[DJT21]

Hi,

Just bought a set of 2005 Z1 Freeride 2's. They arrived today in their 150mm guise. I wanted them at 130mm but because the chap that sold them to me didnt have an appropriate socket to fit the nuts at the bottom, he couldnt recuce them so I said I would do it on there arrival. Plus i could put some fresh oil in (although he said the guy that had them before him did them 6 months ago or so)

So I get the manual out and start to take them apart. Ive dont sets of bombers before so I was pretty confident.

I undo the right leg (rebound side) and take off the top cap (for some reason its a 25mm size rather than the 21mm stated?)

This is where I started to become wary.

On the 150mm travel setting there is supposed to be a preload spacer and a washer below the top cap, neither are there. I take off the top cap, take out the spring (yellow) and start to pour out the oil. Then I hear a rattling noise and out drops a preload spacer (but no washer)

I drain the oil and move onto the left leg. Top cap undone, preload spacer and washer are both there but the spring is a blue one for some reason (should they be different colours?)

I drain the oil and go to undo the foot nuts so I can add the preload spacers into the correct place to reduce them to 130mm travel. The right hand nut is incredibly tight, but I undo it and pull it out and then out drops the whole damping cartridge, nothing was holding it into the stanchion.

Now according to the manual, and my knowledge, the damping rod is held in by a ferrule and a cir-clip type thing.

I start un doing the left leg and the foot nut twists quite easily, I keep turning it for some time and nothings happen, it wont come loose. I shine a torch inside the stanchion to see the pumping rod (the item the foot nut is attached to) turning aswell. I assume this is meant to be held in place as per the damping rod, but it isnt, and thus the foot nut wont undo, it just keeps turning.

So this is where Im upto now. Anyone have any knowledge with these forks who might be able to help me out?

I want to take them apart so I can reduce the travel but this isnt happening at the moment. Im not looking forward to taking them apart and finding some more missing pieces (the preload washer isnt there)

I also have a copy of the service guide If anyone wants to see which parts im mentioning

It could be something dead simple and Im just being an idiot, but I cant see what it is


Ta

David

 

[IH8Rice]

do you have a link to the service guide or do you have it printed?

 

[DJT21]

I have it printed, but I also have it in PDF format. I can email it to you if you think your able to help

Thanks

David

 

[DJT21]

To summarise

The foot nut on the left hand leg appears to be tightened up really tight.

When i try and undo it, it twists the pumping rod round with it, thus it wont undo.

 

[IH8Rice]

was the fork in working condition before you took it apart?

 

[DJT21]

Yeh, it was working ok. I did a "car park" test and it all seemed ok.

Just taking it apart is where problems have occured.

It must surely be a common problem though, since most marzocchis have this set up in the left leg?

I think the guy who took it apart last has put it back together the wrong way, but Im not 100% sure

 

[slimshady]

Well, I haven't done any MZs, but had a couple of Rock Shox and Manitous to play with. If the bottom nut is too tight, the best you can do is re-assemble that leg with its spring, spacer and cap, an then try to unscrew the nut. The preload will keep the travel rod from spinning. You could event try putting the stiffer spring inside the leg.

 

[NORTON]

I'm not some suspension pro, but I had the same exact problems on my Marz forks- mine are all from 2004, so they should be pretty similar to yours.

To get the footnut to stop spinning the damper, I just stuck a tool with a big flat edge into the leg, and fit it into the groove on top of the damper. Use the tool to hold the damper steady while you undo the footnut. Maybe not the right way, but I've done that at each oil change and never had issues.

As far as the preload spacer and the washer- normally you put in spring, then washer, then spacer. But you can definitely put them in reverse order and have it work fine- I've done it by accident. Forgetting that washer won't hurt anything right away I don't think, but the spacer won't mate all that flush to the spring so something's gonna get worn down. Better to get a new washer.

The dampers on both sides should be held in with a circlip, at least all my '04s are. The spring color is the same on both sides only if both sides have the same guts- like if your fork has ETA in one leg and HSCV in the other, they'll have diff springs.

 

[allsk8sno]

impact wrench works great to get them off too, just remember OFF only...and double check rotation before using it so as to not shear the cartridge!!

 

[DRAKETHOMAS]

You need to assemble the fork and compress it down while turning the footnut it works every time for me. I service shocks and forks for a living having done 100s of zocchis this way email me if ya have ?s Drake isotuned@yahoo.com