RockShox 2023+ travel change procedure & rant

Having effed up my air spring shaft in my 6 month old lyrics, I think I may have scratched it when changing the travel some time ago as air was leaking into the lowers. However…

Now just reading through the removal/replacement procedure it says that I should also use 1ml of Maxima plush suspension lube (heavy) into the upper tube between the piston and seal head into the negative chamber. In the previous versions of RS forks, I’ve never done that before so I didn’t do it this time. Question, would not having the oil have caused the seal to prematurely fail and allow the air leak?

Yes I have a small scratch on the shaft, but I may have done that while removing it to diagnose the problem, the coiled spring clip is the most frustrating thing to remove.

Now here comes the rant.. I’m peed off because I’ve also effed up the buttercup trying to remove it so I can fit it to the new shaft. No.. I don’t have the right kit, i.e. the rockshox vice jaws. But, if the they are willing to sell just the bare airshaft to joe public, they would mention that you need the correct clamps to remove stuff without further effing it up. So now after already buying a bare air shaft, I have now had to buy a complete replacement shaft.

Well done RS it’s a great business model.

Yes yes, I know it’s mostly my own fault..

This won’t help but …

I’ve always put a drop of lube (same wt as lowers) into the airside whenever it has been apart on all my suspension forks.

At this point I think I’d just send them off to somewhere like J-Tech, TFTuned or Mapdec to get sorted.

Just be glad it’s not a Fox fork which needs ten different bespoke tools costing 100 quid each to do a lowers service. ?

Your rant, surely this is no different to a multitude of parts on many consumer items (cars for example), yes you can buy the parts but you also need the knowledge and often special tools to fit them.

Timely thread as I’ve just received a buttercups air shaft to install into my pikes and reduce the travel. They’re already installed on the shaft though.

Are there any alternatives to maxima plush? I have various fluid weights in the shed already.

I’ve just ordered the 2023+ V2 Airspring for my Pike.

I was going to buy the Spring only, but just went with the Spring including buttercups because I thought about not having the vice blocks to disassemble. Sounds like it was worth the extra £30. I would also need the crow foot for the swap to torque, and the vice blocks (SRAM) are about £80 I think. Plus my vice is a suction mounted one. Don’t think I’d have luck with that.

Do you put anything over the shaft whilst removing the retaining ring? I use some of the foam cable damper housing. SRAM uses split plastic tubing in their videos.

The video and manuals do show the vice blocks. I can’t really see how you could hold in your hands and try to loosen, which is why I didn’t bother.

@j.bro, I hadn’t even looked at the manual or the videos before embarking on the strip down. I’ve done enough of  air shaft swaps and services over the years, it didn’t even cross my mind to look.
When I bought the forks, the travel was 140 & I needed 150, I bought the whole unit from bikeinn and exchanged the springs. I naturally went straight back to the site to order another one, but this time I’d go for the 160 travel. Anyway it was quite a bit more than I’d paid for the 150 spring. So looked around for cheaper options as I also needed to replace the wiper seals as well since I’d bodged them back in the lowers to get me back to the car.
What has got my back up, where I bought the bare shaft from, I’d rung them up (a well known suspension tuner) and explained what I’d done and asked about the bare spring. Not once did the guy on the phone say you’re going to need some specialist tools.
lesson learnt, read the manual I guess!

I only used the manual for the lower service I did because it was the first time doing one at all.

I know you’ve been unfortunate, but I suppose it’s good I came across this and didn’t order the shaft only. Because I was considering shaft and swapping my Buttercups over. I probably have 50hrs on the fork and already done the lowers at 20hrs if that.

The Buttercups housing is only supposed to be 14nm. So you would really think it wouldnt be that hard even without the vice blocks.

Im waiting for my “in stock” V2 Pike Shaft from Bikeinn, unfortunately after a week of in transit to dispatch, it’s now, apologies a product with a delay.

Although can’t find the v2 in the UK, and if I order SRAM from a LBS it’s always 12-16 weeks

Are there any alternatives to maxima plush?

I used fox float fluid on my RS forks as had it laying around when changing springs around. I haven’t died yet.

Like I’ve said in previous posts to others if you don’t know what your doing and don’t have the right gear send it off to the experts .

They need your business to keep going and whilst in this instance you’ve probably earned them more money the only rant should be aimed at yourself .

It’s not like sram tech don’t put this information online regarding the maxima oil in the air chamber.

You don’t need to spend a lot on Sram vice block / shaft clamp thingy, zitto do way cheaper ones, umpteen quid on eBay, made out of 7075 and anodised purple.

Not applying the 1ml Maxima Heavy fluid wouldn’t lead to any premature wear or failure (assuming you didn’t also forget any grease too).
In reality you can use a few drops of whatever lower leg oil you’re using rather than buying a bottle of Heavy fluid that you’ll only ever use 1ml at each service.
Both Sram and Fox publish extremely thorough and detailed service info online and it’s available to all, not just the trade.
The seals on the air shaft are quite resilient and forgiving to some minor marks on the shaft, however it would also be worth checking that you’ve not incurred any further marks elsewhere too such as on the seal head if you’ve used a sharp implement to remove old o-rings