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Lowering a Pike 454

t1maglio

Monkey
Oct 29, 2001
855
0
southern wisconsin
How do you do it? I've been asking this question for a while and haven't gotten anything real clear, saw it worked for the Argyle so I'm trying it for my fork.

Thanks!
 

t1maglio

Monkey
Oct 29, 2001
855
0
southern wisconsin
Ok, this is what I found from http://www.streetsteeze.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=974&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=903e219fb174d4eeba88f1d5aab851e6

Edit- Here's the steps for anyone else with a pike that wan't to lower it.

1. Remove the u-turn nob on the top left side of the fork.

2. There will be 3 ball bearings under the u-turn nob that are resting on springs that go into little holes, remove them and put them somewhere safe.

3. Using a socket or wrench undo the top cap on the u-turn side until it is comepletely free of the fork.

4. At the bottom of the left leg of the fork there will be an allen bolt that is holding the bottom of the u-turn assembly into the fork, undo it most of the way and then tap the bolt with a rubber mallet to free the damper shaft from the bottom of the lowers( It's pressed in a bit). Then undo the bolt the rest of the way and the whole u-turn spring assembly should slide right out the top of the fork.

5. Use a rag or cloth that you don't mind getting dirty to take the grease off the spring(So it's easier to hold onto when you lower the travel).

6. Put the shaft at the end of the spring into a vice with something in between it and the vice to prevent it from scratching the surface (I just used a few sheets of paper).

7. Get a firm grip on the spring and pull on it while turing it in a clockwise direction. The pulling helps to spread the coils so that when you reach the point where the spring coils tighter to stop it from going lower then 95mm it will be spread far enough for it to make it though the u-turn peice and therefore lower the travel below 95mm!

8. Once you've got it lowered as much as you want( It might take a few tries to get the right level) re-grease the spring and slide the spring assembly back though the top of the crown and thread the allen bolt back through the bottom of the fork, it will pull the shaft back into it's place. Then just tighten the allen bolt to rockshox's specs(should be on their website).

9. Get the socket back out again and tighten the top cap back into the crown.

10. Put the 3 springs and ball bearings back into the top cap and re-install the u-turn ajuster nob back on top of them.

Now go for a ride on your freshly lowered pike!

It's seriously easy and it only took like 15 minuits to do(and I've never even opened up a fork before this).


Sooo, anyone have any feelings about doing this to a fork? How bout the Duke spring idea?
 

fiddy_ryder

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2005
1,653
0
Hollywood
dunno who said just to pull on the spring in a vice, but that shyt aint gonna work. the coil HAS to be heated to get it to seperate. and i rode my pike at 65mm for more than a few months with no problem.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
just get the duke spring. Cheap, BTI has all the spring rates in stock. Takes 5 minutes, just gotta swap the top caps. Plus you still retain the same travel adjust range!
 

muddy beast

Turbo Monkey
Nov 26, 2005
1,815
0
The 454 is a dual air fork, there is no spring at all.
wrong.

The 454 is just a lighter hollow crown and aluminum steerer, the 426 is just a basic heavier, solid fork.

You can get air u-turn and dual air features in the 426 model too. It just happens to be that most of the DJ guys on hear run a coil 426, so people don't hear about the other versions.
 

muddy beast

Turbo Monkey
Nov 26, 2005
1,815
0
Where can I order a duke spring other then a shop and having them get one from BTI?
Off the top of my head, ebay is the only place other then a distributor that would likely have them.

Is there a problem with ordering threw your shop?
 

t1maglio

Monkey
Oct 29, 2001
855
0
southern wisconsin
Convienience. I've worked in shops for almost half of my life (12 years) so I respect and am all for buying from shops. On the other hand, the local shop, where I did the majority of that sentence, has some pricks running it and I don't care to give them a whole lot of my buisness. If need be I can order from a buddy who works in another shop, but back to my original idea, convienience.