[DMdh]

I got my fork for over a year, and recently I found some (10 +-) faint marks in my stanchions. These marks are like horizontal and parallel faint lines in the first 100 mm of the stroke.

What I don´t know it´s if they came like that or if it could be the bushings scratching the stanchions, But if the bushings were bad wouldnt the marks be vertical insted of horizontal?

Thanks in advance.

 

[soft-compound]

Are they like rings around the stanchions , are they 888 i have had this on many forks just the seals low friction seals would stop this or greasing on a regular basis.
Also yes bushings run a line up the stanchion

 

[DMdh]

Are they like rings around the stanchions , are they 888 i have had this on many forks just the seals low friction seals would stop this or greasing on a regular basis.
Also yes bushings run a line up the stanchion

Yes, like slim rings. No Its a 2013 dorado expert, and they are only in the air spring stanchion.
Greasing the seals would solve it?

 

[soft-compound]

Yes, like slim rings. No Its a 2013 dorado expert, and they are only in the air spring stanchion.
Greasing the seals would solve it?

Well it would not solve it , but it would stop it from getting worse.
Also on forks that young shouldnt really have this unless they have been very well used and not maintained.
But yeah i use stendec super slick grease on the seals and pack the gap between the oil and dust seals with it.
I also spray my stanchions with silicone oil.

 

[Sugar_brad]

You exceeded the service interval and wore out your stanchion and/or bushings. The damage is done, grease isn't going to solve that.

 

[daisycutter]

Its the bushings. Time to replace the seals and bushings. Sanctions may need to be replaced.

 

[DMdh]

I didnt exceed the service time. the fork will be 1 yr old in 15 days so that isnt the problem.

I know grease wont solve anything, but prevent more to develop. Also the leg hasnt any play and the marks are just like very slim diferent colour lines, definitely nothing you can feel by hand.

Tomorrow Ill post a pic so you can see, and if somebody knows if thats normal or are something wrong inside.

 

[daisycutter]

Dude a year with out servicing your fork? That exceeds recommended service intervals by a wee bit.

 

[Kanye West]

It comes from the bushings being REALLY worn, and the stanchions being loaded fore-aft too much after the bushings are worn. I also suspect it's far beyond the normal service interval.

My Dorado that I'm selling is a year old too. No rings, and definitely still within the service interval....because I only rode it 5 or 6 times.

 

[DMdh]

here are some pics, as you see they arent full rings, and they are only in the back of the stanchion, none at the front.
(the flash makes them stand out more, without it, they´re more difficult to see.)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/myxgypqw28pmotv/AACzNlat_8tyI90Ltx_b6eG-a

Could be the cause that I´ve never greased the seals or bushings? I will dismount the leg this afternoon to grease everything and see how the bushings are, but if they were really worn wouldnt be some play in the leg?

 

[Nick]

that's weird. not was I was expecting to see based on what you said.

anyone think those could be stress/flex marks?

 

[Kanye West]

I still think bushings.

What oil? Factory stuff?

 

[DMdh]

I still think bushings.

What oil? Factory stuff?

yes, the fork always worked very smooth so I assumed it came well greased from factory, so I never feel the need to do an oil change.

In a couple of hours I hope I can upload some pictures of the bushings and see if they are greased and it they came with oil from factory.

 

[soft-compound]

Yes but you are supposed to do a strip down and re grease ever so many of hours riding.
How often do you use them?are you riding them hard?

Shouldnt really happen to forks of this age , i have some 2001 marzocchi monster t and still have the original seals and bushings.

 

[DMdh]

sorry for the wait, I couldnt work on the fork until today.

So here are some pics of the bushings. They dont seem to be worn but, I dont know much about bushings, anyone can tell me if they are ok?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/quz9vwwwe5b7mpp/AADrmGapJtRWpa7leqO0ORC9a

What I noticed its that very little oil was inside, not empty like when you open a boxxer for first time but, definitely not the recommended 30ml. Could this be the problem because the bushings were not lubricated enough?

thanks

 

[csermonet]

Could you tell if there was any "play" in the lowers before you took the fork apart? The bushings look healthy from what I can see

 

[DMdh]

no, there wasnt any play. I know nothing about bushings, but to me they look healthy too...

My theory is, that as yoo see in the pics, the coating of the bushing ends 1mm before the bushing end, and that with little lubrication was causing the markings, could be?

I greased and poured in the correct amount of oil and in the next month ill be paying attention to see if the markings develop more.

 

[csermonet]

something is obviously amiss judging by those markings, although I can't tell what. The internals of your lowers appeared to be clean, the bushings looked good too. I am no bushing expert but from what I've been told, you want to look for cracks in them and that they don't have any unusual/uneven wear pattern on them, and that the lowers don't pivot fore and aft on the stanchion tubes. I wish one of the smart people would chime in

 

[DMdh]

Im neither an expert. Thanks again, any help its apreciated

lets see if anyone knows what could be causing them..

 

[Udi]

Sometimes markings like this are left from the raw material and/or anodizing processes.

I'd run your fingernail along them perpendicularly and see if there is any perceivable change in the surface. You could try double checking with some digital vernier calipers, although it may not pick up small changes.

If you can't actually measure or feel a difference, I'd suspect it actually just came like that and you didn't notice. Bushing wear caused by lubrication issues are almost always vertical, so I doubt this is your fault, and I suspect it's not actually a problem beyond the visual inconsistency.

I'd clean it out, service with fresh oil, and keep riding. Just keep an eye on it to make sure nothing changes.

 

[Bikael Molton]

Sometimes markings like this are left from the raw material and/or anodizing processes.

I'd run your fingernail along them perpendicularly and see if there is any perceivable change in the surface. You could try double checking with some digital vernier calipers, although it may not pick up small changes.

If you can't actually measure or feel a difference, I'd suspect it actually just came like that and you didn't notice. Bushing wear caused by lubrication issues are almost always vertical, so I doubt this is your fault, and I suspect it's not actually a problem beyond the visual inconsistency.

I'd clean it out, service with fresh oil, and keep riding. Just keep an eye on it to make sure nothing changes.

I agree with him. Also, lol manitou.

 

[DMdh]

Well now everything is greased and well lubed so I will wait and see if anything changes (hope not haha)

It could be that they came like that and I didnt notice.

Thanks a lot to all that chimed in and helped!