fork stiction

[beauchemin]

I'm still having a fork stiction problem. Is it the dust covers or forks seals or both? Has anyone found a solution? Are there better seals and dust covers available?

 

Note: I have the early Marzocchi forks with Comp on the left and Rebound on the right.

[dlaing]

You could try some silicone spray on the fork tubes...

Your axle spacers could be off

[Dan M]

I'm still having a fork stiction problem.  Is it the dust covers or forks seals or both?  Has anyone found a solution?  Are there better seals and dust covers available?

 

Note:  I have the early Marzocchi forks with Comp on the left and Rebound on the right.

89223[/snapback]

 

 

What have you done so far? Typically broken down fluid or misalignment are the cause. Mine were sticking some making it difficult to get a good sag measurement. A fluid change cured it. Lubing the tubes like dlaing says may identify if the seals are grabbing. I'd use a dry lube though, silicone will attract dust & dirt which may eventually wear the seals.

[Guest ratchethack]

I'm still having a fork stiction problem.  Is it the dust covers or forks seals or both?  Has anyone found a solution?  Are there better seals and dust covers available?

 

Note:  I have the early Marzocchi forks with Comp on the left and Rebound on the right.

This is strange if it just started out of nowhere, Chris. Did you have the problem before you installed the new springs? Did you replace seals at the same time? The dust covers (scrapers) don't contribute to stiction, but the wrong seals can do it... If you didn't properly relieve stresses between the triple clamps, spindle, and stanchions while re-assembling, this could cause the fork to bind. Correct tightening sequence of the triple clamps when re-assembling prevents this.

[dlaing]

I'd use a dry lube though, silicone will attract dust & dirt which may eventually wear the seals.

89229[/snapback]

To some degree Dan is certainly correct, but from Ohlins' R&T manual

"Inspection and maintenance

Clean the front fork externally with a soft detergent.

Use compressed air. Be careful that all dirt

and debris is removed.

Keep the front fork clean and always spray it

with oil (QS 14, WD40 or CRC 5-56 or similar)

after washing the vehicle."

It is one of the few areas of my bike that I clean regularly(because the forks were so darn expensive)

I also have been siliconing the rear shock shaft...

[beauchemin]

The stiction isn't a new condition. I've had about 10mm of stiction for quite a while. On Friday night I switched from 5 to 2.5 weight suspension fluid in the left fork leg to reduce my compression damping, and this is making the stiction more noticeable while riding over small bumps.

 

My spacer is on the correct (left) side - not that I think it matters, since the right axle clamp is free to float to where it needs to be to get the correct distance between the fork legs at the axle.

[jrt]

Fork tubes are the same height? I really hope not, but a tube could be bent- that'll certainly cause your problems.

What about a clogged valve? I dunno anything about this last one, but it comes to mind.

[Guest ratchethack]

Chris, have you checked the fork for alignment? I keep a target arrow handy for my dual-sport thumper for just this purpose & it works as well for the Guzzi. If you firmly "grip" the arrow (or any straightedge) horizontally between a front wheel spoke and the front of the fork lowers while sitting on the bike, you can sight along the top triple clamp and the arrow to see if it's twisted. If so, you can back off the triple clamp socket bolts and spindle clamp bolts, nudge 'er straight according to the arrow, & snug it back down.

 

Somebody'll correct me if I'm wrong, (I ain't gonna look it up now ) but if I remember correctly, the correct sequence on fork assembly is bottom-up - spindle clamps, lower triple, then upper triple, and best alternate tightening side-to-side.

[dlaing]

Somebody'll correct me if I'm wrong, (I ain't gonna look it up now ) but if I remember correctly, the correct sequence on fork assembly is bottom-up - spindle clamps, lower triple, then upper triple, and best alternate tightening side-to-side.

89256[/snapback]

I alway tightened lower triple, put weight of bike on, and tightened upper triple, but I always thought it was voodoom and never put spindle clamps into the equation.

 

Maybe Chris put something together wrong

Or maybe the forks developed a wear pattern and the tubes are rotated out of that wear pattern

Or too much fluid in one damper may cause harshness of ride, so maybe the draining was not complete and the refill plus the undrained totals too much fluid and not enough air space.

[Guest ratchethack]

Come to think of it, it must be lower triple, put weight of bike on, upper triple, and then spindle....

[beauchemin]

It's not oil level or quantity. I've disassembled the forks and removed the cartridges to drain the oil, and then used an oil-height guage when re-assembling. I've tightened in the following sequence: axle, lower triple, upper triple, axle pinch bolts.

 

I've checked the fork alignment by removing the wheel and fender, and then using a piece of glass plate to see that the fork legs are in the same plane.

 

Has anyone else measured their fork stiction? Maybe 10mm is normal for these forks. I measured again after a ride, and I got 7mm.

[dlaing]

Has anyone else measured their fork stiction?  Maybe 10mm is normal for these forks.  I measured again after a ride, and I got 7mm.

89269[/snapback]

I suspect that is normal.

I seem to recall trying to measure sag and getting about 10mm difference between lifted up and settled and pushed down and settled

Perhaps someone with Marzocchis could measure and post.

[beauchemin]

I suspect that is normal.

I seem to recall trying to measure sag and getting about 10mm difference between lifted up and settled and pushed down and settled

Perhaps someone with Marzocchis could measure and post.

89272[/snapback]

 

Oh drat. Now I'm gonna want some of those gold-coloured forks... or maybe Traxxion cartridges?