I've had a Luftkappe installed for a few weeks now - so far so (very) good. Noticeable reduction in chatter over the small stuff. Haven't really had much opportunity to test larger hits but I'm off to Morzine on Saturday so will report back on how that goes!
fitted mine today, not had chance to get out and test it yet. is it right that i can lift the wheel of the ground and then push the wheel down untill the fork tops out with a clunk? it takes a little pressure to make it clunk but i had just assumed the pneumatic top out would prevent that.
pumped it up as per intructions and have full travel its just when i push it down past full travel where the old top out bumper would of stopped it.
I wanna get one, and I also wanna increase my travel with a longer air shaft. is there somehere that can do the whole job in one hit?
Aye, you.
I did mine a few weeks back, it's really not a tough job at all, watch the vids for both a couple of times, and take your time.
I concur about taking your time and watch the video a few times. I had a first crack at it but missed the bit about putting the fork back together fully extended. Instead I accidentally ended up creating a negative air chamber and the fork sucked slightly down into it's travel. Took the fork apart, and put it back together exactly as per the video and all was good.
I wanna get one, and I also wanna increase my travel with a longer air shaft. is there somehere that can do the whole job in one hit?
I got TfTuned to fit luftkappe & 160mm air shaft when I sent them down for a service.
Finally got around to ordering the Luftkappe. Now scratching my head around Locktite, nailvarnish or other thread lock. Is the blue stick 248 OK to use? i can nip in to Halfords and grab that easy enough
I didn't bother tbh.
I used this
https://www.granvilleoil.com/prodInfo?pID=151
4 quid from halfords, had mine in for 6 months or so, not exploded yet
I used some from a blue stick, could well have 248, I can't remember. It was all I had and been going strong for a good few months.
Cheers chaps, will go with whatever is easily to hand.
All fitted, removing the old piston was a ball ache even with the golf grip clamp. In the end careful wrapping with an inner tube and a hair dryer sorted it. First ride tomorrow, removed all tokens and kept same PSI to set a base setting to work from
Well I got to say, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Small bump sensitivy massively improved over standard pikes, seems like more mid travel support and a nice ramp up even without tokens. Well chuffed, looking forward to playing with tokens and air pressure now to see how good I can make them
Still loving mine.
Stripped my fork for a service a little while ago - Kappe still safety in place and tight, used the blue glue stick.
Been running a single token, going to try token-less as soon as I can find the time to whip it out.
I still like mine too-I've found I have to run a fair bit more pressure though, to keep the front end ride height to where it was prior to fitting it.
I've gone from around 70 to 90 psi (160 pikes) to regain a standing sag of around 25%
I would like to try one, but i really dont want to be without my fork for a week or so when i inevitably phuckitup, nor be without it while its in transit to TF or wherever - Does anyone know of a good LBS that will sort it, either in Greater Manchester or Surrey area....
I would like to try one, but i really dont want to be without my fork for a week or so when i inevitably phuckitup, nor be without it while its in transit to TF or wherever
TFtuned will collect it one day, service it the next, and you'll have it back the next. Amazingly fast service!
yeah thanks, but they want an extra £22 in courier fee's, not to mention £158 to do the job!! i just wanna drop it in somewhere local and pick it a few hours later...
Thats for a service as well as fitting the part, the courier needs to pay their staff as well. Is it really that expensive?
Its not a difficult job to do yourself if you follow the online videos.
My LBS did it along with a basic fork service. It was the first one they'd done so took them a bit of time but they didn't charge much.
i have found a couple of places now where i can take it if i make a disaster of it, but for what they charge its definitely worth attempting it myself first...
just watched a couple of videos, feeling pretty confident.
only thing i dont have is any circlip pliers for removing the airspring - is there a bodge for this?
just watched a couple of videos, feeling pretty confident.only thing i dont have is any circlip pliers for removing the airspring - is there a bodge for this?
TBH removing it is one thing, getting the swine back in afterwards is ever harder even with the correct tool.
No excuse when they're this cheap
https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/circlip-plier-set-a45qw
I've used them on the airspring clip
blimey! £1.35 i bought some earlier for £2.50!
I've had the cheaper circlip pliers in the past, and the QC on mine were so poor they didn't grip/fit in the clips...
Decent ones are about a tenner for a pair set, and worth it..
DrP
Will this help me with my pike rc?
Had the compression tuned so not as harsh but after a few months feel rubbish again. Just back from tf and I just can't get em feeling right. 75psi, 1 token, 5 from full slow rebound, few clicks of lsc and I'm 13st.
willv depends what/how you ride. I run 2 tokens and 65psi 68kg. I specifically want more support in the last bit of travel for jumps/downs etc. Works a treat. Havent felt the Pike to be harsh in the last 4 years 🙂 Id try some more adjustments/less air before blowing more money.
Try 6-clicks of low-speed compression, and 13-clicks of rebound (clicks are from closed). Then drop the air pressure 5psi would be my starting point.
Will this help me with my pike rc?
Had the compression tuned so not as harsh but after a few months feel rubbish again. Just back from tf and I just can't get em feeling right. 75psi, 1 token, 5 from full slow rebound, few clicks of lsc and I'm 13st.
Totally sorted my Pike RC out. Simply could not get it feeling right. Way too divey and spikey.
Now settled on the luftkappe and 1 token. Feels superb. Very plush with great small bump compliance and no dive. I'm 90kgs but not sure on air pressure. Wish I'd fitted it ages ago
all set to install mine this weekend, just one stupid question...
slick honey grease, slickoleum and sram butter all appear to be the same thing and can be used to do job? but i dont have any... i do have a little tub of rockshox dynamic seal grease they recommend using to service the shocks however - but no mention of using this stuff on the forks...
the dynamic stuff appears to be slickoleum with added teflon? can i not use teflon grease in the fork??
Aye, it'll be fine, go for it.
Ok cheers. What about the loctite - will nail polish do?
I didn't bother with any loctite, and had the airshaft back out on Sunday for a wee lower leg service, still rock solid.
I used nail polish, fine so far.
Ffs I just butchered my airshaft trying to release the piston!! Shaft was rotating freely in the rubber golf shaft clamp, so wrapped an old inner tube round it and clamped with some molgrips - bolt came straight out but I’ve got some substantial scuffs of the shaft...
Anyone used the Luftkappe on a 120mm 29er Pike?
Have been quite happy with it, but it needs a full service anyway so considering getting one fitted at same time.
Fitted mine Thursday. Golf camp worked just fine for me (I camped it along the shaft which worked better).
Circlip was worst bit but now have bought proper pliers.
Rode Cwncairn on Friday and notice an improvement already (but need to play with air pressure etc).
Happy to pay more for a set of forks than some do entire bikes and you won’t stretch to a little bottle of thread lock, which will also help stop bits falling off your bike, if you ever ride anywhere a bit mountainous, at any kind of speed.
Odd.
Happy to pay more for a set of forks than some do entire bikes and you won’t stretch to a little bottle of thread lock, which will also help stop bits falling off your bike, if you ever ride anywhere a bit mountainous, at any kind of speed.Odd.
I thought the same! Couple of quid for some blue loctite that'll last years and be useful elsewhere. I think it's very unlikely the screw would ever come loose but if it does it'll probably destroy the inside of the air chamber. I'm sure SRAM use loctite for a reason!
Happy to pay more for a set of forks than some do entire bikes and you won’t stretch to a little bottle of thread lock, which will also help stop bits falling off your bike, if you ever ride anywhere a bit mountainous, at any kind of speed.Odd.
Not at all, bottle of the stuff sitting on the shelf when I fitted mine, just decided not to use it, as I don't use it anywhere else on my bike. Correct torque and some lubrication on the threads has always worked for me, and my engineering judgement indicates to me that the luftkappe bolt is not under any more stresses than any other bolt on said bike.
I service my forks regularly, so I'll notice if there is any indication of it coming loose.
So, not really odd.
Fair enough, off the top of my head I tend to use it on pedal pins and the b screw as vibration seems to cause it to wind out.
I’d be surprised if there’s no threadlock on your bike unless you re-built it with new fasteners throughout. 🙂
As for the Luftkappe, I’m very pleased with it. The Pike is my first modern fork and I was pretty underwhelmed by it in every area except weight. It feels better now, just wish I’d fitted it before the summer.
If you lubricate threads and then torque them - it isn’t the correct torque.
But then with your engineering judgment you should know that.....
Aye, okay then.
Lubricating the threads will affect the torque but so will the Loctite, not sure it'll make much difference.
Pretty much every bike part I’ve bought recently has turned up with a Loctite type substance on every bolt. Hence my comment, whether it’s necessary or not I couldn’t say as I don’t design bike parts.
Stop bickering about loctite and someone tell me how these with on short travel pikes.
