How NOT to Soften your Marzocchi Dirtjumper or DirtJam fork!

July 24, 2008

I just wanted to bring something to the attention of all the riders currently running a 2008 Dirtjumper Or Dirtjam Series fork from Marzocchi.

There is a common trend right now of "softening" forks, which is not only very bad for the fork itself but a hazard to the rider as well. Read on to see what is being done wrong and how to rectify it.
In the past two weeks Bowcycle has gotten in ten or more bikes with Dirtjump and Dirtjam forks that have had their (from riders point of view) right side top caps loosened off in an attempt to lessen the spring tension and "soften" the ride. We wish to make every one aware that the top cap is NOT an adjustment but a vital piece to the fork's function and safety.

The red arrow is pointing at the top cap in question:

I believe that the riders of these fork that have had this issue were simply confused by a rubber plug in the center of the top cap that has arrows pointing to + and -.

In order to properly adjusted the spring tension that rubber plug is to be removed (quite easy to do) and under it is a 6mm Allen key hole in which the spring tension it properly adjusted.

As you can see in the following picture, the silver top cap is the one mentioned. You can also see the BLACK PLUG located in the center of the silver top cap that can be removed to properly loosen spring tension.


Riding a fork with the whole top cap loosened off, even if it's just a little can result in the threads ripping out and the spring inside the fork to be shot out most likely at the rider. It is advised that anyone riding their fork like this to tighten back the top cap as to prevent any problems or injuries.

If you have any questions feel free to send me a PB message or call the service department at Bowcycle at 403-288-5422.

Thank you

Comments

  • + 18 props
flag ashfurd24 (July 24, 2008 at 0:50) (Below Threshold) show comment
There not a air fork, There oil and spring. There loosening the coil cap not the air cap. Tard
  • + 23 props
flag mrbungle (July 24, 2008 at 6:06) (Below Threshold) show comment
doesn't say it's an air fork, he saying kids are loosening the top cap to adjust the preload when in reality the adjustment is under the rubber plug not the cap. it seems there is something in the water up there -OR- all the people "adjusting" their forks are 13 and really don't know how to use a screw driver/wrench/brains
  • + 0 props
flag huckoveraduck (July 25, 2008 at 0:49) (Below Threshold) show comment
I know someone who lost their eye to a spring in some rockshox forks exploding out of a loose top cap. Not nice!
  • + 7 props
flag dabomb666 (July 25, 2008 at 6:14) (Below Threshold) show comment
if anyones dumb enough to do this they deserve the pain
  • + 4 props
flag fr3erid3r (July 25, 2008 at 11:16) (Below Threshold) show comment
this should be under, riding a bike for dummies or something.
  • - 2 props
flag bighitryda88 (July 25, 2008 at 23:29) (Below Threshold) show comment
RIGID PWNS BITCHES
  • - 24 props
flag jptothetree (July 24, 2008 at 1:36) (Below Threshold) show comment
Solution: buy a RS Pike 426 or 454. Then you won't have to worry about your Marzocchi dj suspension letting you down.
  • - 29 props
flag konad (July 24, 2008 at 9:27) (Below Threshold) show comment
marzochi has gone to fuking pure shit the 2003 line of forks were much higher quality.like the 03 stuff came with an exr witch is amillion times better then the forks they trow on the starting line of bikes now,they give you a dj3 or 4.they crack so easy.i hate zochis now and with other forks like fox and rochshox im surpsied to even see people use marzochi. anyway some people like them some people dont like them i have a million reasons to not like them so no one bother trying to change my mind.
  • - 1 props
flag pinkbike12345 (July 24, 2008 at 10:04) (Below Threshold) show comment
alls rockshox do is blow up and leak oil
  • + 10 props
flag konad (July 24, 2008 at 12:55) (Below Threshold) show comment
all marzchi does is blow up in your face hahaha rochshox and fox owns the reason rochsox start to leak is because there made for racing so they need more maintance then marzochi
  • + 9 props
flag ziegele (July 24, 2008 at 17:04) (Below Threshold) show comment
stop fighting god damn, it doesnt matter, it just depends on what u like
  • + 6 props
flag bongboy (July 24, 2008 at 22:29) (Below Threshold) show comment
just to clear this up, marzocchi mkes a quality product, so does rockshox so does fox, however, marzocchi's need much less maintenance and have aluminum/metal internals, whereas rockshox have plastic... alot ofplastic so rockshox work great, but don't hold up well to being serviced frequently because you wear out the plastic pieces, whereas this is not a problem among fox or marzocchi because of the quality internals.
  • + 0 props
flag fr3erid3r (July 25, 2008 at 11:18) (Below Threshold) show comment
i have had a totem for about 5 mts which i know isnt that long but its holding up great so far, but i know for sure that it handles much better than a 66 for dh/freeride so in that sense its worthit.

i think its lighter too
  • + 6 props
flag adrenaline-rush (July 25, 2008 at 20:57) (Below Threshold) show comment
konad seems to me u were one of the guys loosening the cap!!
  • - 8 props
flag joedaho (July 24, 2008 at 2:12) (Below Threshold) show comment
But you would have to worry about your trail forks crown snapping. There are loads of pictures on here of dead Pikes. Get Argyles, the tool for the job.
  • + 21 props
flag mac-on-the-mob (July 24, 2008 at 5:42) (Below Threshold) show comment
Suggesting new forks isn't going to help here, its a warning for people who use this fork
  • + 0 props
flag almostwise (July 24, 2008 at 5:24) (Below Threshold) show comment
argyle steerer tubes bend in no time. Let's hope RS rectify it for 09.
  • + 2 props
flag Xerox33 (July 24, 2008 at 6:09) (Below Threshold) show comment
i have this fork with 80mm travel and i love it..
  • + 7 props
flag petetheloaf23 (July 24, 2008 at 6:20) (Below Threshold) show comment
yet another case of people experiencing epic fail because they didn't RTFM.
  • + 8 props
flag ridedob (July 24, 2008 at 6:43) (Below Threshold) show comment
lol only a noob would do something like run the works with loose caps..
  • + 3 props
flag SpecTech (July 24, 2008 at 7:53) (Below Threshold) show comment
I got an '08 888rc3 and it sucked out of the box. Bottomed out harshly, rode too firm on the trail, and had loose bushings. Marzocchi had me to send it back, and now it's the best feeling fork I've had.
  • + 3 props
flag sacco (July 25, 2008 at 16:49) (Below Threshold) show comment
That is so random.... since when are we talkin about DH forks?
  • + 2 props
flag kkkooonnnaaa (July 26, 2008 at 21:28) (Below Threshold) show comment
i have that fork im going to go fix it right now thanx
  • - 1 props
flag downhillscotty (July 24, 2008 at 8:51) (Below Threshold) show comment
i dont have one but i like them a lot
  • - 3 props
flag nate- (July 24, 2008 at 8:55) (Below Threshold) show comment
Hahaha. Too funny.
  • + 0 props
flag DJCaleb (July 24, 2008 at 8:57) (Below Threshold) show comment
I have DJ 2's and they are perfect! It's only the DJ 3's and 4's that have the problem mentioned here. I have a friend that has 08 DJ 3's and he wants them to be stiffer. At least now i know how to make them stiffer and softer.
  • - 22 props
flag chav91 (July 24, 2008 at 9:09) (Below Threshold) show comment
That is not a kona its not real
  • + 5 props
flag adzy (July 24, 2008 at 13:44) (Below Threshold) show comment
its been painted you dumbass
  • + 2 props
flag rythmrider001 (July 25, 2008 at 6:49) (Below Threshold) show comment
lol you idiot. your name says it all dickhead.
  • + 0 props
flag commie (July 24, 2008 at 9:13) (Below Threshold) show comment
dude thats some dangerous shit get nailed in the face with a coil, ouch!
  • - 1 props
flag freeride5 (July 24, 2008 at 9:13) (Below Threshold) show comment
thats a kona its a bowcycle only bike it has a picture of a guy that works on it and it comes with different wheel sizes the bigger the size the older the guy looks its the kona shaggy numnuts
  • + 3 props
flag shmagmaa (July 24, 2008 at 9:23) (Below Threshold) show comment
Why the hell would you want to soften a dj fork?
  • + 1 props
flag makechanges (July 24, 2008 at 9:34) (Below Threshold) show comment
wow that wud be quite the injury(whack!,aaahhh my eye!)
  • - 1 props
flag timmyelle (July 24, 2008 at 9:44) (Below Threshold) show comment
i had a friend who did the same thing. I asked what happened when I saw the loose cap. He thought he was adjusting the spring rate. That was on an 03 dj 2. they have had the same design for a wile now. I had to laugh at him.
  • - 2 props
flag dirtjumper43 (July 24, 2008 at 10:19) (Below Threshold) show comment
any body that cant figure out that you have to twist it with an Allan key in stead of unscrewing the whole thing is f*cking retarded it even says what to do in the manual
  • - 8 props
flag madgab (July 24, 2008 at 10:34) (Below Threshold) show comment
What did you expect ? that`s a Dj3
  • - 1 props
flag Cepums (July 24, 2008 at 11:47) (Below Threshold) show comment
hahaha
  • - 1 props
flag Vitoko (July 24, 2008 at 12:20) (Below Threshold) show comment
Marzocchi has been successful, now they are made in china, technology whore, the worst possible merits, I have seen deiversas broken, so ROCK SHOCK is a more competitive level, is made by SRAM and not the china, FOX is also a good acquisition But marzocchi already was.
  • - 1 props
flag revyrules (July 24, 2008 at 12:33) (Below Threshold) show comment
i agree i think marzocchi is or was a good company untill they started making their forks in china now they are shit becuz china us cheap ass materials
everything made in china is shit
  • + 3 props
flag yetirider001 (July 24, 2008 at 16:45) (Below Threshold) show comment
so probably that 75% of the stuff in your house is shit
  • - 5 props
flag specialized2008 (July 24, 2008 at 12:44) (Below Threshold) show comment
sorry, can you please make a video on this as it is a lot easyer to see what can and cant/shouldnt be done to the bombers. ive got some on my p2 cromo and not that long ago i was thinking about loosening it the way it is said not to be done on this forum so luckily i looked at this just in time.
  • + 1 props
flag fusoya (July 24, 2008 at 12:49) (Below Threshold) show comment
Marzochhi were good at the time of 93 to 96, after that fell far the level of competitiveness and quality in the face of Shock Rock and Fox, both of these brands are gaining increasingly market, while the marzochhi only tends to lose market, and more incredible that marzochhi still exaggerating the price of sales, here in my city the price is absurd, but nobody buys, everyone chooses to Shock Rock !
  • + 0 props
flag dustin19 (July 24, 2008 at 13:20) (Below Threshold) show comment
my friend had the worst dj and it had plastic caps on it and i watched him hit a jump the cap popped off hit him in the face and the spring hit him in the shoulder i almost pissed myself laughing
  • + 0 props
flag D-ponko (July 24, 2008 at 14:45) (Below Threshold) show comment
acualy happened to me with a splice. the spring shot out and hit me in the neck.
  • + 0 props
flag thegroanofwind (July 24, 2008 at 16:10) (Below Threshold) show comment
dude you should post pics lol
  • - 1 props
flag CatainFatPants (July 24, 2008 at 15:33) (Below Threshold) show comment
what retard loosens things up like that??
  • - 1 props
flag shredz (July 24, 2008 at 16:46) (Below Threshold) show comment
not a fan of new zochis at all cracked a pair and so have alot of my friends.
  • - 1 props
flag shredz (July 24, 2008 at 16:47) (Below Threshold) show comment
they were better back in the day
  • + 0 props
flag sngltrkmnd (July 24, 2008 at 17:03) (Below Threshold) show comment
Some thread THIS post has started. Jesus.
  • - 1 props
flag schwing (July 24, 2008 at 17:58) (Below Threshold) show comment
OMG Brandon you pwn
I wish I had an article on the PB home page
  • + 0 props
flag newfdh (July 24, 2008 at 23:35) (Below Threshold) show comment
Wow thats awesome.....maybe i'll drill a hole in my REVOX and soften it up.
Hmmm anyone ever think of running lighter springs or oil?
  • + 3 props
flag Vitoko (July 25, 2008 at 5:21) (Below Threshold) show comment
The forks of marzocchi are currently produced in china, forks produced in china are of low quality, do not provide, the quality is inferior to the other forks that are on the market today, I never again will use marzochhi because you paid a high price for a piece that is produced in china? I do not,'m in rock shock, is much more top-line that marzochhi, Rock shock Rules !
  • + 1 props
flag tyleratki (July 25, 2008 at 11:34) (Below Threshold) show comment
hate the new dj3 because there is no air assist
  • + 0 props
flag fatcatdj (July 25, 2008 at 23:13) (Below Threshold) show comment
I like chocolate sundaes, TWO scoops! ....this thread is crazy off topic
  • - 2 props
flag GVSz (July 26, 2008 at 11:11) (Below Threshold) show comment
lol i adjusted it, (under the rubber cap) and the adjustment knob snapped off.
  • - 2 props
flag extreamfreeride (July 26, 2008 at 16:29) (Below Threshold) show comment
simple way to not do that
dont ride a peice of shit mountain bike and ride a bmx
  • - 1 props
flag ridenorco4life (July 26, 2008 at 17:49) (Below Threshold) show comment
DJCaleb (2 days ago) (Below Threshold) show comment
I have DJ 2's and they are perfect! It's only the DJ 3's and 4's that have the problem mentioned here. I have a friend that has 08 DJ 3's and he wants them to be stiffer. At least now i know how to make them stiffer and softer.



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Your f*cked, how couldnt u already know that. its called common sense ya tard

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