“sReplace steeerer means a whole new crown/steerer/stanchion set-up, probably be just as much as a new set of forks”
Maybe, but maybe not
It could be well worth finding out surely? If th WC uppers cost a bomb, will the SL/team/race (alu.) uppers fit?
“i know some people complain about stanction coating coming off but it has not happened to me”
If you’ve not had them apart before, I think its internal coating wear thats the problem, so it wouldn’t be immeadiately obvious (where the grit is as the seals aren’t upto scratch)
That said, what difference do worn stantions actually make? Slightly more stiction?
“4lbs isn’t light tho for an XC race fork”
4 lbs isn’t light for a trail/light all mountain fork either!
My 130mm 2007 revelations are 3.8lbs. 2009 140mm fox floats are almost 3.5lbs
“Note that OEM forks (the ones that come on bikes) are often lower spec than the ones you buy, which is why LBSes often have what appear to be great deals on forks”
Thers some truth there, but you’re making things VERY confusing.
Theres OEM forks (that come on bikes and aftermarket) and OEM only forks (that come on bikes and the likes of CRC and merlin buy in bulk AS WELL as the normal aftermarket ones)
With rockshox they use a different number or lettering to denote the ‘spec level’ of a particular fork. If you go to their website they list fully the difference between the differing models (eg tora 289,302,318 recon 327,335,351,SL,XC .. rev 409, 426 ..)
Fox do the RL models of its forks as OEM only I think (the R,RLC,RC2 etc.. being avialable aftermarket as well)