UKC

Some older forks I've got seem to lack in initial resistance which is making the steering a bit sloppy. They're RS Revelation coil (non air) if that helps.

In reply to Pesda potato:

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to achieve as usually you want a nice plush fork with minimum sticktion. Is the amount of sag set up correctly? You should have about 1/4 of the travel as sag when sat on the bike in the riding position. This can be adjusted by changing the spring preload or changing the springs if need be.

If you are comparing these forks to modern forks the more modern forks may have stable platform damping which would change the feel dramatically.

In reply to gethin_allen:
diolch gethin,
I know nearly everybody else wants to reduce stiction however I was curious as the initial 1" felt a bit too soft and was affecting handling. I may just get used to it.
I dont think there is a preload adjustment on these forks
Left leg has the U-Turn dial at the top and nothing at the bottom
Right leg has the lockout dial and flood gate at the top and rebound adjustment at the bottom.

In reply to Pesda potato:

I'm not really familiar with the forks but I'm surprised to hear there's no compression preload adjuster on a coil fork as it would be crazy to expect everyone to ride on the standard springs or to shell out to have springs replaced and even the bottom of the range forks normally have this adjustment. This is where I prefer air shocks as you put pump them up how you like.

In reply to Pesda potato:

Increase the rebound damping so it packs up a little bit. Your fork could be rebounding to fast which makes it skip, you don't notice the loss of traction so much in a straight line. You also may be getting lots of brake dive if this is the case. On the other hand your spring rate could be too high which will make it feel vague all the time as your fork is bouncing off everything.

Fast Rebound - Too fast and you will experience poor traction and wheel hop. From

http://www.ridefox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/08/eng/Content/Forks/...
(I used the Fox fork as a reference as I have one and had a similar issue)

In reply to Pesda potato:

It's nothing to do with the rebound
Oh well ill get used to it I'm sure its a great fork otherwise

In reply to Pesda potato:

You may be able to find the manual for it with a bit of googling.
Otherwise, I'd try fiddling with the flood gate adjustment as from what I've read this sounds like a version of stable platform compression damping so could potentially firm things up at the top end of the stroke.

In reply to Pesda potato:

from my understanding the flood gate is just for the lockout, ive already got that adjusted so the forks are firm for my weight when locked out. Doesnt affect anything else though.

In reply to Pesda potato:

You could get them tuned with a different oil weight and oil volume (and/or spring). Perhaps at next service.

I used to run these forks and when I put them on my partners bike, I got them serviced and a filled with a lighter oil for her (you may need a heavier oil). Have a chat with someone like Stendec.

I used to run the gate open.

In reply to Pesda potato:

Thanks Chris, just serviced and tried different oil volume but that only affects the damping.
A different spring is £40 I've already considered that but I don't think its worth spending that much on an older fork

In reply to Pesda potato:
Don't you mean oil weight, if you change the volume won't it either not lubricate enough or force the oil out when you bottom it (very bad). There won't be any change to the low/high speed compression or rebound as the oil weight is still the same.

In reply to itsThere:

good point, any suggestion on oil weight? currently got 7.5wt, RS suggest 5wt

In reply to Pesda potato:

Don't forget to still use 5wt in the spring side. Never got that far into tuning suspension. Is it an open bath damper?

In reply to itsThere:

Reading something on bikerumor someone suggests running the fork with the lock-off on and the floodgate set to it's lightest action so that it gives a stable platform effect. Could be worth a try.

In reply to gethin_allen:

thats a good suggestion, havent tried that Ill give it a go this week sometime.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Well I had a bit of time just now so tried the floodgate/lockout but no difference.

Any further thoughts on the damper oil anyone? My gut tells me (colitis aside) that changing the oil wouldnt affect the initial 1" of travel but I could be wrong.

In reply to Pesda potato:

My only other thought would be that the oil level is too low but you say you changed the oil so I guess you filled it up as required.

In reply to Pesda potato:

Is there any difference when you change the oil, what specifically is it your feeling/wanting? Do you get any brake dive?

In reply to itsThere:
The initial sag of the fork is quite soft which us great for small bumps but it can make the steering a little unresponsive.
A little brake dive but not noticably.
Haven't tried a thicker oil other than mentioned but I don't think that'll help.
I might just get used to it.

In reply to Pesda potato:

Not familiar with the forks, but adding a pre-load shim or two is how I would solve this on my coil forks.

Saying that, the sensation you're describing is an unusual complaint. Are they working correctly?

In reply to NottsRich:

Any suggests on shim thickness?
I don't know if they are working properly as I've nothing to compare directly just the Reba dual air.
All the internals look fine!

In reply to NottsRich:


So this is how you set the preload, seems a bit ridiculous that you should have to dismantle the forks and buy spare bits just to set up the preload. I'm glad I've got air springs on my rockshox forks.

In reply to Pesda potato:

Cant think of much else when you say unresponsive steering, is everything else ok. Calipers/pads not moving, headset...

Is this a new fork with longer travel? That can mess up your steering.

In reply to itsThere:

its an 85-130mm, tried it at various lengths which are all consistent.
Its probably a personal preference thing but I much prefer the smoothness of these coil forks compared to the Reba dual air I took off. When these die ill splash out on some new forks and Ill have a better understanding of how forks work and what to look for.
Preload - I suppose thats why the U-turn model line went out of favour that you couldnt have preload and the U-turn feature.

Anyway I shall say thank you all very much for racking your brains with me, but im just going to accept them as they are and ride!