How NOT to Soften your Marzocchi Dirtjumper or DirtJam fork!
Jul 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.
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
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
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58 Comments
- + 18
ashfurd24
(Jul 24, 2008 at 0:50)
There not a air fork, There oil and spring. There loosening the coil cap not the air cap. Tard
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
I know someone who lost their eye to a spring in some rockshox forks exploding out of a loose top cap. Not nice!
Solution: buy a RS Pike 426 or 454. Then you won't have to worry about your Marzocchi dj suspension letting you down.
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.
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
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.
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
i think its lighter too
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.
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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.
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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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
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.
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
well if they come on the bike you dont always get the manual with the bike like me i had to read this to work it out.
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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.
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
everything made in china is shit
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.
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 ! 
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
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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?
Hmmm anyone ever think of running lighter springs or oil?
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 ! 
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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
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.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your f*cked, how couldnt u already know that. its called common sense ya tard
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