Fox 40 problems

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Fox 40 problems
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Posted: Aug 22, 2009 at 23:15 Quote
Hi i have a problem with my forks there is a very small line of sliver on my stations and then above the line there is 2 small scratches that perfectly line up with the sliver line i think what has happened is the seal or dust wiper has got some dust or sand in the way witch has caused this to happen should i take the forks apart my self and clean them up or should i get a bike shop to do it.

Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 14:46 Quote
I have this problem with my 40's stanchions as well. If that line of silver is the same deal I have then you have no choice but to get new stanchions. The reason it happend on my fork is because the person I bought my bike from did not take care of his fork, I.E.-clean dirt out of the seals and rebuild them once in a while. Thus the coating on the stanchions wore super fast because all the dirt and grime that was constantly rubbing on them. You will have to replace them eventually but if its not that bad right now you can loosen your crowns and twist the stanchions around so atleast they will not wear as fast on that side and then make sure you are cleaning them regularly. I'll send you a pic of my stanchions when I get the chance, so you can see if this is the same problem you have. If you did scratch them real deep, thats a whole nother story. Fox 40 stanchions run about $160 a peice
noremac123 wrote:
Hi i have a problem with my forks there is a very small line of sliver on my stations and then above the line there is 2 small scratches that perfectly line up with the sliver line i think what has happened is the seal or dust wiper has got some dust or sand in the way witch has caused this to happen should i take the forks apart my self and clean them up or should i get a bike shop to do it.

Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 16:03 Quote
I have been talking to a few people and it is apparently the bushings have a part in this as well they might be just a tiny bit to tight for the stanchions and wearing off the anidonsid coating on the fork. The solution is to buy new stanchions but then there is the risk of happening aging so im just going to ride them to they need new stanchions. witch hopefully is a long way away.2 cents

Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 16:41 Quote
It would take some pretty damn tight bushings to wear away at the stanchions....

It's down to poor maintenance, jet washing or the use of Muc Off.

You should always keep yours seals wet, inside is most important but outside is also very important as without proper lubrication the dust wipers will not function as dust wipers.

Fox forks require pulling apart to inspect and clean the dust wipers and seals regularly. Most importantly to clean and re-lube the foam rings beneath the dust wipers. To make sure dirt and contaminants don't enter the fork the dust wipers purposely purge small amounts of oil throughout the ride, this ensures the dust wipers stay lubricated and do what they are intended to do. Some fox forks have slots for a screwdriver in the dust wiper so you can lift them without disassembling the fork to add oil to the foam rings and allow you longer between each disassembly and inspection/clean.

Riding a Fox fork with scored stanchions is a bad idea, this can cause problems to escalate and allow more dirt past the dust wipers as the stanchion surface can become coarse and wear the dust wipers away, as can the stanchion thickness reduce enough to let contaminants in. To prevent the internals of your fork getting damaged I advise you replace your stanchions.

Dry vs. Wet dust wipers

How to disassemble the fork, inspect and clean the dust wipers etc.

Posted: Dec 21, 2009 at 17:40 Quote
yea i see what you are saying but my bike gets cleaned after every ride and is not washed with a hose or any thing like that then it is dried properly then i clean out the seals and before every ride i put my bike up side down to let the oil drain through out the fork i have talked to a bike mechanic and he said that i fine to ride and the fork has a oil change regularly. the seals have been changed at the same time

Posted: Dec 22, 2009 at 11:06 Quote
Have you scratched or chipped the stanchion then?

If not the only reasons to the stanchion wear are covered in my original post. There is very little way that rubber or very low friction oil could wear off anodising and then aluminium. It is physically impossible.

Posted: Dec 22, 2009 at 12:35 Quote
the stanchion has 2 tiny scratches but they are not deep they are tiny and could not possibly cause this problem.

Posted: Dec 22, 2009 at 13:52 Quote
And how are these scratches? Are they smooth and more of a faint valley like scratch. Or do they have a 'lip' (any material that has been forced out when the stanchion was scratched, that could make the stanchion wider at that point)?

Some scratches can make no difference. But others with a lip or a rough edge will make a huge difference. Not only can they damage dust wipers and seals with their coarse edges (damaging the seals and dust wipers so that they no longer prevent contaminants entering the fork), they can also carry grit and contaminants into the fork until the oil inside the fork removes the contaminants, but leaving them to be cycled in your fork oil and through your internals.

Fox make extremely high quality parts that need regular maintenance and are prone where damage is concerned. But in the end it's worth it for the feel.

O+
Posted: Jun 16, 2011 at 12:32 Quote
Ok fellas so im pretty fed up with this loud clacking noise I get on my bike. Ive been trouble shooting the noise and at first i thought it was my head set lossing up but thats always tight. so I think its my fork cuz i can bottom out it really easly and belive me Im not a fat ass lol. Im 135 pounds and I shouldnt be able to bottom it out. Its a 2007 Fox 40 with a stock silver spring in it. ive messed around with the adjustments and it really dosent help that much the nosie is still there. Oh and the compresion nob just gets 2 clicks otherwise it just keeps spinning like its not even threaded in all the way to the fork body. So i did some testing on the fork to see If I actually bottom it out. Heres a picture, let me know if u think I bottomed it out.
2007 fox 40 bottomed out test

O+
Posted: Jun 20, 2011 at 20:15 Quote
Ok so I opened up my 40 and found alot of bad news. Alot of stripped.
stripped out crushin nut on compression side.
threads are stripped on compression adjuster shaft.

Posted: Jun 21, 2011 at 22:01 Quote
the noise is the spring hitting the stanchion inside, its real common, pull the spring out and move the heat wrap to the center of the coil. also, just measure to the ziptie, if its at 8 inches, your bottoming out. stripped stuff shouldent cause this, it just looks bad.

O+
Posted: Jun 22, 2011 at 10:45 Quote
Yeah I figured it out. The coil I have didnt even have the plastic wrap on it. Its a silver spring and people keep telling me its a titanium spring and I should keep it and just put condoms on each end of the spring and that makes it quite again. Or should I just buy a purple spring. Either way this fork needs a lot of work. $250 for an all new compression cartridge.

Posted: Aug 15, 2011 at 10:09 Quote
I've changed my seals because of a slight leak, ive replaced the seals, foam orings and change the lub in the lowers. there stillquite a distinctive mark on the stanctions do you think its worth sending them off for a full service? (service not due for a good few months)

Posted: Aug 15, 2011 at 13:54 Quote
benisgod wrote:
I've changed my seals because of a slight leak, ive replaced the seals, foam orings and change the lub in the lowers. there stillquite a distinctive mark on the stanctions do you think its worth sending them off for a full service? (service not due for a good few months)

Oh man you destroyed your forks!

No, but did you use the proper lube on the foam rings? Brand new seals should keep thing clean for a while before you start to have a mess on your stanchions. Post a pic.

Posted: Aug 15, 2011 at 16:10 Quote
It's like a real small ring of oil on the stanctions, like a witness mark! its all the proper oil that fox has recommended. The oil doesn't leak everywhere all over the lowers, its a small amount really but a few of the boys have been winding me up about it. its got brand new seals, and the lube i used for the lowers is the same as i put the foam rings in! so i dunno!


oceen246 wrote:
benisgod wrote:
I've changed my seals because of a slight leak, ive replaced the seals, foam orings and change the lub in the lowers. there stillquite a distinctive mark on the stanctions do you think its worth sending them off for a full service? (service not due for a good few months)

Oh man you destroyed your forks!

No, but did you use the proper lube on the foam rings? Brand new seals should keep thing clean for a while before you start to have a mess on your stanchions. Post a pic.

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