My forks were not getting full travel (o-ring indicator only got an inch below top of the stanchion) so I pushed cable ties into the dust seals and air hissed out. I let all air out of the fork and compressed them down to full travel. Then I re-inflated but left the cable ties in. Now, at 50psi I can't get the forks back up to full travel. How can I fix this schoolboy error?
Not sure what's in those forks but my current technique is empty the positive [i]and[/i] negative chambers, cycle the forks up and down a few times, then reinflate doing the positive first.
Sorry should have said, it's the solo air version.
It can be annoying - I think the best way to do this is to pump them up to around 120 psi and compress the fork as best you can.
and then let out all the air - cycle them again - then pump them up - and they should work. It's a bit hit and miss but if you keep doing it, it'll hiss and everything will be hunk dory.
It sounds like negative air. How it go there is one question. It can be caused by too much grease blocking the transfer port or trapping air after a lower leg service.
If they are in warranty send them back. Mine did it from new and Fishers swapped them for a brand new pair.
If not strip and clean lowers and possibly the air spring shaft.
Think I'll drop the lowers and take the air spring out. Is the transfer port easy to locate/clean out? Also, how much grease is too much grease across which parts of the air spring?
I'very read about the transfer port and not done it. But it is how the solo air spring works and if grease blocks it air is trapped and you either get sucked down or not full travel.
The "port" is just a very small groove on the inside of the stanchion, very easy to find and clean
Cheers, so near the lower end of the stanchion, close enough to get a finger in there?
Yeah definitely get something near it with ease
Cheers legend, you're a, er, legend. Would it be best to extend or contract the shaft before refitting the lower legs? I don't want to do all the work and put air back in when refitting. Also, even though the oil damper leg had air between the dust seal, presumably that's just incidental and not an issue?
When you reassemble them use as little grease as possible to do the lubrication, DON'T go putting whacking great dollops of it in there. The original grease from factory accumulates into a thick mess on top of the air shaft and aggrivates the port getting blocked. I use the grease TFT sell, plus 1mm of oil into the TOP of the air spring leg at the end.
Lowers should be reattached with stanchions fully extended.
If you do it whilst they're compressed you'll just create a vaccum in the lowers when you reinflate, the vaccum is caused by the displacement of air in the lowers by the stanchions.