Cleaning the stanchions removes any dirt and debris from the surface that the dust wiper seal keeps out of the fork with every compression. This extends the life of your dust wiper seals, minimizes damage to upper tubes, and minimizes lower leg contamination. Now let's move on to the information you seek. Unfortunately, your question is impossible to answer, as you've provided insufficient data. Lubriplate makes a hundred different products. Some might be appropriate for your application, others are definitely not. They even make a parting agent to separate wooden molds from concrete. This probably wouldn't work well in your fork. Before we get started, remove the fork from your bike and make sure it is nice and clean. Also, make sure you have a clean work environment that way no dirt or grime can get into your nice fork. The easiest way to service your fork is to hold the fork by either the steerer tube or the lower leg in a bike stand. Now let's get to it!

We need to make sure we have all the right tools for the job. For starters, you will need Fox 20wt Gold Fork Fluid, Fox 5wt Teflon Infused Fork Fluid, Fox 36 foam rings, and Fox crush washers. (DO NOT use the old crush washers) We offer a variety of Fox dust wiper refresh kits. Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply. Also, some frame couplers specify special fluoro-compound grease, and it's best to follow the instructions or potentially ruin your frame from thread galling. Make sure you orient the lowers on to the upper tubes correctly. The damper side is on the rider's right, and the air spring on the riders left side. Gently slide the upper tubes through the dust wipers without pushing the damper rod and air spring rod all the way through the bottom of the lower. That way we can add bath oil! There are some applications where you should only use the approved grease and using the wrong grease really will cause a problem. This includes roller brake grease. This is critical to use the exact grease specified, and unsafe to substitute anything else.Before removing the bottom nuts, make sure the bottom of your fork is raised higher than the steerer tube so that once the bottom nuts are removed, oil will not spill.

Applying lubrication to the stanchions will attract dirt and debris, which the wiper seal will wipe away upon the next compression, creating a ring of oil and debris that will need to be cleaned before your next ride. With routine 50 hour lower leg service, the fork will provide the necessary lubrication to the stanchions to perform properly until the next service interval is reached. Routine service combined with proper cleaning and inspection can extend the life and performance of your suspension product. Internal gear hubs usually use oil, but it's important to use the correct lubricant. Some hubs like the NuVinci hub literally are designed around the special oil they use. For other hub types, the grease doesn't usually matter. MUC-OFF: Yes! You can’t beat regular cleaning of your whole bike to reduce wear and tear and use a good protectant all over your bike! We wash our bikes after every ride, little and often is better than waiting and turning it into a hellishly big job! Typically you want to use a lubricant that has a similar composition of what’s found in the bath system. Unfortunately it's not very clear which grease and additives is best, because bicycles are different from lots of other applications in that speeds are quite low, and temperatures not too high. Durability is likely to be important.Free hub seal grease . This is not for freehubs in general but is specifically for Shimano's Microspline seals, and for specific seals there. The datasheet gives the same basic constituents as the previous one, but it might be different.

WET SEAL: A clean, dry Micro-Fiber rag works best. If you’re having trouble getting heavy grease off the seal or stanchions, we recommend using a little bit of water on the micro-fiber rag. DO NOT USE SOAP. Soap will break down the good oils and grease inside your fork which can result in needing an entire rebuild.MRP: We recommend cleaning your seal areas with a mild soap and water mix periodically, sooner rather than later if there is significant dirt build up. Another grease-based product is carbon assembly compound, which typically is grease + silica, which adds friction to enable parts to grip with a lower torque. This is used with carbon fibre parts, which if over-torqued can fracture. MUC-OFF: Re-apply before each ride for best results and maximum protection. BIKERUMOR: What’s the best way to clean them first? Beside this forks often contain a renewable oil, which will be somewhat similar to oil used inside hubs, and manufacturers also will specify a fork lube. It is very important to use the correct amount of bath oil in both sides of your fork. See the photo below to make sure you are using the correct oil type and oil volume for your fork. **Fox forks with the Grip Damper use Fox 5wt Silver Teflon Infused Fork Fluid on the damper side.

MUC-OFF: Keeping your fork stanchions well lubricated is vital as it reduces the stiction between the wiper seal and the stanchion, which improves small bump sensitivity and trail buzz as the stiction is dramatically reduced. It also helps to keep dirt off the stanchion and seals as the silicon repels dirt and grime to the surfaces cleaner and hence reduces the risk of contaminants getting into the wiper seal (and in turn your fork oil). WET SEAL: Yes. One can imagine their stanchions are penetrating their lowers. Given it’s a tight fit, lube will reduce the heat on your forks’ seals as the result of friction. Without using lube, seals prematurely wear resulting in dirt/grime finding it’s way into the bath system. The space between the seals and the stanchions is extremely minute to prevent foreign particles from entering your lowers. Seals are the major line of defense for keeping them out. Ensuring that stanchions/seals are properly lubed will extend the life and performance of your fork. Hydraulic mineral oil - this is for disc brakes, and is different from DOT fluid. Anecdotally people use mineral oil including baby oil, and it 'works'. But Shimano claim that only theirs is good and others can destroy your brakes. https://bikerumor.com/2013/04/11/tech-speak-brake-fluid-break-down-and-implications-for-road-disc-updated/ Take this with a pinch of salt as there are bunch of hydraulic mineral oils sold specifically for bicycles and no complaints. Different hydraulic mineral oils do have different boiling points, and different viscosity.

Step 13

Here we are using Sram Butter. Apply a layer of Sram Butter to the inside of the dust seals. This will help keep the fork lubricated and feeling supple. MUC-OFF: We recommend our Silicon Shine. BIKERUMOR: Is there any product/type of lube you should NOT use? Internal hub maintenance oil and SG-S700 oil. These serve a similar function in lubricating the internals of Shimano hub gears, but different designs seem to warrant tow different oils. Other IGH will require oil as well, e.g. Rohloff oil Internal hub grease. This is with calcium hydroxide 5-10%, white solid lubricants 2-3.5%, & 2.5-4.1% bentonite, other additives and mineral oil. This grease is calcium-based for wash-resistance, and temperatures are not high.