By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Sadly this is more than just cosmetic damage. Please clarify. Excellent, thanks for that and to everyone. Others mention windscreen repair kits or araldite. As stated in the intro, we're not suggesting this as the ideal solution, and badly scratched stanchions will still need replacing at some point, but this simple fix is far better than continuing to ride with sharp edges that can cut away at your seals and bushes.Job done! The spring back controls have snapped off so if the uppers are shafted too then I probably need to replace the lot. Pig ugliest AM/Enduro/XC/DH bikes out there if yours is a pig post it! If there is just a scratch this may lead to oil and air leakage. Ive done it on a smallish scratch caused by the bike falling over and the stanchion sliding down a brick wall. Giving the area a once-over with some fine 1,200 grit emery paper will soften the edges on any depressions. I've got some videos to watch and some fine emery paper to sand it down with. Make sure it's all good and clean. I have been riding with a scratched stanchion for a couple of years without it having any noticable effect. This will flush away any metal debris and prepare the surface for the following step. If it's deep enough, then a new CSU (crown-steerer unit) is the only sure-fire fix. They said that the fork was serviced about a week ago at a shop, and the shop said that the seals and oil had no unusual wear. As long as it's not rounded off it's fine just cosmetic. What rating point advantage does playing White equate to? Locate the scratch, and identify how bad it is. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. In practice, how explicitly can we describe a Galois representation? If you didn't notice the scratches till after a ride you've probably contaminated the bushings and wiper seals already. Post Your Road Bikes (Read 1st post for guide). You don't want any degreaser to get on your seals. JavaScript is disabled. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Can a US citizen who's never lived in US vote in US? I've found nail varnish top coat (Mavala brand) to be quite suitable, but you will want to let it cure for 24 hours before attempting to sand it. now assess whether the burr has torn the seals, if so, new seals please! As you finish this off, run the spoon up and down the stanchion - you want to avoid any scratches running horizontally. I use nail varnish top coat. The Expanse: Sustained Gs during space travel. Suitable for use on fork, shock, and seatpost stanchions, the repair kit provides you with everything you need to remove any burrs. She has been writing about Mountain Bike Riding and Racing, and all the technology that comes along with it for 3 years. The Fat Chance Team Yo Eddy is one of the nicest hard tails to hail from the 90s, and this beautiful example is loaded with retro kit full details here! Breathe a sigh of relief and give yourself a high-five. Could the German government decide to free Russian citizen Vadim Krasikov from prison? Nice one! Why does RockShox say you shouldn't use a bolt on axle on their fork? Contact UsPrivacyForum RulesClassifieds RulesLink RemovalLogin/cookie issues?Newsletter SettingsAdvertising, Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total). you've been riding a long time with scratches (and no other damage), you might want to think about servicing your forks. It had just arrived and like most people, had no idea who or what Sprung was []. Cycle the fork through the travel a few times to make sure everything is working OK. People have been doing bodge repairs on stanchion scratches since errr, stanchions. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The scratch was sanded soon after it occurred, so everything seems to be fine. Cos it looks like the outer part of the suspension from your photo. Make sure you have a quality metal polish. Previously, this type of grievous injury could be considered a death sentence for the component (or your wallet) but Sendhit has come to save the day with their Sendhit Fork Stanchion Scratch Repair Kit. If there is a burr (sharp barb sticking out) this will tear the seals. Copyright 2022 Bikerumor, All Rights Reserved. note the lack of colour change in the stantions, and how the black writing hasnt worn out/off. Once dried, you can gently sand down any excess epoxy resin until the area feels completely smooth and uniform in height to the rest of the stanchion. Grab the 1,200 grit emery paper and give the surface a wet sand. Who's this item for: Anguished riders that have mortally wounded the fork, shock, or seatpost stanchion on their beloved steed and want to get them back to looking and performing at their best. Here is a better photo of the marks on the air cap: Are they something to be worried about if the fork is functioning fine? Is this sentence correct? Check smoothness. Thanks, I'll see about getting service booked shortly to make sure the seals /bushings are in good nick. Apply some metal polish with a clean cloth, and polish out the scratched area as best as you can. Some people have reported success with super glue or nail varnish, too. Fill the scratch with a high-strength epoxy resin, and then gently sand it to a beautiful smooth finish that will be almost impossible to detect and will ensure that there is no decrease in the performance/lifespan of the component, or the joy you feel when looking at it. Sounds like the marks on air cap are a non-issue. It's the high spots which wear out and damage the seals and bushings. We headed there to get our forks and shock custom Push tuned check out what happened.. They will get scratched over time if the owner was having it serviced regularly or switching back and forth between travel lengths. Wipe away the sanded material as you work. Frequent rinsing with water helps to flush away the particles and provides a cleaner finish. I haven't seen the bike in person, but when I do I'll see how rough the mark is. What You'll NeedTo make a clean and tidy repair without exacerbating the damage, it's best to head to the hardware store. Small low spots are not really a problem. All rights reserved. Bushings might wear more quickly, but otherwise left leg is the lesser of two evils? I guess the PO of that fork didn't like DVO green? Having seen that and read your post, Id probably agree that its ok. Depending on the size/depth of the scratch, I read an article years ago in one of the MTB magazines that described filling with epoxy and then sanding smooth with fine wet and dry. Used nail varnish and relatively coarse wet and dry (it was all I had). Rockshox Quadra 21R -- Removal tips for old brittle elastomer. I've managed to scratch both stanchions of my forks, presumably in the same incident, although I'm not sure sure how. What you need to do depends on the scratch (and your question too). Sendhit have provided a step by step tutorial to guide users through the delicate operation. No issue with the wiper seal wearing out prematurely or anything. I could try to fill the scratch with paint and polish or replace the crown with standpipes. Vertical marks are less critical. Why do modern mountain bike forks no longer use boots on fork stanchions? Only polish up and down. Fork, shock and dropper post stanchions are no match for the rocks you find in a crash or various trail projectiles such a grit or shale. Discussion is welcome! Been pretty successful in removing the burrs, so do I need to worry too much, as not on the damping side? Just ride! Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. Ive heard that nail varnish works well to fill scratches, but havent tried it myself. Announcing the Stacks Editor Beta release! UKClimbing Limited. The upper legs stanchion tubes on suspension forks are prone to scratches, be it from flying trail debris; your bike rubbing up against another or general wear and tear. These guys have a good reputation if you haven't tried them already (and are happy to send the forks away). All on the right side, the lowers copped a bit of a scratch and the stanchion also copped some scratching. The Sendhit Stanchion Scratch Repair Kit is available now from various online retailers at a price of 39 ($43). as they cure, so you. Would it be best to not do anything else? I know because mine is due for it's second service. OK, so Ive read a few threads on the subject (from here as well as Bike Radar etc), any advances on nail varnish as the filler? What exactly happens when YAML files pending changes are applied? Remember a scratch is the surface is better than a sharp burr that will continue causing damage, but if its a severe scratch then unfortunately it can be a costly repair. Unfortunately, this means that we can only ship this product to addresses in Australia via regular road-based postage. Clean the scratch and the surrounding area thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol, removing any debris from the scratch itself. Adam Wight is our upside-down faced MTB tester and writer. A scratched stanchion is not going to seal as well so will let water and dirt past the wiper seal and accelerate bushing wear. I've heard people recommend nail polish or epoxy for fixing marks, but if it could cause damage I would avoid doing anything else. Lots of faint scratches on one side, a couple of deeper on the other. Ideally, you'll try to push the raised surface back in towards the scratch. That's not the air cap. You should feel any raised edges. Crashing and mountain biking go hand in hand. The 2022 Checkpoint legitimately feels like several bikes in one - all road, adventure, gravel and super commuter. As much as possible, focus your efforts on the scratches without sanding away an undamaged portion of stanchion tube. The aim is to get it into the bottom of each scratch - it'll serve as a filler - but it is hard not to paint a bit of the surrounding area, so don't worry if you do. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. On most modern mountain bike forks the stanchion is a sliding surface only and is completely separated from the seals that protect the damping and air spring ( all contained within the stanchion). Help! For smaller scratches (not deep gouges like our fork had), a good polish may suffice. Just give it time. Looks to me like minor usage damage - you rode your bike past a thorn or stick , or maybe it hit the ground. Do a thorough job and your fork will still perform as intended without impacting on anything other than the aesthetics. I would be careful of removing any more material than is necessary to smooth the edges of the scratch. The whole process can take anything from 8 to 24 hours, depending on the environmental conditions, as the drying time of the epoxy resin is sensitive to temperature and humidity. See links below. Windscreen,or windshield for my overseas brothers/sisters repair resin.Rainex. Loads of great ideas! Personally, I cant help but wince at the thought of sandpaper going anywhere near my fork stanchion, but needs must hey. Ive seen someone use 1200 grit to polish metal railings on a boat, and was very supprised that it actually did polish it and bring up a shine! A filler (see note below). @Criggie This is the upper fork assembly. reviving old thread. The replacement CSU unit for the Pike costs 316. Dirt Jump Bikes. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. they are harder than you think, just not harder than rocks . Theres lots of information online on how to do this. Also inspect the fork seals to see if they are damaged from the scratch and replace if necessary. You must log in or register to reply here. Posted on November 13, 2019 by Jessie-May Morgan. Brief instructions: Be sure to thoroughly read the detailed instructions and watch the video before you begin! Step 7 - And there you go, this is how our fork turned out after we'd finished. Takeaway: Scratches on your MTB stanchions can damage your seals, allow the ingress of dirt and water and make you sad when you look at them. Wipe the area clean with the alcohol swab to ensure that the epoxy will create a strong bond. If you're unlucky, the bike will cop some damage and they don't heal, not without making your wallet lighter first anyway!The following fix may not be approved by suspension manufacturers but our experience has shown that it's a workable solution, at least in the short-term. However, it didn't work so well on the stanchions of my TALAS 32, since the filling wouldn't stick for more than a couple of rides. any bike welcome as long as its dj or street. Hey there, im trying to repair a few sratches on my fox fork stanchion and ive got it smooth and ready to be filled but im not sure what the best filler is. Rub away until the painted surface is no longer raised above the original stanchion. Maybe you'll have a bruise or scrape but they heal soon enough. Lizard Skins for example, sell fork stanchion covers to prevent such damage, but they can be fiddly to work with and, you might not want to cover the beautiful gold stanchions of your Fox Factory suspension (not to mention they tend to trap dirt underneath). If you're going to downvote, please explain what's wrong with the answer! The problem would be if the scratch was so bad that the wiper seal got a hole and dirt or water was able to get in. Most of the time you'll dust yourself off after a roll in the dirt. You need to sand the whole area smooth and just leave it. Step 5 - It's really important that you allow the nail polish to completely dry and harden. If it all goes wrong then I may have to ride the forks into the ground. Sorry! The lower legs are joined by the brace that has "Pike" printed on it. Fwiw they are Fox evolution 32 float something orothers, if that makes a difference. The best fix for stanchion scratches is kind of the ugliest. I'll also ask if they had it filled. Morning it depends on the type of scratch, if its just a stone chip, you just need to take any sharp edges off of the chip so it doesnt damage the seal, larger wear from dirt ingress smoothing wont make much difference. I scratched my stantion on my reacon gold and feels fine. When its dry after about an hour carefully buff with the 1200 grit. Instead of nail polish rub slickoleum on and use it also in your fork servicing. Youre only going to loose the lubricating oil ou the lowers as the oil/grease in the damper and air units is sealed in the uppers. yeah that scrape is no big deal. Why did the folks at Marvel Studios remove the character Death from the Infinity Saga? Then either fill it and machine it back to size, or spray weld it which is a different process to fill the damaged area, then again machine it back to original diameter. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I may fill in the mark to be extra safe, though. If youre looking for advice on suspension set up, or are looking for service details or performance tuning drop them a line for friendly, expert advice. He said its ok to rub down the stanchion to get a good finish without damaging the surrounding finish, scares me though! Determining LO drive voltage for 13dBm mini-circuits mixer, Does this JavaScript example create race conditions? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company. Was it accurate (history-wise) for Koenig to know about robots? Have heard of a number of people using nail varnish but havent tried myself. (Optional) Use a metal polish to get the surface absolutely perfect. The Sendhit Fork Stanchion Scratch Repair Kit will get your components looking and performing great again and will remove those tears from your eyes. If you're happy with your handiwork, give the inner leg a clean with some disc brake cleaner or isopropyl alcohol. What options do I have when replacing my fork's elastomers? if not it clogs up the emery and pulls it out of the hole again. MTB Direct is committed to providing the Australian MTB community with great value products across a wide variety of parts, clothing and accessories. A scratched stanchion can damage the seals and cause oil leakage and contamination. Especially when considering buying a new frame next year, I don't need these unnecessary costs! Nail polish for smaller, less deep. The air side requires service about every 50-100 hours of use, or when the OTT spring starts making noise on compressions. The scratch has sharp edges. Trailforks has detected that this ride contains secret or sensitive trails, so others cannot view the map. Mixing the epoxy fluids together for 3 minutes to initiate the hardening process. It's not perfect but it's a pretty good bodge. really impressed with this product, super easy and effective, managed to save my scratched stanchions, would recommend doing a lower leg service with it as well. Some finishing polish is also a good idea. I'll assume you're using nail varnish. Service interval (full strip, clean,oil and seal change)was 100hrs it will now be less. I've successfully repaired a nick in a Fox RP2 rear shock like this, and it's still going strong today. Komoot Trail View is Google Street View for yknow, trails! it would be if it was in the OTT zone or sag zone, but it is located in an area you might not be in constantly, only on bigger hits. Gently smooth the stanchion scratch out with emery paper, and use brake cleaner to keep the area clean and polished. Which comes around pretty quickly. - is or was? I'm seen many repaired this way with no ill effects during the life of the fork. Swipe the blade back and forth to shave off any raised metal and flatten the area. If you just want to hide the chip a little just touch it a couple of times with a black sharpie pen. I didn't realise the image was of the inner fork leg. Burrs need to be filed off and scratches filled to keep the fork working but a new CSU is the only fix. Couple of deeper scratches, say 0.5mm deep and a handfull just enough to reveal silver beneath the gold (Rockshox), all on the air side. You may even need new wiper seals, so additional tools, oils and suspension grease will also be required. You'll also need disc brake cleaner (or isopropyl alcohol) and some nail polish (choose an appropriate colour). It only takes a minute to sign up. Terms of use | RSS, Sign up to get the latest FJ updates and offers. Filling by welding can be done with most materials in one way or another. Thanks for contributing an answer to Bicycles Stack Exchange! How are your forks going now mate and what did you do. Step 2 - The blade used in step one should deal with any sharp edges that protruded from the surface. What determines whether Schengen flights have passport control? Decrease quantity for Sendhit Fork Stanchion Scratch Repair Kit, Increase quantity for Sendhit Fork Stanchion Scratch Repair Kit, Small file to accurately remove burrs without damaging the stanchion, Alcohol cleaning wipes to clean the area before applying the epoxy resin, 5ml bottle of epoxy resin (available in a black, or transparent finish to match your stanchion), 3ml bottle of hardener to mix with the epoxy to activate the hardening process, 5 pippettes (allow for accurate application of the epoxy resin). Using a sanding block is a very good idea, as you'll get a nice flat finish. Degrease thoroughly. I've done this before on a fairly basic motorbike fork that had quite a nasty stone chip on it, so the technical aspect works fine. Fine grit wet & dry paper. Doing this in a well-lit area will allow you to see when the excess material has been removed. What do I need to make this new fork aesthetically pleasing? The air side on a Diamond is a cartridge. Carefully remove the sharp edges of the bur, but be careful not to damage other areas of the stanchion. Even a light sand with 1,200 grit wet-and-dry followed by a polish will do a decent job of restoring lighter scuff marks. sharp edge is aligned parallel to centre axis of stanchion). To be clear, the concept of repairing scratched stanchions is by no means new; Sendhit just seem like the first to sell a complete kit specifically for the job. Are you asking how to touch up the paint, or how to stop it rusting? When hard hold box cutter blade flat to stanchion (i.e. Remember its better to have a slight indent on the fork leg, than a sharp protruding burr. Please help UKClimbing continue to provide varied and free content by becoming a UKC Supporter, or UKC Supporter Plus which As mentioned, ideally you'd take the forks apart first. Wait - are you saying this scratch is on the inner part of the leg, that has to form a good seal?