got some 55's a few months ago...they were doing fine untill the mega avalanche...i managed to break the tst micro cartidge when bottoming out...it like burst the cartiidge...so we swapped it with a working tst cartidge from some other broken forks... this worked fine untill the qualifications when it locked out after 2 inches of travel...that then broke half way down my run...anyway...does any1 know if i can get a more reliable cartidge? or maybe if i wait till the 2010 stuff to come out weather that will be compatible...
the spring side is fine...the fork actually performs quite well with no dampening but makes jumping a nightmare.
Afraid i have no idea, but am slightly worried that 'bombers' are no longer bombproof...
Reading MBR's article on the new 'ti' bombers. They said the ti spring was anodized to try and stop it squirming around inside the fork. WTF?!!!!!!!! Yeah, sounds like Mazz really know what they are doing.
They said the ti spring was anodized to try and stop it squirming around inside the fork. WTF?!!!!!!!! Yeah, sounds like Mazz really know what they are doing.
Oh dear 😐
did the same in mega last year. spent the whole week practicing without damping and managed to get a new cartridge sent through in time for the race, when I discovered they weren't holding air.
Never got round to servicing them before they got nicked. Thankfully.
Reading MBR's article on the new 'ti' bombers. They said the ti spring was anodized to try and stop it squirming around inside the fork. WTF?!!!!!!!! Yeah, sounds like Mazz really know what they are doing.
So you think MBR do?
lol
Why did Mazz put a ti spring in to save weight? Why not work on lighter forks if they want to do that?! It just seems to be either a marketing ploy or trying to shave weight off pigheavy-forks?
erm Hora, Your old 55's are going strong still. no problems to report!! glad you liked them anyway. 😯
yea...i agree thier they should get thier reputation back before they try to shave weight
Artillerydave cool 🙂
A mate had some 55s at the Mega which now only gave about 80mm of travel, and he had a mate with some with exactly the same problem. I won't be buying any.
I finished the PassPortes last year with some 55s with ~80mm travel. Then the next day they started winding down themselves so I was arriving at the bottom of runs with ~40mm travel.
So I got them fixed. They were fine for a while. Then I used that bike for a local night ride, forks were fine all night. When I came out of the pub all but ~20mm of stanchion had disappeared into the lowers. No amount of twiddling or pulling was getting them out again.
So I got them fixed and they've been fine since. And they've had loads more riding than either of the two previous times. I reckon they're fixed for good now. I really like them but there's obviously no way I'd recommend them to anyone.
hora - MemberWhy did Mazz put a ti spring in to save weight? Why not work on lighter forks if they want to do that?! It just seems to be either a marketing ploy or trying to shave weight off pigheavy-forks?
Hora: open bath damping weighs more (looooooads of oil) but is what made them reliable back along. So a ti spring offsets some of the weight without compromising the strength of the fork by building it skimpier. Perhaps building the uppers, crown or lowers significantly lighter worked out less cost effective than spending more on a job lot of ti springs. They are not the only manufacturer to do this either.
At least we know ti springs work as a weight saving measure rather than unreliable cartridge dampers or flexy lower castings...
O course I won't be in the market for new forks until they are 'old' (haven't bought a brand new fork for years) so I will be happy to watch and learn....
hth.
As Julian said, open bath and ti springs is the way to go with strong and stiff lowers and uppers.
Where marzocchi went wrong was to fitall these bells and whistles instead of sticking to what they do best...simple, strong and reliable.
Thankfully they are going back to their roots so I cant wait for 2010.
For those of you having problems with little travel on the 55's, its basically that Marzocchi put too much splash oil in the legs, and as the forks worked it sucked oil into the cartridge, effectively locking them out.....very easy to fix.
and this also happens on fox 36 forks, i did the mistake thinking lots of oil would help the seal/stanchion problem...but the cartridge also just sucked the oil and the travel locked after 3 inches.
Also had problems with my 'zocchi 55, only used it once since getting it back from its fix. When it works it does feel pretty nice, but the bushing life is terrible and recently I noticed a problem with the QR20mm axle, in that it doesn't tighten up properly leaving my wheel slightly loose, so that it wobbles quite a bit. Annoying.
O course I won't be in the market for new forks until they are 'old' (haven't bought a brand new fork for years) so I will be happy to watch and learn....
That I do agree with. Seems the best way to be now. Wait for a couple of years for fork manufacturers to iron out any teething problems as well.
bungalistic - I wouldnt use the forks at the moment if you are getting play in the QR area. Not a chance. Get it sorted or binned.
[b]hora[/b] - The wobble has been reduced by removing the small o-ring that sits on the axle, so more of the thread catches and tightens up further. Still doesn't hold the wheel as stif and well as my pikes though, which have no easily detectable play.
Some great info on the 55 TST system on mtbr forums. There is a guide on how to do the rebleed once the TST cartridge locks out. Apparently windwave are replacing the dodgy 08 TST cartridges with newer, more reliable cartridges.
Or just try and get an 09 RC3 cartridge out of them for free cause of all the hassle 😉
bungalistic never met you but I still dont want you hurt 🙂
Riding holiday in italy with Rivierabike last year, nothing overly extreme. About 12 riders with an assortment of bikes, some 5 or 6 years old. One set of 55s. Guess which forks blew up?!
Where marzocchi went wrong was to fitall these bells and whistles instead of sticking to what they do best...simple, strong and reliable.
I must admit when looking for something for the front of my new Bullit I avoided the more complicated Marzocchis for that very reason. Bought a pair of 55Rs from Canada and so far I'm very pleased. Rebound damping works as it should and they definitely have that Bomber plushness - running them with very little air preload - perfect for my light weight. No problems with the QR20 either - took a bit of force to get it closed past the 'click' point to adjust the lever position but there's certainly no hub movement at all.
structurly they r sound...even if they do wobble alittle...