Rockshox Reba SL – Play in stanchion…

I’ve got some new reba sl forks on my bike. They are poplock versions, but without the poplock (I removed the spring in the damper).

Now they’ve bedded in, I can feel a slight knocking from the front. I,ve checked everything and it’s 100% a couple of mm play in the travel.

Anyone got any ideas on how to solve it?

The forks are 2014 120mm travel 29er forks. Theres no play forward/backwards or side/side.

Thanks.

Take them apart and take a look – real easy, just search YouTube

Shameless bump….

Anyone had this issue and fixed it? I don’t want to strip the forks for no reason as they’re only 5 weeks old!

Can’t find a contact for Sram, they seem to suggest contacting the dealer you bought them from, but can CRC help with such a technical query?

That is a common feeling on Rockshox forks. My 2011 Revelations do the same. No adverse performance or wear.

You will find other discussions about this on the web with a bit of googling.

Same here, SRAM did have a reply to this on its site, something to do with the change from dual air to solo air, to chambers swapping pressure or something. When the fork is compressed slightly there’s no movement as the chambers are working apparently.

You shouldn’t have a single bit of play in a few weeks old forks. I have some recons from 2010 and they have only ‘just’ started knocking after hundreds of miles of happy times around trail centers.

Get in touch with CRC and see what they say, however if you have changed them (and possibly voided warranty) you could be in for a struggle to get a replacement.

I get a downward knock/drop of a few mm on my ancient Recons, though in part I think it may be down to the slight crack in the bumper part of the air mechanism I noticed when I last pulled them apart. Works fine, though might all explode some day. Cheap old things I’ve been meaning to replace.

My Lyriks however are perfectly smooth and no such knock. Been going since 2010/11 with a couple of services (due another one as oil is leaking).

Make sure the play isn’t actually your headset. Obvious I know but on assembly or bedding in something might have loosened.

That is a common feeling on Rockshox forks. My 2011 Revelations do the same. No adverse performance or wear.

You will find other discussions about this on the web with a bit of googling.
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Same here, SRAM did have a reply to this on its site, something to do with the change from dual air to solo air, to chambers swapping pressure or something. When the fork is compressed slightly there’s no movement as the chambers are working apparently.[

I hope thats not true… These forks cost nearly £400!

I’ve dropped CRC an email and see what comes of it.

I’ve had the damper out to remove the poplock spring, so not sure about warranty… Although it was CRC that sent me a “non-Poplock” fork, which was actually a poplock fork with the poplock removed from the box. (I only noticed after fitting the forks/cutting the steerer that the spring was returning the dial to lockout and they would need the spring removing).

Going to check the stanchion fixings tonight and make sure evrything is tight.

I think you are talking about 1-2mm of linear travel at the top of the fork stroke. It feels like a loose headset on my bike but comes from linear movement in the fork.

But you’re never going to cycle the fork unweighted. If there is play in the fork when it is 20% sagged then there is an issue. Or fore/ aft & side to side, but you state there is none.

If it is an issue when you are riding the bike then you should pursue further.

Grenosteve,
Did you ever get to the bottom of this? I have the same forks and the same problem. Felt like a loose headset or calliper/disk, but then spotted the movement at top of right leg stanchion. Was about to post the forks back to Merlin but now not so sure if it’s a ‘normal’ state of affairs.