HOW TO... CLEAN AND LUBE YOUR FORK

Prepare the fork by removing the front wheel and inserting the plastic spacer supplied with your brakes into the calliper to keep the pads apart. Remove the brake hose/calliper and mudguard (if in place) from the fork. Before starting, record the air pressure in the fork, then remove all the air. Loosen the bolts at the bottom of each fork leg with a 5mm Allen key (three to four turns). Hit the bolts firmly to disconnect the internals from the lower legs (aka lowers). Remove the bolts from the lowers, and the lowers from the stanchions (upper legs), pulling firmly from the crown. Oil may leak. Using a pick, gently remove the foam ring from inside the top of each lower leg. Clean the rings thoroughly by spraying them with isopropyl alcohol and patting them with absorbent cloths to remove dirt and oil. Soak the rings in a pot of RockShox suspension oil (30wt). Place the foam rings back in the top of the lower legs, making sure they aren’t twisted. Apply a thin layer of slick grease to the wiper seals before reinstalling the lowers. Make sure the metal rings/ springs are in place and the wiper seals are flush around the stanchions. The procedure and tools required varies by fork model. Here, we’re working on a RockShox fork. Turn the red rebound dial at the base of the right leg fully anticlockwise (open). Undo the grub screw with a 2.5mm Allen key and remove the dial. Place the bike in a workstand, with the fork over a bucket. If the lowers don’t move easily, re-insert the bolts and repeat, to ensure the internal spring and damper shafts are disconnected. Allow the oil to drain from the lowers, into the bucket. Use isopropyl alcohol and cloths to clean the stanchions and shafts. Carefully clean the inside of the lowers, using a rod, cloth and isopropyl alcohol. Make sure not to scratch the insides. Wipe the hard plastic wiper seals at the top of the lowers, too, again taking great care. Check for any damage to the seals. Before pushing the lowers home on the stanchions, use a syringe to inject fresh suspension fluid into each leg – here, 10mm of 30wt oil, but check your fork manufacturer’s instructions for the weight and volume of fluid. Push the lowers home, reinstall the bolts (tighten to 7Nm) and reinflate the spring.