[Sandwich]

on a stanchion before you buff and fill it? I just picked up an 010 boxxer that's in good shape but has a series of small scratches on the damper side tube. Doesn't seem to weep any oil, and PO said it was fine and that he buffed them. I don't see any marks, and they're smooth to the touch but not the nail. Should I be worried about longevity of my bushings if I don't fill them in? I just want to make sure this fork lasts forever.

 

[davec113]

Scratched stanchions could cause the seals and maybe even the bushings to wear out prematurely. I haven't had problems with small scratches, I just buff them with 600 grit paper until they are smooth to the touch.

 

[Banshee Rider]

If they're smooth to the touch then all should be fine in my experience. (Given they aren't deep enough to carry dirt past the dust seal, but it doesn't sound like it) If you want to be super-proactive though then you could try filling them with clear nail polish and re-sanding.

 

[Sandwich]

Thanks dude. I'll try and snap a pic to make it clear. I'll probably just be diligent about changing the grease/oil in the fork, and let it go. My other one held up fine until I neglected it.

 

[miuan]

The next most important measure in case you damage your stanchion surface, apart from the grit paper trick, is to keep turning the stanchion in your crowns a couple degrees every now and then. Thus your seals, bushes and stanchion anodization will be wearing evenly, regardless of how well your stanchions are treated.
I remember DC forks with stupid cryofit lower crown assembly where you were unable to do this trick, e.g. '03 Super T. Pretty annoying.

 

[Iridemtb]

I got a real deep scratch in my rock shox argyle 318 fork before. I just bought some JB Weld, applied a very thing layer, then slowly sanded it down, with finer and finer sand paper, and towards the end I was wet sanding.

Edit: To the guy above... If he turns is stanctions, the boxxer graphics on the lowers won't be matching anymore.

 

[NY_Star]

Edit: To the guy above... If he turns is stanctions, the boxxer graphics on the lowers won't be matching anymore.

That is all the rage when you are sponsored by another company!
(This is not an attack on any one rider, just an easy picture to find)

If you can feel the scratch with your finger nail it is capable to cut seals. If you cant you are most likely fine.

 

[davetrump]

on a stanchion before you buff and fill it? I just picked up an 010 boxxer that's in good shape but has a series of small scratches on the damper side tube. Doesn't seem to weep any oil, and PO said it was fine and that he buffed them. I don't see any marks, and they're smooth to the touch but not the nail. Should I be worried about longevity of my bushings if I don't fill them in? I just want to make sure this fork lasts forever.

edit:

oops... thought you were questioning the fork i sold you back in May. I fail at reading
if it is smooth to the touch it should not be a worry... no burs = no problem. it is not smooth to your finger nail due to negative space cut into the tube. that will not cut seals or bushings.

cheers

 

[Sandwich]

thanks dude. No, that fork was fine until I failed at maintaining it. I picked up a new (used) fork to replace it since I got a good deal, but I wanted to make sure I didn't need to do any additional maintenance. There are no burrs but some "negative" space as you mentioned. I'll be diligent about maintaining this one.

 

[P.T.W]

Sounds like its shouldn't be a problem, but (IMO) it couldn't hurt to do the old nail polish trick to fill up the scratch....The "negative space" could give grit an general gunk a place to hide, which cant do anything but bad things.