[the_family_guy]

I'm new to this. I've got a couple of older oil damped forks. A Marzocchi Z5 and a Rock Shox Judy xc, both Y2K. Just painted them and replaced the seals and I need to know if I have to use the mfr's oil or if theres something (motor oil, olive oil, whale oil, massage oil) that does the same thing. If it makes any difference the JUdy is for a 100 lb kid and the Marzocchi will be ridden by his father, a 200 lb kid. And what about Rock Shox butter? Whats up with that? Is it any different from lithium grease? Fill me in. Thanks.

 

[the_family_guy]

Is this a stupid question or something?

 

[HRDTLBRO]

As for oil, just use the standard oil, or just cruise to your local bike shop, and they may have oil there. If not, they can order some. I use Judy Butter for my Boxxer...it just keeps the Bushings well lubed, and helps clean grit from the dust wiper seal.

 

[Kornphlake]

fork oil is specially formulated so that it doesn't foam, won't deteriorate seals and comes in a variety of weights from 2.5 wt up to around 20 wt. I think all marzochi forks reccomend 7.5 wt oil, I'm not sure about the rockshox but 7.5 or 5wt would be a pretty good place to start. I get my oil from a moto shop you get about 5 times more for half the price of what you'd get at a bike shop. I've used golden spectro and it works well, but others swear by other brands. You can use automatic transmission fluid as well, but I've got no first hand experience.

 

[BRacing]

Try the local motorcycle shops. Look for Golden Spectro or Silkolene (my favorite). Use a 7.5w oil, or a 5w if you like faster dampening. They typically run about $15 per quart or liter.

-Brad

 

[Dartman]

My favorite for Marzocchi's is Bel-Ray Performance Fork Oil. Found at your local Motorcycle shop.

The only grease you should use on a Marzocchi is to lube the o-ring on the foot nut.

Mike

 

[sanjuro]

My favorite for Marzocchi's is Bel-Ray Performance Fork Oil. Found at your local Motorcycle shop.

The only grease you should use on a Marzocchi is to lube the o-ring on the foot nut.

Mike

I am unsure about Rockshox, but Marzocchi recommends Golden Spectro 7.5wgt (or 125/150 on the bottle). I also tried looking for it from a bunch of motorcycle shops until I realized the Quality Bicycle Products (the largest bike wholesaler in the US) distributed it. Any bike shop will be able to get you a quart.

Rockshox does make their own suspension fluid (so does Marzocchi). I would have to assume that is the oil to use.

 

[RhinofromWA]

I am unsure about Rockshox, but Marzocchi recommends Golden Spectro 7.5wgt (or 125/150 on the bottle). I also tried looking for it from a bunch of motorcycle shops until I realized the Quality Bicycle Products (the largest bike wholesaler in the US) distributed it. Any bike shop will be able to get you a quart.

How much is a LBS going to charge him to prder a quart of fork oil?

When he probably has a local motorcycle shop with 10 quarts sitting on the shelf ready to purchase.

If a moto shop is handy, pick some up from them. I remember I bought MTB fork oil back in the day.....Finishline(I think) and other than they put a pretty color in it and charged me an arm and a leg there was no reason to get any more from them. I have 3 moto shops within 5-15 miles and I get my fork oil from them. MUCH cheaper that way.

I beleive the 125/250 (refering to the bikes it would be used in I think) bottle will also say something about "for cartridge forks"...not a problem and that is probably the right oil for the Marz fork. If the oil turns out to be to heavy for the Judy for your son...go to 5wt. I can't imagine him needing a thinner oil that that.

 

[sanjuro]

How much is a LBS going to charge him to prder a quart of fork oil?

When he probably has a local motorcycle shop with 10 quarts sitting on the shelf ready to purchase.

If a moto shop is handy, pick some up from them. I remember I bought MTB fork oil back in the day.....Finishline(I think) and other than they put a pretty color in it and charged me an arm and a leg there was no reason to get any more from them. I have 3 moto shops within 5-15 miles and I get my fork oil from them. MUCH cheaper that way.

I beleive the 125/250 (refering to the bikes it would be used in I think) bottle will also say something about "for cartridge forks"...not a problem and that is probably the right oil for the Marz fork. If the oil turns out to be to heavy for the Judy for your son...go to 5wt. I can't imagine him needing a thinner oil that that.

When I lived in Connecticut, I called Spectro Oils which is also located in Connecticut. They could not even tell me of a local motocycle shop which carried Golden Spectro!!! I was kicking myself when I saw it in the QBP catalog.

I suppose you could use any oil, and buying a $20 quart is a little overkill. But I figure you want to use the best when it comes to your own stuff, so $12 extra was not going to kill me.

 

[bigshred]

you can go spend 20 bucks on a small pail of rock shox oil, or.. go and get some golden spectro ( my fav as well ) and save yourself some money.

 

[BuddhaRoadkill]

Weights more important than brand. Everyone seems to have a favorite, but damned if I believe they can bounce up and down on a fork and tell me which brand is in there. I use whatever they have on the shelf. Try different wieghts. I've found I like 5wt better than 7.5, and 10 is rediculous. A little faster and more responsive.

 

[sanjuro]

Weights more important than brand. Everyone seems to have a favorite, but damned if I believe they can bounce up and down on a fork and tell me which brand is in there. I use whatever they have on the shelf. Try different wieghts. I've found I like 5wt better than 7.5, and 10 is rediculous. A little faster and more responsive.

This reminds me of the day when it was Campagnolo White Lithium or nothing.

You are probably right that there is plenty of favorites. I am not even sure Golden Spectro is actually recommended by Marzocchi. But I have used it and I like it.

 

[the_family_guy]

I am now an educated consumer. Next, should I use virgin or extra virgin in my caesar salad?

 

[partsbara]

How much is a LBS going to charge him to prder a quart of fork oil?

When he probably has a local motorcycle shop with 10 quarts sitting on the shelf ready to purchase.

If a moto shop is handy, pick some up from them. I remember I bought MTB fork oil back in the day.....Finishline(I think) and other than they put a pretty color in it and charged me an arm and a leg there was no reason to get any more from them. I have 3 moto shops within 5-15 miles and I get my fork oil from them. MUCH cheaper that way.

I beleive the 125/250 (refering to the bikes it would be used in I think) bottle will also say something about "for cartridge forks"...not a problem and that is probably the right oil for the Marz fork. If the oil turns out to be to heavy for the Judy for your son...go to 5wt. I can't imagine him needing a thinner oil that that.

speaking of forks, have ya had a decent chance to ride that monster yet rhino ???

 

[dfinn]

Weights more important than brand. Everyone seems to have a favorite, but damned if I believe they can bounce up and down on a fork and tell me which brand is in there. I use whatever they have on the shelf. Try different wieghts. I've found I like 5wt better than 7.5, and 10 is rediculous. A little faster and more responsive.

just to clear things up for me. 5 is faster than 7.5 which is faster than 10? is that correct? so the weight is effects the speed it will compress at?

 

[captainpolution]

This reminds me of the day when it was Campagnolo White Lithium or nothing.

You are probably right that there is plenty of favorites. I am not even sure Golden Spectro is actually recommended by Marzocchi. But I have used it and I like it.

they use the golden spectro in the 888 works fork, and yea its awsome oil, but like the other dude said, ki cant really tell a difference, smells good though

 

[RhinofromWA]

just to clear things up for me. 5 is faster than 7.5 which is faster than 10? is that correct? so the weight is effects the speed it will compress at?

Yep........the 5wt is thinner than the 7.5wt and that is thinner than the 10wt......etc.

Simply put, it is the thickness of the oil and yes the thicker the oil is the more resistance to flowing though/around a forks pistons....slowing it down.

 

[vtrider]

imagine what 20wt would be like. good god

 

[Handlebarsfsr]

use atf. cheaper and better than any fork oil imo. i run it in all my forks.