Hi there
Got a fork but it has a chip and some kind of surface scrape.
Is it possible to fill in the chip? If so, would it work ok, or is that light scraping a problem?
Nope. That’s dead ☠️
Ouch.
can't imagine what did that apart from a big stone.
Goosed.
Chuffin' Nora.
That's utterly boned. Did a small land mine get caught in the seal?
Nothing at all that can be done? I've seen people say they can fill in stone chips a bit, but not sure if the scrape would just leak oil anyway?
Any ideas for a cheap way to resurrect it?
And are the lowers likely to have been damaged too? I'm wondering if at least the lowers might act as reasonable spares for another 26" fork I have.
[I wasn't expecting something so large a divot (I didn't do this, got it off someone else).]
It looks like it's 'torn' the stanchion! Is that just my poor eyesight and small phone screen? Appears the wall has ruptured completely?
Even without that, the bushing related wear would make me send it to the scrapheap I'm afraid.
You may be able to use some of the internals, but I'd assume the bushings in the lowers need redoing, and would be suspicious those have ever actually been serviced? I'm not sure if want to use anything from them!
If that's damping leg, if also be concerned about damage to the internals of the damper.
That's not your normal "chip" that can be sorted with the usual nail varnish etc.😐
The seals are replaceable but the damaged stanchion surface is likely to have knackered the bushing surface.
You'll need new uppers and new lowers, but can probably reuse the crown race... New fork time.
Try someone like RSF, Stirling bike doctor or slick and slide. They all do stanchion and steerer replacement. I got my pikes decreaked
I would not feel safe with that hole in the leg.
As previously mentioned the bushing in the lower leg is probably damaged too. Certainly the case when my fox talas had wear like that on the stanchion.
light scraping
hmm.... That is an extremely optimistic description!
As a dentist in need of a new Santa Cruz I say ride , ride like the wiiiiiiiind
Not a Fox is it ?, the early ones suffered terribly from this. As above pretty much dead.
A 'chip' you can fill with nail varnish. If you need polyfilla then it's a 'big ****ing hole'
Keep the axle as a spare and put the rest in the bin
Those forks have been run dry for ages/not maintained properly, even if you fix that particular problem, there may be other internal issues.
If you really want to keep the fork, then you'll need at minimum a new CSU (crown steerer unit) and some seals.
Unfortunately, I suspect that the cost of a new CSU + seals + service means they're 'beyond economical repair', let alone factoring in potentially needing new lowers + whatever other damage there is. I take the point that the bushings may be slightly damaged (often fixed into the lowers, i.e. replacing them means replacing the lowers too), but even if the bushing was slightly pitted it *shouldn't* damage a CSU. I wouldn't risk that with a brand new expensive CSU though.
You could get lucky and find a used CSU from somewhere, I reckon that's the only real option here.
What forks are they?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333308551947
but yeah, the internals need to be checked cos they might have teeth.
You’ll need new uppers and new lowers, but can probably reuse the crown race…
Made me laugh !
That gouge looks like a stone lodged itself between the back of the lower brace and the stanchion, as other already said that alone is terminal.
But the "rubbing" looks more like a solid few years of total neglect, those have been run dry for ages, that's been scraping away at the stanchion under someone with zero mechanical sympathy or interest, even without the gouge that would be heading for the bin if it came into my possession...
And I'm actually ok with a bit of light rubbing on something like an old Reba, because the spring volume is internal the outside is essentially just a running surface for the Bush, of course you should pull it apart, clean up and inspect for other damage and keep on top of lower leg services and seal damage but it can be just fine. That particular fork however is borked to death, at least twice over... Burn it!
Actually I'd be interested to see the state of the insides, odds on there's gritty sand crap under the wiper seal and any oil has long ago turned to yoghurt.
That’s knackered. New fork time.
I've rescued similar corrosion, but that hole gooses the uppers at the very least
Banjoed
But I'd fill the hole. Throw in oil and continue to ride till they don't hold oil.
Wife's 32s came up with this about half way through the puffer in 2014.
My mates girlfriend still rides them. They still function very well and they don't leak.
But they look terrible
Banjoed
If it wasn't for the hole id. Throw in oil and continue to ride till they don't hold oil.
Wife's 32s came up with this about half way through the puffer in 2014.
My mates girlfriend still rides them. They still function very well and they don't leak.
But they look terrible