the negative side to auto fill,

I’ve still not managed to fully dial my solo air forks in as well as my old dual airs though. Correct psi gives a harsh and dead / non-compliant ride – correct pressure to get right sag leaves them very “divey”

Tempted to convert to coil still…..

I’ve still not managed to fully dial my solo air forks in as well as my old dual airs though. Correct psi gives a harsh and dead / non-compliant ride – correct pressure to get right sag leaves them very “divey”

yeah same here. I might have to look for this mysterious hidden valve.

Bigjim – it’s under the foot bolt on the air spring side (so left stanchion as if sat on bike)

You’ll probably find some oil will spray out when you do it so best to have wheel out so you don’t get anything on the rotor.

I’ve found a good thread on MTBR – I’ll post a link – about a mod to the top-out bumper to increase the size of the negative air chamber – about improving small bump response. Not tried it yet.

MTBR link

Post is towards bottom of page – poster is ole

the only thing with making the topout bumper shorter is it would increase fork travel?

This has worked for me in making the fork more progressive, still not got the small bump response I would like, though can run a little less pressure, and still a bit divey perhaps, but it’s done a bit.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2013-revelation-blowing-through-travel#post-5783906

I don’t think it’s meant to cut it down in height – my impression was to change the size of it (it’s conical – I imagined them to replicate the height but reduce the volume – but I could be wrong!)

Saw your thread about the “bottomless token” for 32mm forks – got a spare topcap so tempted to try it myself. Read on MTBR that RS were thinking of doing a proper version for 32mm forks – would like to find out more!