Yes I know, but this seems to be a little different. Mine have never actually toped out before but it feels as if they are now. I'm probably worrying over nothing though.
Fully serviced never, I've done about 30hrs on them. Last lower service was 5~ish hours ago. Considering where the rebound piston is, it seems odd that they could leak damper oil to the point where they topped out. That's a $hitload of oil to lose.When was the last time they were FULLY serviced - low in fluid perhaps ???
A friend of mine Boxxers did that after they had been weeping fluid for a long time. Turns out the forks pumped the oil out to the point where they topped out, they then proceeded to top out so bad that the bottom of the stanchion broke off were the circlip is. Quite common I was told
Just a thought.
I'd give them a full service and see how they go then .
The rebound piston is submerged a long way down in the stanchion in the Boxxers, so there should always be rebound damping at the top of the stroke unless you lose like 140cc of oil.I'd give them a full service and see how they go then .
You do not have to lose to much oil to get top out BTW. My 66's were only 30ml short and started topping out
Ah yes but with 66's the rebound and compression locations are switched compared to a boxxer, you would have to lose practically all the oil from a boxxer for it to start topping out from lack of oil. All that oil ending up in the lowers would be noticeable long before the top out started.I'd give them a full service and see how they go then .
You do not have to lose to much oil to get top out BTW. My 66's were only 30ml short and started topping out
After 30 hours of riding I would expect a full service is overdue.
I dunno. RS say 50 hrs for the full service, but I may as well. Everything needs some attention today after riding in the pouring rain.After 30 hours of riding I would expect a full service is overdue.
As of right now nobody has any idea what quantity of oil the forks have in them, and certainly could not comment on its condition. It certainly isn't going to hurt to do a change.
Your point about the oil ending up in the lowers, you would be surprised at how many people would just think "gee my forks feel harsh today" as they hydraulic their way down the hill.
My Totems dumped the oil a few weeks back and it just felt harsh on the big hits, just as well I new better, got off and went home to fix the problem ( leaking rebound seal causing oil to fill lowers ).
Anyways, good to see you over here
My X9 shifter appears to have stopped working thouhg. 
With the rebound piston on the bottom of the damper, you would need to loose ALL of the damper fluid to loose rebound at top-out. You would loose all compression damping first, then the rebound at full travel, then the fork would hydro-lock as the oil fills the losers.I'd give them a full service and see how they go then .
You do not have to lose to much oil to get top out BTW. My 66's were only 30ml short and started topping out
I've had it happen so many times now I can do the whole disassemble and rebuild in about 15 minutes. Even then I always thought the terrible cable change system was the worst thing about the X9/0 shifters, and I can do that fast enough now too.
Umm well it definitely makes a click when i lift the fork off the ground. Having a lack of spring preload wouldn't do this, there would just be a little bit of free play before the spring engaged. It's not this... I don't see how it could possibly be a damper issue. My rebound damper is still totally normal and works as per usual. I'm confused.
Where's S. (ocket)?
no it's not....
I've had it happen so many times now I can do the whole disassemble and rebuild in about 15 minutes. Even then I always thought the terrible cable change system was the worst thing about the X9/0 shifters, and I can do that fast enough now too.
First time is always the worst.... they really are not that hard to work on once you have done it once or twice
[snip]
Umm well it definitely makes a click when i lift the fork off the ground. Having a lack of spring preload wouldn't do this, there would just be a little bit of free play before the spring engaged. It's not this... I don't see how it could possibly be a damper issue. My rebound damper is still totally normal and works as per usual. I'm confused.
As normal. Wouldn't it be clicking when it compressed not when it fully extended if that was the issue?
Cheers, already established it's a spring side issue, not a damper issue though.
well the spring shrinks a few mm after a year or so of riding...put an extra shim in the spring and see if you can live with it...if not then get a new spring...
The spring side alone will always top out, there's no damping. Usually won't matter if there's the correct amount of preload or not, it'll overshoot the top of the positive spring anyway.
If it's just the spring doing that then it's fine, it's just a noise. I'm just worried about possible damage to the fork if it's topping out.
I prefer DH to video games. Thanks for the help.The spring side alone will always top out, there's no damping. Usually won't matter if there's the correct amount of preload or not, it'll overshoot the top of the positive spring anyway.
Here's what you need to do: pull the fork out of the crowns. Push the damper side down, and pull it back up by hand - you should be able to feel some resistance. DON'T pull it hard against the top out, this seems to be able to hyperextend it so that the top of the stanchion is above the top of the lower bushing or something. As long as there's some resistance, you're all good on that side.
Doesn't feel like there is that much resistance on rebound. Compression definitely still works though. I dunno about how much rebound damping it would have by hand, when I pull the leg up fast-ish it feels like there is some resistance, not as much as on compression though. (running a fair bit of LSC though, and I usually run my rebound fully fast) Even if I fully close the rebound it still doesn't have much resistance. I'm thinking this could be the issue. Also I can't fully compress the damper side without it wanting to return. I'm sure all boxxers do this, but it doesn't make sense in my head. Also if I compress it really far it seems to rebound almost like there's a spring in it.
Next you need to ascertain exactly what is going on in the spring side - can you move the stanchion up and down in the lowers at top-out? In other words, is there free play? Or when you pull the stanchion up (firmly but without really forcing it), then push it back down, can you feel a certain amount of preload that you have to overcome before it moves at all? If there's free play (which sounds most likely), you need some more preload spacers, if you can feel the preload then that might be your problem (especially if there's a lot of it).
Nup no free play or preload issues. Isn't there a top out spring on the LHS of the fork though? There is that spring that is on the bottom of the plate that compresses the spring, which is connected to the compression rod. It seems to me that this would compress slightly on the plate that is held in by the circlip, eliminating top out.
Next thing to check is the top-out base plate. With the stanchion out of the lowers and the spring out of the stanchion, pull the spring compression rod down (ie extend it) as far as it goes, to make sure the base plate is hard against the retaining circlip. From there, use an allen key or whatever to try to push the base plate back up away from the circlip. If there's play there (shouldn't be and is relatively unlikely), you need to sort that out.
Yeah I had a look at that, seems fine though.
It's also possible (and this one happens all the friggin time) that your rebound adjuster has backed itself out a bit - especially if you're missing the red knob on the bottom which seems to provide a bit of friction against the foot bolt. If you run your rebound fast anyway then you legitimately might not notice this one.
I'm kinda missing the red knob, I just leave it out of my fork so I don't lose it. But as said before, I run it as fast as it goes anyway.
If all of that doesn't solve your problem, sell your fork and take up video games, cos there is a God and he doesn't like you
If its the spring, and it because of a lack of preload. You very well can damage your fork.
No, it felt like that on the bike but it's definitely not like that now. I have the fork off the bike and the spring side compresses and extends normally. The spring side on it's own tops out though, but I take it this is normal and what I thought was the top out spring is actually something else.
Would a lack of preload give the fork free play at the top of the travel? It's definitely not doing this.
)Viv;
Nope.....Viv;
I had this mystery for a little while. It lasted about a week and then my forks blew up...
My problem was caused through the bolt holding the rebound assembly together coming loose, allowing excess oil through the ports, reducing any rebound damping I had. Eventually on one ride the last few threads of the bolt stripped and the rebound assembly now floating around willy-nilly destroyed itself.
Might be the same problem... might not be.
My fork top-out base plate don't have play in it when trying that. But when springis installed, Base plate is not totally tight against the retaining circlip. For example it will move around when moving it. Should it be so tight that it does not move at all? Could this be my problem? And how to solve it?
