Hi

So this is really strange… My 3 month old Rebas stated creaking today.

I know there have been some csu issues with these but it doesn’t seem to be that – they only make the noise with the lowers on. If you remove the lowers and twist the stanchions nothing happens. It’s almost as if the bushings are loose in the lowers, the legs seem to be moving down independently in the lowers and a little side to side, but there is no bushing play.

It’s not the headset or wheel (changed them) or brake (does it when removed). The damper rod and air rod are both straight and unmarked.

I’ve emailed the shop I bought them from, so they will probably end up going back, but just wondering if it’s something stupid I’ve missed…

Anyone?

GB

Probably a stupidly obvious one, but dried out foam rings and all the fork grease gone from the seals?

I assume it creaks when you compress the fork?

IMO 5ml of oil as recommended in each lower is a stupidly small amount. I’ve just serviced mine today having done them mid-march. The foam rings were a dry as a nun’s and the seals were ‘grabby’ on the stanchion as all the grease had been lifted out. I’ve very liberally slopped the foam rings back in dripping with fork oil and put 7.5ml in each lower as a bit of an experiment.

I can’t be arsed with having to service them every three months, every six (effectively pre and post winter) is what I’d consider reasonable.

It creaks when you lean on it then grab the bars up on one side and down on the other, like when climbing out of the saddle.

I may have just mended it… Yet another strip down and the upper right bushing seemed a bit tight compared to running the left leg on the right stanchion, turns out it wasn’t quite seated correctly. Or had come out a bit. Hammered it down a bit. Let’s see… No noise riding round the road…

I thought you sounded like you knew what you were on about, so I reckoned my suggestion was a bit too simple. I’ve never messed with bushings and the like. I’m merely a lowers and damper servicing kind of guy.

I love rockshox for their comparatively robust nature, so 5ml of oil in each lower just seems a bit daft to me. As I said, I’ve slightly overdone the oil this time and slathered the seals in stendec.