[ChrisRobin]

The last time I pulled apart my 2011 888 Evo Ti, I found that when I compressed the fork completely the last two inches of travel were pretty rough. I also have some slight wear marks on the stanchion tubes but I don't think I ever noticed any issues while riding.

I'm thinking it's bushings so I'll be dropping the fork off at Marzocchi soon enough for them to have a look to confirm. In the meantime, I read somewhere that Marzocchi didn't bother replacing bushings anymore and just replaced fork lowers completely? Anyone hear that?

 

[Sandwich]

The last time I pulled apart my 2011 888 Evo Ti, I found that when I compressed the fork completely the last two inches of travel were pretty rough. I also have some slight wear marks on the stanchion tubes but I don't think I ever noticed any issues while riding.

I'm thinking it's bushings so I'll be dropping the fork off at Marzocchi soon enough for them to have a look to confirm. In the meantime, I read somewhere that Marzocchi didn't bother replacing bushings anymore and just replaced fork lowers completely? Anyone hear that?

they're completely changing the fork for 2014...I would imagine it would be easier for them to just swap lowers on than to replace bushings. Plus they would have a neato bonfire after a couple years.

 

[Huck Banzai]

I got replacement lowers this year for my 888, and the discussion involved that the bushings were NOT replaceable, so yeah - disposable.

Now to swap my spare set back on - brushed mag & clearcoated - gone for 13, back for 14!

 

[ChrisRobin]

How much were they?

Edit...$180cdn

 

[big-ted]

Isn't this the case for most forks these days? Certainly, I've heard the same about boxxers...

 

[gemini2k]

they're completely changing the fork for 2014...I would imagine it would be easier for them to just swap lowers on than to replace bushings. Plus they would have a neato bonfire after a couple years.

Huh? No they are not. They are still offering the 888 EVO.

 

[HardtailHack]

I am in the same boat I managed to bend my lowers somehow, I ride like a sissy and have only had pretty average crashes but I have still managed to bend them.

 

[ChrisRobin]

I just noticed my left tube has some very light gouges in it above the seal. I'll have to pull her apart to see how bad the tubes are now.

 

[ocelot]

Oh fack $180?!
That's a lot of moolah... Do they even come with seals installed?

 

[sbabuser]

The last pair of 888 lowers I bought ('11) came with everything you'd need installed and ready to slide on.

 

[IH8Rice]

Oh fack $180?!
That's a lot of moolah... Do they even come with seals installed?

thats not really that much. their Ti springs are $280msrp

 

[jonKranked]

Oh fack $180?!
That's a lot of moolah... Do they even come with seals installed?

considering it's a cast part that's really not that bad.

 

[gemini2k]

considering it's a cast part that's really not that bad.

Cast part, presicion machined, with bushings and seals, yeah it's actually a pretty good price. Just stupid that they can't make a design with replaceable bushings. I guess getting proper bushing tolerance AND being replaceable would be really expensive though.

 

[HardtailHack]

Cast part, presicion machined, with bushings and seals, yeah it's actually a pretty good price. Just stupid that they can't make a design with replaceable bushings. I guess getting proper bushing tolerance AND being replaceable would be really expensive though.

Kowa had bushings inside a tube that were just pressed in to the lowers, alignment didn't matter as the bushings were flogged out from new, they now sell lowers with bushings installed but I'm not brave enough to fork out more money on a fork with no shims and ported rebound.

 

[ocelot]

I guess you guys are right on the cost being somewhat reasonable. I was just upset that I found a couple dents on my lowers that can be felt rubbing on the stanchions as the fork gets compressed... That has never happened on my heavily abused 2006 Boxxers!

 

[ChrisRobin]

Bump with additional question...

Anyone know of a suspension service company that sizes bushings in 888's? (like what Push does to Fox forks). I'm convinced mass-produced forks come off the assembly line not 100% perfect... might be just my OCD kicking expecting the fork to be perfectly smooth all the way through.

Follow up to my original post... the stanchions are not bent (as far as I can tell rolling them on a flat table) and according to my LBS (and Marzocchi Canada), 888 lowers are actually $350.

 

[Kanye West]

Bump with additional question...

Anyone know of a suspension service company that sizes bushings in 888's? (like what Push does to Fox forks). I'm convinced mass-produced forks come off the assembly line not 100% perfect... might be just my OCD kicking expecting the fork to be perfectly smooth all the way through.

Follow up to my original post... the stanchions are not bent (as far as I can tell rolling them on a flat table) and according to my LBS (and Marzocchi Canada), 888 lowers are actually $350.

Call PUSH and see if they will. If they get enough expressed interest for that sort of stuff, I don't think they'd be against expanding their capabilities.

Are your triples bent? Start loosening and tightening the pinch bolts sequentially, along with the axle bolts, and you should be able to figure out what's misaligned. It should feel 100% the same through the travel.

I've come across a couple of those forks that didn't have straight lowers out of the box. They were taken care of through warranty pretty easily.

Also a hard crash can definitely bend lowers. Happens to Boxxers, 40's, and even 888's. Will have the same symptoms.

 

[ChrisRobin]

Nothing is bent as far as I can tell. Like I said, I might be a little too anal about this and should just ride the damn thing. I don't remember feeling this friction while riding as I only get to the last inch once in a while. The friction is really only felt when I pulled the spring out of the fork and compressed it (with anda without the crowns installed.

So this is how I tested it today since I wanted to get the bottom of this (fork is completely disassembled):

Spring side tube in drive side lower: some friction last inch
Damper side tube in non drive side lower: some friction last inch

Damper side tube in drive side lower: friction last inch
Spring side tube in non drive side lower: perfectly smooth all the way

So I'm thinking this is probably within the tolerances leaving the factory. I don't think they have employees testing out every single fork assembled/disassembled. I'll give Push a call or email and see if they can size the bushings to the stanchions in 888's.

 

[maxyedor]

Do you have a good micrometer?

Since the stickyness if only in the last inch of travel, and it occurs with either stanchion in either leg of the lowers, I don't see a "sized" bushing changing anything. I'm curious if you have wear on the stanchions.

 

[ChrisRobin]

Only one has some wear... the one that seems to drag the least.