My forks are pretty stiff on my trek 820?? Would this have something to do with changing the oil? I can't find much on the web.
Trek 820 forks
- Thread starter canadian-boy
- Start date
I don't think the fork (stock RST, right?) uses oil. 
http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Mountain/Hardtail/Steel/820/index.php
if it is simply a sprung fork (no damping device) then a few things could make it stiff:
- Crud/dirt in fork. Making the fork hard to cycle thru it's travel. It needs a good cleaning.
- It is bent. The tubes are bent and wont allow sliding. New fork time.
- bushing are worn so bad the forks are binding. pretty much new fork time.
I find it troublesome that you mention oil. Did you add oil to the fork? I hav no idea hoe mechanically competent you are but there shouldn't be any oil in that fork. If you did add oil then the oil is stoping the fork from compressing and should be removed.
I hope this helps.
http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Mountain/Hardtail/Steel/820/index.php
if it is simply a sprung fork (no damping device) then a few things could make it stiff:
- Crud/dirt in fork. Making the fork hard to cycle thru it's travel. It needs a good cleaning.
- It is bent. The tubes are bent and wont allow sliding. New fork time.
- bushing are worn so bad the forks are binding. pretty much new fork time.
I find it troublesome that you mention oil.
Did you add oil to the fork? I hav no idea hoe mechanically competent you are but there shouldn't be any oil in that fork. If you did add oil then the oil is stoping the fork from compressing and should be removed.I hope this helps.
I am just going by what the dealer had said. No I didn't add oil , but I know there is some kind of lubricant in there. Dealer wants to charge 40$ to clean them out. Is this something that I could do easily?RhinofromWA said:I don't think the fork (stock RST, right?) uses oil.
http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Mountain/Hardtail/Steel/820/index.php
if it is simply a sprung fork (no damping device) then a few things could make it stiff:
- Crud/dirt in fork. Making the fork hard to cycle thru it's travel. It needs a good cleaning.
- It is bent. The tubes are bent and wont allow sliding. New fork time.
- bushing are worn so bad the forks are binding. pretty much new fork time.
I find it troublesome that you mention oil.
I hope this helps.
Never taken that fork apart. If it is in need of a good cleaning and is a simple spring only fork. If you are confident with wrenching on stuff it probably isn't that hard.
If it is as it came stock, then it probably has some grease in there. It probably attracted dirt and gunked up everything. It all depends on how RST designed the fork...the tools you have on hand...and how confident you are to take it easy and attack the fork dissasembly.
It could be as simple as taking the top caps off, removing the springs and loosingeing a bolt to detach the lowers from the uppers. It could be more complicated....but probably not with that level of fork.
If it is as it came stock, then it probably has some grease in there. It probably attracted dirt and gunked up everything. It all depends on how RST designed the fork...the tools you have on hand...and how confident you are to take it easy and attack the fork dissasembly.
It could be as simple as taking the top caps off, removing the springs and loosingeing a bolt to detach the lowers from the uppers. It could be more complicated....but probably not with that level of fork.
RhinofromWA said:
coo.. well i have a garage so i should have all the tools needed for this task... a few beer and i think i will go at it.. sure beats giving the bike shop $40. thanks for your help.
Good luck....have fun....and if you are going to mess it up....either mess it up so a shop can still fix it or....canadian-boy said:
Use it as an excuse to get a new fork!
