Following some worrying photos on another thread showing what can happen to neglected Rebas after one ride, I was wondering what sort of cleaning regime is advisable on these forks after rides in muddy gritty conditions?
Is it worth popping the rubber top wiper seal things off and giving them a clean inside, for example?
(How do you do this?)
Or will just a general wipe down of the forks with a soapy sponge do?
regularish lower leg service will take you <30min and keep your forks happy
..yes but surely I won't be doing that after [i]every[/i] ride? 😯 Only once a month or so..
What's the best cleaning routine for some post ride fork luvvin'?
I just wash 'em, and do a full service once a year, and maybe add some oil under the dust seals once or twice on top of that.
fork manual should be quite clear on this..on the type and regularity of servicing.
take a look at it, if you've lost it RS do a downloadable version on the web..
Every ride you should be wiping dirt off from around the seal area and make sure there is no mud on the stanctions that can dry (dried mud can get under the seal next time the fork is compressed). Do not clean the seals with a degreaser or powerwasher.
If you regularly ride in muddy and fine gritty conditions then bite the bullet and accept that you will have to do the lower strip more than most...ft bill is pretty bad for this as the dirt is so fine.
Have started using this on mine after my pikes suffering a simular fate.
[img] 
[/img]
Also going to service them every month or so... which will be this week then!
Dried mud penetrates the seals the easiest - Sometimes on a ride I'll give the stanchions a quick wipe to remove this.
After a good wash at the end of a ride, wipe off the stanchions of any dried mud film, put a couple of drops of chain lube round the seals and the work the forks a few times.
You'll find this will lift any dirt entrained in the dirt scraping seal and you can just wipe it away. Regular service intervals too.