I’ve been following the how to video on giving my forks a lower leg service.

After adding the new fork oil, the video shows the fork being fully compressed by hand so there is no air in the fork lowers.

My fork won’t fully compress by hand, there’s about 30mm still showing and it won’t budge any further, even pushing the bolt to release any air?

I’ve got a bottomles token fitted, not sure if that would make any difference…

My suggestion – need to release the air from the valve when compressing, or take the cap or valve off.

It sounds like you’re following the MBR video ?

If so, consider that although they show the fork being fully compressed before fitting the lower bolts the RockShox service manuals make no mention of it at all.

I’ve never compressed a RS fork when doing a lower service. Never done a new Pike but I assume the lowers are the same.

I actually just had a little read of this guide before doing it (which doesn’t mention compresing the forks):
http://enduro-mtb.com/en/how-to-lower-leg-replacement-on-a-rockshox-pike/

I removed the valve core so any air should come out.

When it came to topping up the fluid I forgot how much oil to put in each leg. Had a quick google and the MBR video popped up so had a look at that which shows the forks having to be fully compressed otherwise there would be an extra air chamber in the fork lowers?

I’ve put it all back together as it is for now and pumped the forks back up. I’ll have to test if I can get full travel when the forks back on the bike, but wanted to check I’ve not missed anything.

With rockshox its usually a case of putting the lowers on until you can feel the bushings engage isn’t it? Isn’t there a SRAM technical service manual for Pikes?

Lower service:

undo lower bolts and remove, pull lowers off, clean seals/replace, let oil drain out lowers and clean if needs be, grease seals if using old ones (new ones pre-greased usually), wipe stanchions clean, slide lowers on till bushings engage, squirt correct amount of the special pike oil in the lowers via the bolt holes, push lowers down to engage the damper rod and air spring (helps if that’s inflated), do bolts up.

Re-assemble bike,

Ride.

its that simple.

Looking on SRAM service book now and it just says slide the lowers onto the uppers until it stops, so I think it should be ok?

How do you know when the bushings have engaged?

I’ve done it so often on my forks I’m on auto pilot, but as you slide on the lowers half way I think you feel some resistance and a clunk as they reach the bushings, but I don’t think its that vital.

thanks 🙂

Don’t compress whilst reassembling. In fact, you don’t even need to let the air out at all for a lowers-off service.
It can cause vacuum in the lowers which works against the air spring and makes the fork ride semi-compressed. If this happens, then you need to break the seal at either the dust wiper (by carefully inserting the sharp end of a cable tie) or by slackening the lower bolts.

just a suggestion,if you take the lowers off again check the bump stops in the bottom of the lowers are in place.if these have fallen down or moved that will cause this problem