Hi folks

I have a fox float rl fork that was sent off to Mojo as it had a sudden change in its function coupled with a soaking seal.

I had a call from them once it arrived and was told not to put in pressures like I had. The pressure was somewhere around 115psi. I had been talking to someone a week or so before this problem (a mate,not someone from Mojo) at how little you have to put in the new fox forks pressure-wise compared to their forks of 2005ish. I ran them around 85psi and I recall one of the guys that I talked to at Mojo telling me that I must be quite a big chap (or words similar) to need the pressures anywhere near there. I would agree but I know for certain that I couldn’t ride them at those pressures.

They said it was too high for my weight (13.5/14 stone). I was a bit baffled. Anyway, they were sent back up and I refitted them. I built the front end up without cycling the fork. I had the brake set up and the stem torqued, everything.. only to push down on the bars for the first time once everything was complete to find a knocking/rubbing from half way through the travel. I don’t blow my top,scream or shout/throw things around but a few words were muttered as I knew I’d have to get them off again and back in the box. I rode the bike outside for a few minutes to cycle the oil around but after 20-30 strokes nothing had changed. They weren’t the same as what they had been and I could feel it rough mid stroke through the bars.

I sent them back. I was again told that the fork was too high in pressure and a part had failed which they kindly sorted under warranty. They had sorted them, they were coming back, I was happy. It was never a problem as I was using another bike (and have been up until now.The fork has just had its third ride this afternoon having had it back for around 6 weeks) but since its return the 2nd time, when I was told that the pressure was again too high, which causes too much stress on a certain part,I realized days later that having refitted the fork for the 2nd time,I had never inflated the fork. I had no reason to do so straight after fitting.I hadn’t ridden it and it was at a pressure that was obviously rideable outside the house after refitting to get an idea of how it now felt. The pressure was what they had inflated it to during the 2nd service. I rode it outside and had no reason whatsoever to inflate it. All I had in mind was firing it back into the box and posting it back down.

Now a week or so after the fork arrives back for the 2nd time it struck me that the fork was found to be inflated to around 115psi on its first arrival at Mojo (after being told that it was too high)
I refit it, don’t bother inflating it, and it goes down for it’s 2nd service only to get a call saying that it was again too high in pressure – which causes a part to fail above a pressure of something like 100psi. Now if I hadn’t inflated it after the first service, this means that whoever serviced it had inflated it after the first service causing the part to fail. It baffles me. Does anyone (Loco?) know if it’s possible for a part to fail in these forks causing an increase in pressure? Sounds madness but it might be a possibility of the air cartridge side of things never deflated or checked/serviced? during the 2nd service.

I asked for them to be brought back to new condition and was willing to pay for anything that had failed. As it stands right now – I have a float rl that’s been ridden 3 times,serviced twice and still has this rough clunk. I have been told by someone that it can be a common thing in this fork to feel/hear certain noises due to how it functions inside but it was never like this before the seal popped/fork felt odd.

I’m wondering if I should spend another £100 odd quid on a third service. Not sure which direction to go from here. :O/

I must add that I’ve been happy with dealing with Mojo over the past god knows how long. Same with TF tuned. Both of them are high up there on my list of best service in the cycle trade. There’s never a problem with things not turning up, going missing etc and everyone knows the score with the situation regarding whatever is down there getting serviced. I can also never recall anything ever going back.

bump!

If a fork a sent in for a service at mojo the fork is completly stripped down and rebuild so yes the air cart would have been emptied of air.

secondly

I’m wondering if I should spend another £100 odd quid on a third service. Not sure which direction to go from here. :O/

you paid for the 1st service. But having to pay for the second? you shouldn’t have to have done that and for the third service no money shold have left your account. the fork isn’t right after the 1st service so is send in for it to be resolved. you fork serial number should be in the mojo data base. when it was last serviced what was done to it etc. so send it in again until its fixed. They may just remove the air cart completly and warrenty it with a new one.
too much air in a fork does pose problems. as a rule of thumb.. air pressue in for fork should = your weight in kg and in an air shock your weight in lbs.

Sorry, it was returned and they sorted it/replaced the part FOC 2nd time around. It’s the question of sending it back down, or somewhere else (if it’s a little cheaper) but at the same time it might be quite a common thing to feel and hear in this fork. I know if it’s not right I need to send it back down but it’s sat there for a while (seals look like they have just been fitted as it’s been dry rides) but it’s the thought of sending it back for the third check. I want to get it sorted and move on. The idea of getting it to Mojo was that it had a problem at first and I guessed that they would have a good stock of spares and the knowledge, skills etc that I have seen over the past 10? odd years.

I don’t want to go sending something down for the third time if everything is fine, and this noise is something I have to live with. Don’t want to be a pain in the ass for them!

I was on a slow climb yesterday and hit a rock that I didn’t see under long grass and I felt the fork graunch a bit ..which made me wonder if I should get it seen to before something else wears out.

Yeah, I often go to that same rule of thumb and 13.5 stone works out at around 86kg. 85psi was in the back of my mind.

14 stone (I have had the bike and been this weight a year ago) is 89kg..

and 115psi would work out at just over 18 stone. I couldn’t have ridden it at 115psi. Well I could, maybe in a road race ;O)

I am around 12.5 stone and had it at 80psi since its return. Not sure on the sag but I would guess 30-35mm with kit on + camelbak.

tbh you’re not happy with the fork. Mojo provide a service and you’re not happy with what the end product is. send it back explain the problem. I’m sure it wouldn’t be a pain in the ass for them. A clunking from the fork isn’t right.
tbh they will do it foc where as you want to send it to loco and pay. seems silly.

My 2008 Float RLCs dont make any clunking noise, never have.
Given that had said not exceed 100psi would you not check the pressure inthe fork when you got it back after repair? Surely it needs to be set for your pressure and I wouldn’t expect Mojo to know how you set your forks up.
FWIW Im nearly 17st in my riding kit and I find 85psi is plenty!

Surely it needs to be set for your pressure and I wouldn’t expect Mojo to know how you set your forks up.

They do. They open up the box when the post man delivers them and have a look at the dials/air pressure. too much air will damage/bend the negative spring causing the clunk

Its not like a clunking but more like a spring in an old vanilla making a graunch. It happens through a range of about 10-20mm of the travel half way through its travel. A kind of dull noise/feel. Not metal on metal noises.

Given that had said not exceed 100psi would you not check the pressure inthe fork when you got it back after repair?

No, I rebuilt the bike and once everything was complete I pushed down on the bars before taking it for a spin outside and first felt the problem in the shed. I am not a fan of pushing forks down off the bike, it can damage top caps on delicate rods and also rebound adjusters if they are pressed into the floor. I have seen a few rockshoxs damaged by people doing this. Leaving the lockout lever slightly canted.

So there was no reason to go inflating it before refitting. I felt the problem and decided it was coming back off the bike and back into the box. I had no plans on messing around with pressures or rebound when it felt like it did. Like I said, I cycled it a heap of times to no avail and left it at that. Off it came!

Its a fit 140 rl.

They do. They open up the box when the post man delivers them and have a look at the dials/air pressure. too much air will damage/bend the negative spring causing the clunk

O.K. so the fork went down 1st time and it was serviced and returned.

I refit it to find it making the noise.

Send it back down.

Get told the pressure was too high and like you said, the negative spring bending seems to ring a bell with what they told me at the time. It could have been this problem. So if I havent touched it, how can this negative air spring bend on me without riding it or inflating it?

I need to go out, I’ll reply this eve. Thanks folks.

Max pressures for 2012 & 2013 forks
• 32 mm: 125 PSI (8.62 bar)
• 34 mm: 110 PSI (7.58 bar)
• 36 mm: 105 PSI (7.24 bar)
from http://www.ridefox.com/help.php?m=bike&t=manuals&ref=lnav_help

Sorry martin, hadn’t realised that you didnt ride the forks. Not much point if the problem is still there.
If the pressure was too high then Mojo need to be having a word with themselves!

Thanks,Phil. It’s a 2011 and I had a look at that link for the fit 32 rl 140mm. It has 110psi max for riders around 250lbs. 13.5 stone plus camelback and riding kit puts me around the 80psi mark.