Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Fork lube question
  • DiscJockey
    Free Member

    Just about to go to bed, and suddenly can’t stop thinking about forks and oil 😯

    If you turn your bike upside down, will the oil in the lowers come into contact with the foam rings and underside of the wiper seals ?

    Every now and then I pop the wiper seal springs off, carefully prise open the edge of seal, and squirt some fork oil down between the seal and stanchion.

    But I’m wondering if there is any benefit in doing this, if the oil within the fork can lube the underside of the seals (my bikes hang vertically in the garage, so fork ends are higher than crown). It’s not as if you want any oil near the top of the wiper seals, as it just attracts dirt – so I’d rather not squirt any oil from the outside in, if that makes sense.

    I’m sure I won’t get an answer to this until tomorrow, as all forum members here will be asleep by now, not worrying about their bikes 😉

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Yes it will.

    darrenspink
    Free Member

    I’m sure I won’t get an answer to this until tomorrow, as all forum members here will be asleep by now, not worrying about their bikes

    We’re always thinking/worrying about our bikes.

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    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Davesport
    Full Member

    What about doing a lower leg service ? It takes about twenty minutes & you’ll be able to access the foam rings for cleaning and lubrication. Turning or storing the bike upside down isn’t in my experience going to allow oil to “run” back into the foam rings. Ask yourself, how is the oil going to get past the bushes in any quantity. Is there any oil in your fork ? The foams are the last line of defence preventing grot migrating down to the bushes. Time for some TLC.

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    Its quite a good idea to invert the bike once in while for just this reason. The seals are designed to keep keep oil in and crap out.
    It wets the upper foam rings which then keeps the upper bushings lubricated.

    DiscJockey
    Free Member

    Davesport/Bigyin – 2 conflicting statements there: one says oil won’t pass the bushes, one does 😉 That’s why I was asking, as I get different opinions wherever I ask.

    I didn’t think the tolerances on bushings were that tight ? I’m leaving the bikes hanging upright for days, so I can’t imagine oil not getting past, but I could well be wrong. None of my forks have slotted bushings, so there’s not much space for oil to get through.

    Davesport – I agree that servicing is the best way to ensure oil is in the right place. I do service all my forks twice a year. I don’t like doing the DT Swiss forks much as it’s so hard to get Supergliss oil so I end up trying to reuse the old oil (I’m aware that other 7.5wt oil can work OK).

    mtbtom
    Free Member

    You have to weigh up any perceived benefits from turning the fork upside down and the faff of having air bubbles migrating from your brake levers.

    Personally, and this is entirely up to you, I’m not convinced. Like you say, the bushing tolerances are small, the oil is thick and I’ve never removed a dust seal and found my foam o-ring was completely dry. Not since the days of Indy shocks anyway!

    Flaperon
    Full Member

    Of course oil can get past the bushings (at least on Fox forks) as they have little grooves cut in them to allow oil flow. And of course, being Fox, after a couple of rides you’ll have matching grooves cut in the stanchions…

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

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