when you drop the lowers on the forks that are going on it :(. Staying 26″ no longer looking that cheap.

Had no indication that it was occurring, forks felt great. Last night noticed some discolouration on the right leg and thought I’d drop the lowers to check it out. Wish I hadn’t now.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/wjqprN]IMG_20150812_205848297[/url] by nixie_me, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/xgrMrZ]IMG_20150812_211906268[/url] by nixie_me, on Flickr

Meh, just ride it.

Meanwhile, look up the cost of new uppers. Clean the parts fastidiously, then double check the seals and the lower bushings as you reassemble.

What are they? DT Swiss or maybe Rock Shox?
If they felt great and the seals are working I’d continue using them.
I’ve seen forks with worse wear last for over 3 years with worse marks.

The upper bushing on that side feel like they have a ridge to match the line you can see. Seals appear fine. I’m already on the cost of uppers, suspect it will be pricey though!

What are they? DT Swiss

Right first time. I’ve blown what little budget there was on the frame so I think I will just be cleaning, filling them up and carrying on for the minute.

Have a look with a torch, it might be a seam, and if it’s manufactured wrong ping DT an email.

they’ll be fine, surely the black line is the gap in the bushing the oil flows through so the anodising hasn’t been rubbed of there. that oil is rank though, you need to keep on top of servicing them!

Well, it’s happened now and you can’t undo it, so I’d just be extra vigilant, clean around the seals regularly and start changing the oil more frequently to leep an eye on things but keep riding them.

If/when you start to *feel* the problem then look into new uppers and bushings or replacing, but for now they will carry on jsut fine.

Just out of interest how long had you been between services? Not a dig, just curious as I am well versed in RS and Fox stuff and how often I have to service them for my riding, but I’ve recently acquired a DT fork and I’m hoping it will be a bit less maintenance than the others as they tend to have longer listed service intervals in the specs, but I tend to ignore them anyway and go with regular inspections until I get a feel for it with any given fork.

Yeah been a bit lax on servicing them (clearly this is user error not a fork issue). I think the last service was *embarrassed cough* 2012 (full service by pace). However they do supposedly have a longer service interval and I really didn’t think I’d used the bike enough in the intervening time (rough head calculations put me at around a number which suggested service soon). We had a child so less riding on this bike and I use my SS all winter.

Must get into the habit of dropping the lowers more often, I’ve got all the tools and also already got fork oil so no excuses really.

If/when you start to *feel* the problem then look into new uppers and bushings or replacing, but for now they will carry on just fine.

Not having had forks go like this before I presume that they will be some noticeable friction as the problem becomes more apparent. Currently there is still anodising on the legs and they still feel very smooth so hopefully this is a way off.

that oil is rank though

Yes it is, and also all over the damn floor where I knock the silver tray over! Not a good evening.

Yeah been a bit lax on servicing them (clearly this is user error not a fork issue). I think the last service was *embarrassed cough* 2012

Ah, well that might explain it! a couple of years between a damper service while not ideal isn’t the end of the world but you should definitely be keeping an eye on the seals and oil in the lowers, dirt is the enemy of forks so as soon as it gets in it does damage, and once it’s getting in then gets in faster as it will compromise the seals.

I really didn’t think I’d used the bike enough in the intervening time (rough head calculations put me at around a number which suggested service soon).

If they’ve been standing/unused for a long time then it[s important to get the lowers off, and fresh oil in as it’ll have all drained to the bottom and had a chance to sludgify with any dirt that was already in there, and any grease around the seals may have dried etc.

I doubt you’ll feel anything for a while as that damage isn’t bad, and as it’s at the bottom, with fresh oil it shouldn’t get much worse any time soon (not like at the top where it will drag crap through the seals), but if/when they get bad you’ll start to feel it as reduced small bump sensitivity and stiction.

Those are way, way better than the Rebas on my XC bike! I suppose different designs might be more fussed about it but as long as I stay on the maintenance, mine feel fine- better than a good condition reba that’s due a service anyway.

(not my fault btw! Bought dirt cheap in this condition, gave them a little TLC, sorted)

If they’ve been standing/unused for a long time then it[s important to get the lowers off, and fresh oil in as it’ll have all drained to the bottom and had a chance to sludgify with any dirt that was already in there, and any grease around the seals may have dried etc.

Never considered that before, one for experience then. I have flipped bikes over before to get the oil moving about however I guess this also helps spread the dirt back around the inside.

Those are way, way better than the Rebas on my XC bike!

That’s good to know. No need to bin them just yet then :D.

I have flipped bikes over before to get the oil moving

That’s a good thing to do, but as you say, if the oil is crappy and full of micro-metallic bits of the inside of your fork and some of natures’ finest then you’re onto a loser either way!

Honestly, just put fresh oil and ride them, they’ll be fine for ages, and if you look after them may never get any worse. The important thing is that you’re aware of it now so can keep an eye on it.

I did a lowers service on a pair of my Rebas last weekend, I’d had this nagging feeling I’d left them too long and they’d had a terrible winter of racing, including being fully underwater for a bit after a river incident in one race, dropped the bolts out of the lowers expecting to see black sludgy goop plop out and was greeted with… nothing, not even a drip. Opened them up expecting the worst and found they were bone dry but actually perfectly OK, Think I caught them just in time, any more riding like that and they would have gone downhill very quickly once a bit of dirt got in, they key thing is to check regularly, even if you find they were fine, 20 mins and a bit of oil is a small price to pay in the long run!

Mike at http://regensuspension.co.uk/ can put you a new stanction in your uppers for not a great lot of money 🙂

Mike at http://regensuspension.co.uk/ can put you a new stanction in your uppers for not a great lot of money

Good link, thanks. Didn’t know anyone offered that service!

a couple of years between a damper service while not ideal isn’t the end of the world but you should definitely be keeping an eye on the seals and oil in the lowers, dirt is the enemy of forks so as soon as it gets in it does damage, and once it’s getting in then gets in faster as it will compromise the seals.

Absolutely correct. I don’t know about DT, but my much neglected rockshox recon went a “considerable time” without a service – to the point where they simply stopped working altogether 😳 On taking them apart, the damper oil was pristine, the lowers were another story altogether (think the oil in the OP with about a quarter of the volume and 4x the contamination).

I’m now fastidious about oiling and wiping the uppers and seals after every ride and doing a lower leg service every 3-4 months. Especially as the recommended volumes of oil for the lowers on my new forks are ludicrously small.

From the amount of oil that came out of the right leg I think these might share damper and lowers oil in the right leg.