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Does compressing my forks for a 14 hour flight affect them?

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Does compressing my forks for a 14 hour flight affect them?
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Posted: Jun 17, 2011 at 17:33 Quote
I am building a bike box to take my bike to Canada in and need to know whether or not compressing my forks for the 14 hour flight so they fit in the box will have an impact on the perfomance of the suspension when I get there. Can anyone help me here?
flag OTehNoes
Posted: Jun 17, 2011 at 17:44 Quote
I'm saying this only from a mild knowledge of physics, but I don't think so, as you're only compressing them under what they can take, its not like its going to affect the internals of the forks, like its not going to change any coils inside the forks (assuming you have them). But then again being fully compressed for such a long time may not be healthy, perhaps sticking could occur. Its a hard one to call Very confused
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Posted: Jun 17, 2011 at 20:28 Quote
OTehNoes wrote:
I'm saying this only from a mild knowledge of physics, but I don't think so, as you're only compressing them under what they can take, its not like its going to affect the internals of the forks, like its not going to change any coils inside the forks (assuming you have them). But then again being fully compressed for such a long time may not be healthy, perhaps sticking could occur. Its a hard one to call Very confused

Thanks heaps for that. I have actually changed the design of the box to eliminate needing to compress the forks. Dad thought the same thing based on physics
flag AllWeld
Posted: Jun 17, 2011 at 20:28 Quote
I have never took my bike on a flight.... but i assume you are talking about compressing them from strapping the bike down.?...
If so, I have a really good solution for that that i carried over from my motocross bikes.
I just make a piece out of a chunk of a 2x4 (wood) and notch it so that it fits above the tire, between the tire and the headset and keeps the forks from compressing when strapped down. It also makes for a more secure tie down of the bike when hauling it in the back of a truck.
They claim it is "damaging" to compress the forks on a dirt bike for long periods, so i really wouldnt want to do it with my mountain bike.
I hope you understand what i am trying to explain, i will try to get a pick for you if i get a chance.

.
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Posted: Jun 19, 2011 at 22:42 Quote
Thanks for that AllWeld and I know what you mean but what we are trying to do is compress the forks to make the bike smaller (within the forks travel) and whether doing this will screw up the forks. I just took a punt and tried doing it for about 14 hours as a practise go and the results were promising. Although I haven't yet been for a downhill again, they feel fine.

Thanks again for your reply. I am fast discovering the practicality of Pinkbike as a tool to figure stuff out and learn without making the mistakes first.
flag boxerwill
Posted: Jun 20, 2011 at 5:53 Quote
Mmmm, if your worried about the possibility of compression damaging the spring if done for long periods, how about removing the spring from the forks for the flight and popping it back in when you build it back up the other end, depending on what forks you've got it's not too much hassle!, just a thought...
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Posted: Jun 20, 2011 at 15:39 Quote
boxerwill wrote:
Mmmm, if your worried about the possibility of compression damaging the spring if done for long periods, how about removing the spring from the forks for the flight and popping it back in when you build it back up the other end, depending on what forks you've got it's not too much hassle!, just a thought...

I'm not very good with servicing suspension. It generally ends up with something broken and oil everywhere. If i knew how to take the springs out then that would work a treat. Thanks heaps for all the feed back
flag AllWeld
Posted: Jun 20, 2011 at 22:29 Quote
Ok I see...
In that case, i think i would just do it... Id personally do whatever it takes to be able to take my bike on the flight..LOL
Good luck man, have fun.
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Posted: Jun 21, 2011 at 0:22 Quote
AllWeld wrote:
Ok I see...
In that case, i think i would just do it... Id personally do whatever it takes to be able to take my bike on the flight..LOL
Good luck man, have fun.

Thanks heaps. Should be good. That huge volcanic ash cloud from Chile is sitting over Australia at the moment and the grounds people at Vancouver Airport are on strike and I leave in 1 and a half weeks. Hope all these things don't amount to spoiling the trip. I'm confident nothing will come of it though. Thanks for your advice
flag Chubzor
Posted: Jun 21, 2011 at 7:31 Quote
Well from airsofting, I know that people stretch springs to make them shoot harder. I'd imagine that compressing them for extended periods of time would have adverse affects on the springs.
flag Boardlife69
Posted: Jun 21, 2011 at 10:29 Quote
14 hours wont hurt them at all. Your back shock is compressed all the time (pre-load). So are the shocks on your car and various other pieces of equipment that have coil shocks. You don't jack your car up every night to decompress the coils do you? It will be fine.
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Posted: Jun 23, 2011 at 2:35 Quote
Boardlife69 wrote:
14 hours wont hurt them at all. Your back shock is compressed all the time (pre-load). So are the shocks on your car and various other pieces of equipment that have coil shocks. You don't jack your car up every night to decompress the coils do you? It will be fine.

Thanks heaps for the advice.
flag gclarida
Posted: Jun 23, 2011 at 7:23 Quote
Chubzor wrote:
Well from airsofting, I know that people stretch springs to make them shoot harder. I'd imagine that compressing them for extended periods of time would have adverse affects on the springs.

I have to agree with this. if you had springs compressed for a long time, those springs would lose their spring and not decompress back. Im not sure if this is how it works with mtb springs but it is something worth watching for.
flag OTehNoes
Posted: Jun 23, 2011 at 7:45 Quote
I'm thinking in terms of Hooke's law here, but I figured that when compressing a spring, you aren't actually putting any stress/strain on the material of the coil. If anything you're taking it off. So I think in terms of coils you've got nothing to worry about, its more so the damping system that is the worry, but I can't really apply any knowledge there Frown So I'd possibly try messaging the manufacturer of your forks and ask them, as I'm not sure if it would cause sticking in the damping system..
flag Stoked-Commencal
Posted: Jun 23, 2011 at 7:51 Quote
OTehNoes wrote:
I'm thinking in terms of Hooke's law here, but I figured that when compressing a spring, you aren't actually putting any stress/strain on the material of the coil. If anything you're taking it off. So I think in terms of coils you've got nothing to worry about, its more so the damping system that is the worry, but I can't really apply any knowledge there Frown So I'd possibly try messaging the manufacturer of your forks and ask them, as I'm not sure if it would cause sticking in the damping system..

Dampening is just a series of holes that oil flows through, nothing to affect really.
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