[Matrimony]

Hey guys, I bought a new 05 drop-off a week ago or so, and i just brought it to my lbs, and pumped the correct psi into the fork, and now, i noticed that the fork is very very sticky through the first 2-3 inches of travel. after that, its smooth, i tried letting air out of both legs, but the only thing that changes is the travel after the sticky 2-3 inches.....there are 2 air chambers, 1 in the right, and 1 in the left.....anyone wanna help me out here on what to do? and what would be causing the stickyness? its a new fork...

 

[buildyourown]

Let it break in?
Marzocchi's design philosophy is to manufacture the stantions and the bushing with a very tight fit and then let them wear into a perfect fit. This means thier forks have a stcky feel right out of the box.
Ride it hard for several weeks and then change the oil.

 

[Matrimony]

alright, ill ride hard for a week or so and if there is no change at all ill bring it to my lbs and see what they have to say...

 

[Bicyclist]

No no no. I rode my DJ fork for over a month before it broke in. Just be patient. It will break in and you will notice it.

 

[psychobiker]

its a new fork. i have had my triple clamp a couple of months it will take time to brake in. follow the directions for air. i did talk to mike at marzocchi (ca) ext 321 im 170 lbs but with the correct air i was not getting any sag he recomended i put the jr t springs in on both legs and run lower air this would give the correct sag for my weight and not bottom out. whick fork, what weight are you

 

[skatetokil]

the air reccomendations are bunk for the drop off forks.

i weigh 180 and i cant run anything above 5 psi in one leg if i want proper sag. I played with the oil levels and got it dialed, but the marz site was no help at all.

 

[psychobiker]

the air reccomendations are bunk for the drop off forks.

i weigh 180 and i cant run anything above 5 psi in one leg if i want proper sag. I played with the oil levels and got it dialed, but the marz site was no help at all.

sorry but the stock springs are the problem you need stiffer springs to prevent bottoming and run less air to get proper sag

 

[psychobiker]

you can reach them at 6612576630 ext 321 ask for mike he knows his stuff

 

[bjanga]

I rode one spring in the left and ~10 PSI (I think) in the right leg with no spring on my DO.

 

[Matrimony]

I weigh close to 200, i asked my lbs why it would be sticky, and an older guy there didnt really help at all....he said slightly lube the stanchion tubes because they might be dry.....i tried that...didnt work...in the manual it says 1 side is 65 psi for 200 lb riders, and the other side is 5-15 for personal preference...but after many many pumps and letting the air out...i found out that both sides have to be like....around 10 psi for it to even feel decent....and its like when i ride....the fork doesnt sink at ALL on small bumps....it needs to be pushed hard or ridden over a big bump for it to sink in properly.....its like it has a lockout on it with small bumps...and its really annoying when i ride because it makes a little noise and it makes me feel like im running with no suspension....its a new 05, can someone give me some opinions on how much psi i should have in the left, and right???? i ride the fork for FR and beat it pretty hard....what are the chances of the fork just needing to be broken in?????????

 

[Matrimony]

oh, and ive tried riding it with very very little air in it, and it doesnt do it as much.......but even with like 5 psi in both legs, it sticks like that....its like it needs to hit a certain point before the fork can actually compress....its weird...

 

[psychobiker]

you could always try a lighter weight or less oil in the left leg this will als affect initial stroke, take it apart and find out which springs you have in it maybe they are too stiff.

 

[bjanga]

Does it bottom with no air? Try running it softer for awhile until it breaks in.

 

[Matrimony]

its pretty soft with no air, im sure i can bottom it...i dont wanna run with no air because it miught damage the internals....i will just go to my lbs and use their fork pump and play around with some air pressure until i get something i like....maybe ill get someone that works on dh bikes there to give me some advice, and not someone who is into road bikes...still nice people though

 

[vitox]

you guys have to realize those forks have a 32mm stanchion, with around 2mm wall thickness, that means the inner diameter of the stanchion is around 28mm
this means, the area inside the stanchion is around 615mm2, which is very close to one square inch (645mm2).
so, if you pump it up to 60psi (pounds per square inch) you are effectively putting 60 pounds of preload on the fork (the square inches go away or cancel each other), so no wonder the fork will feel sticky.
this is infact pretty much like putting so much preload on the spring as compressing it halfway would do (most springs are in the 15 to 20lbs/in range).
bottom line is to leave air pressure only for fine tuning and swap springs till you get close to the correct sag.

 

[Matrimony]

Alright......so im going to have to blow more $$$$?.....Im guessing I will have to pay for the stiffer spring....w/e much that is...and then to have my lbs install it, it will be a rediculous charge, because theyre just like that......and also, i havent put 60 psi in the fork, the max i have tried is 20, and it felt very very stiff and sticky....i tried every possible way with air pressure...5 on 1 side, 0 on another, vice versa....all the way to 20 psi....and it didnt really help......so.....maybe i should get ahold of marzocchi?????

 

[untitledsince89]

put it like this drop off is a crappy fork in the first place, ok for a beginner but u might as well just save and get a used 888 or super -t

 

[RaID]

put it like this drop off is a crappy fork in the first place, ok for a beginner but u might as well just save and get a used 888 or super -t

thats really constructive he just bought a new fork i doubt he'll be wanting to buy another one anytime soon


let the fork wear in after a month of use change the oil with the correct amount (its likely the correct amount isnt in there as Marzocchi is renowned for) then if the problem persists take it back to your LBS

breaking in a fork doesnt happen overnight

 

[bjanga]

You will not need a stiffer spring. Try riding it without air, or with <5PSI in one of the legs, and see if you bottom it.

 

[redical]

Make sure you a re using a Zocchi air pump rather than the higher pressure Mani/Foxes.

 

[untitledsince89]

thats really constructive he just bought a new fork i doubt he'll be wanting to buy another one anytime soon


let the fork wear in after a month of use change the oil with the correct amount (its likely the correct amount isnt in there as Marzocchi is renowned for) then if the problem persists take it back to your LBS

breaking in a fork doesnt happen overnight

yea I know. just saying from my expierience with the drop off, even after about 1 year on my friends fork and tunning, air and ect. it still felt like poo, but I understand what ur coming from, just ride it really hard for about 2 months change the oild is the best bet

 

[greenhood]

My Manitou minute3 took over a month to get unsticky

 

[Matrimony]

Alriight, well the whole reason why I bought this drop-off was because I owned one about a year ago, and I loved it.....and I've ridden dozens of forks out there...i just liked the whole feel of the fork....and about the fork pump. it was a high pressure one.....that went up to like 500 psi, and it counted by every 50 psi...maybe it pumped in more than 50? because....if you took the adapter off the valve...and then put it back on..it showed 0 psi....but i let all the air out completely and started from there..so i know it wasnt overpumped...ill just go back to my lbs and use the pump again and try and see if i can get a dher to help me out....maybe he has some advice....

 

[Matrimony]

Alright guys, heres an update, I emailed Brian Peterson, who I think works for marzocchi, I told him the situation, and he just about told me to buy stiffer springs....heres what he said-

Order up the springs for a jr/ Super T. PN's are 5141280/c and 5141281/c. Expect to pay around $80 for the two sets

Im guessing marz doesnt even make springs for drop offs....so is he right? the springs from the jr t/super t should work??? I really dont want to spend $80 on springs and even more for the installation.........so my question is, does ANYONE have these springs???? I need x-firm I think? i weigh about 200 lbs. and why would I need to buy 2 sets? 1 set comes with 2 springs...isnt that all I need?????

 

[vitox]

you really really dont need to have it installed by a LBS, the process is dead simple and you dont need any special tools either, just a socket or wrench for the top caps.
first loosen the top crown bolts, then remove the top caps.
then compress the fork so its easier to get to the springs and spacers in there, then just take them out and put the new ones in.

you could start with just switching out one of the spring sets, it should be enough and probably run you 40usd. zocchi doesnt label the springs for your fork because the dropoff is a spinoff from the jr and super platform.

 

[Matrimony]

Alright, but can someone CONFIRM which springs I need????? and can anyone direct me on where I can buy them???????????????? or does anyone have a set for sale? and wich set should i uy? x stiff or xx stiff? thanks

 

[bjanga]

Why are you buying stiffer springs if you want your fork to feel smoother? On your next ride, take your pump along and run the fork with NO air. If you bottom it, pump it some and continue. I think you are just running too much PSI.

 

[Matrimony]

because, like i said....i weigh 200 lbs, the springs are stock springs for probably a 140 lb rider......if i put in even 10 psi in the fork it feels sticky..it isnt very sticky without it..but i can bottom it very easily and i can also bottom it with like 20 psi in it.......

 

[bjanga]

OK, I did not realize you were bottoming it. My old drop-off would not bottom on 5ft drops to flat on a hardtail, with no PSI (I weigh 170).

 

[Matrimony]

Also, Ive noticed that when I pull up my front tire real fast, it makes that clunking sound like the springs are snapping back when i pull up...its pretty bad....but i think its because it has like no air inside of it....but anyway guys im in the process of moving so i might be away for a while, but please try to post some comments that might help me out....and can someone tell me which side is which on the drop off? like, which side is for rebound which side is for blah blah? thanks

 

[mtbextremist]

Marzocchi Dropoffs flat out suck.... I have one as a back up fork, and it simply SUCKS compared to my 06 66sl!

 

[big-ted]

I'm so glad you dragged up this old thread to tell us that. Really. Thanks.

 

[mtbextremist]

I'm so glad you dragged up this old thread to tell us that. Really. Thanks.

oster_oops: I didnt realize that this thread was so old...my bad