FINALLY A WELL ILLUSTRATED VIDEO ON THIS OLD FORK, i'm searching around from a while! Since I refuse to swap this amazing fork this is going to be really helpfull
I've just done the full service on my Pikes- followed the instructions at the end to strip the damper FULLY, and changed the 130mm 2017 air spring to an upgrade 2019/20 Debonair one at 140mm. Here's my comments- you definitely need a 5/8" HEX bit to get both sides of the bladder off (not sure metric is 16mm or so?). The volume of oil needed to refill from empty is less than the standard 120ml 3wt Rockshox bottle- just...allow for some loss assembling and purging air in the initial stages, it's a bit messy lol, I'd get 2 bottles just to be safe... If you have the RC (not sure about the other one) the circlip pliers you need are damn small ones- I have good Knipex ones but there's one circlip (On the "compression adjuster"- see 14:34 ) it couldn't get to- I had to sit with a file and use an old pair of cheap ones with changeable heads and file to tiny width points to get into it...I was gonna just leave it but at 6 years old I reckoned the forks were due the full overhaul... Now on to the Monarch RL overhaul lol 😳😳😳
Thanks. I usually have good luck finding the volume for various forks with a Google search if the technical documents aren't on the RS website anymore. The Judy has been around a long time with many different models and configurations. If you know the specific model, ie "solo silver air" or if it's an older fork like a "J1" and the approximate year, you should be able to find something. Good luck
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets Yeah I’m glad I didn’t rush the project looks like I just found out the oil weight is different for the air spring (15) and the damper the oil required is weight 5. Do you think these things make a big difference?
I would use what it is suggesting. The oil weight in the damping circuit is important. I'm not sure what the oil's purpose is in the air spring. The Pike doesn't have any oil in the air spring, just suspension grease. But I have to assume if they are spec'ing something in the air spring, there is a reason. There is probably another oil for the lowers also, correct? The oil in the lowers should be the same for both sides.
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets got it taken care of, ended up dumping the hole damper leg on accident and went through twice the oil haha, the fork feels great now tho
can anyone help i can’t get the knob retaining nut that screws onto the where the bake goes, the small nut just keeps on spinning freely, the nut i’m on about is at 3:04
It's funny how the 35 gold rl use the same lowers and crown as this gen pike and some yari. SRAM is the champion of recycling, new db8 brakes are old codes casting too.
This is a really great walkthrough! Thanks so much for taking the time to create and post it. Can you please share your source for the 200 hr service parts and seals?
I don't know why they removed those steps from the last few revisions of the manual. Maybe they no longer consider it a service item to replace the bladder every year? But even then it would be nice if RS put these steps at the end of the manual to reference for repair if needed.
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets Turns out my bladder blew a hole. Have no idea why - I was looking everywhere for a reference. Thanks for the bleed tricks too. It's not as easy as the RS video shows.
I don't have a Suntour XCT to do a service on to make a video. It looks like the 50 hour service on that fork is to just clean the outside and inspect for damage. The 100 hour service is disassembly / cleaning the entire fork inside and out / cleaning and lubricating dust seals and slider sleeves / checking torques. Replace the slider sleeve if play is excessive. I also looked at the fork diagram - it looks like one version has a coil on each side and no hydraulic damping circuit. The other version has a coil on the brake side and a hydraulic lock out on the drive side. There is no indication that I can find that says the hydraulic lock out is serviceable. To me it sounds like you need to take the lowers off the uppers, clean the sliders and the seals, grease them with suspension grease, and put it back together. That's my best guess, good luck! Expand the service tab on this page for links to the manuals. www.srsuntour.com/products/fork/XCT-5879.html
Good video. So even though that one fluid says it's for a shock, it's what's supposed to be used? Kind of weird it doesn't say anything about forks on bottle.
Well, I figure it's fine. Here's my long explanation for that conclusion. The manual for both the fork and the shock call for Rockshox 3wt suspension fluid. Neither specify front or rear specific fluid. I can't think of a scenario where the front damping circuit and the rear damping circuit would call for the same weight, but require different fluids. So then when it comes to buying the fluid, you can get a 120ml bottle of 3wt that does not denote front or rear, or you can get a 16oz bottle of 3wt, which says rear. There is no 16oz bottle that says front. So, if we assume the denotation matters, does that mean the 120ml bottle can be used front or rear, but the fluid in the big bottle is only suitable for the rear? That doesn't make sense. So, I decided it's probably the same stuff in both bottles and can be used front or rear. I bought the big bottle because it's a better value. I've done this service before with this "rear" fluid with no problems. So, my conclusion is it's fine. Last thought - as far as I can tell, the 16oz bottle is sold out most places right now anyway, so if you're about to buy parts for this service, you'll be getting the 3wt in the 120ml bottle anyway. Thanks for watching!
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets I've bought all the bits I thought I'd need and they're in the post- I got the 3wt Suspension fluid/bleed kit from Epic Bleed Solutions and added an extra bottle so now have 200ml, do you think that's enough for a drain down, refill and bleed? I cannot for the life of me find ANY advice on the internet and the silly SRAM/Rockshox manuals just list the damper volume as "bleed"...never seen anything so stupid (I've done Tora and Recon Race and they give you the exact volume) considering there is a volume of oil in them!! Hope you can help, and the video is excellent, getting a good heads up on what to expect and reassuring to see I'll be able to remove the damper seal head with adjustables!
Very good video. Ill give this a go 2 days from now. Would you advise me to also do the bladder servicing? My fork is due for a full check, but I dont have any issues with it at the moment (crossing fingers).
It's hard to say. I always used to replace it when that was in the service manual, but the last service I did not. I would like to think if Rockshox took it out of the manual, then it doesn't need to be done every time. How long will it last? I'm not sure. If you're way over due on this service (years) then might as well do it all, it will only cost you some more time.
Some of the internals (air spring piston, damper side bleed plug vs compression adjuster) are slightly different, but the steps for the service are very similar.
Is there a way you can send me the bladder replacement instructions? Its hard to follow at the end of the video and this is where im stumped on this old damper
I put the playback speed down to 0.25x and paused it often, and replayed often just to ensure I was dealing with my "RC" and not the "RCT3" other one...
I have serviced a charger 2.1 damper a few times now. It looks a bit different than this but not that much. Also, they stopped selling the bladder, the bastards. And if you ever want to change shims you need to take off the bladder. annoying AF.
2 inches of free play in the assembled fork or the damper assembly? Before putting the damper assembly back in the fork, did you close the compression and push up on the rod to confirm the bleed was good? When you push up on the rod with the compression open, does the bladder expand? My first guess is air in the damper.
The old manuals said 15ml on the non-drive side and 5ml on the drive side. The newest manual revision says 10ml on both sides. So... Take your pick? I did 10ml in both sides this time per the newest manual and it has been fine.
It's about 100ml. I used a 120ml Rockshox bottle and it was enough, even with a bit of spillage as I did the first air purge (got caught out not holding my thumb tight enough against the tube end), and enough to bleed with the syringe(about 15-20 ml in the syringe, bottle empty) at the end. I bought 3 bottles because I couldn't find this info anywhere and was more concerned I'd not have enough once I stripped it and built it up, but I'd still recommend 2 bottles anyway "just in case" something goes wrong and you lose some or spill it!
FINALLY A WELL ILLUSTRATED VIDEO ON THIS OLD FORK, i'm searching around from a while!
Since I refuse to swap this amazing fork this is going to be really helpfull
I finally found this again as I'm about to service my son's bike while he is out on a Navy deployment. Thank you for this very well done video!
I'm glad it's helpful!
Finally a clear walk through! Thank you for putting this up. I find the service manuals hard to follow but this seems extremely reasonable.
I'm glad it helps. Thanks for watching
I've just done the full service on my Pikes- followed the instructions at the end to strip the damper FULLY, and changed the 130mm 2017 air spring to an upgrade 2019/20 Debonair one at 140mm. Here's my comments- you definitely need a 5/8" HEX bit to get both sides of the bladder off (not sure metric is 16mm or so?). The volume of oil needed to refill from empty is less than the standard 120ml 3wt Rockshox bottle- just...allow for some loss assembling and purging air in the initial stages, it's a bit messy lol, I'd get 2 bottles just to be safe... If you have the RC (not sure about the other one) the circlip pliers you need are damn small ones- I have good Knipex ones but there's one circlip (On the "compression adjuster"- see 14:34 ) it couldn't get to- I had to sit with a file and use an old pair of cheap ones with changeable heads and file to tiny width points to get into it...I was gonna just leave it but at 6 years old I reckoned the forks were due the full overhaul... Now on to the Monarch RL overhaul lol 😳😳😳
Thanks for the easy to use guide 👍
Thanks for watching!
Great vid! Only full service vid on TH-cam, everything else was only lower leg service.
Thanks!
Nicely done I just completed my rock Shox Judy, just need to fill it back with oil but having a hard time figuring out how much to use…
Thanks. I usually have good luck finding the volume for various forks with a Google search if the technical documents aren't on the RS website anymore. The Judy has been around a long time with many different models and configurations. If you know the specific model, ie "solo silver air" or if it's an older fork like a "J1" and the approximate year, you should be able to find something. Good luck
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets Yeah I’m glad I didn’t rush the project looks like I just found out the oil weight is different for the air spring (15) and the damper the oil required is weight 5. Do you think these things make a big difference?
I would use what it is suggesting. The oil weight in the damping circuit is important. I'm not sure what the oil's purpose is in the air spring. The Pike doesn't have any oil in the air spring, just suspension grease. But I have to assume if they are spec'ing something in the air spring, there is a reason. There is probably another oil for the lowers also, correct? The oil in the lowers should be the same for both sides.
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets got it taken care of, ended up dumping the hole damper leg on accident and went through twice the oil haha, the fork feels great now tho
Really nice and helpful... Thanks!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful
can anyone help i can’t get the knob retaining nut that screws onto the where the bake goes, the small nut just keeps on spinning freely, the nut i’m on about is at 3:04
It's funny how the 35 gold rl use the same lowers and crown as this gen pike and some yari.
SRAM is the champion of recycling, new db8 brakes are old codes casting too.
This is a really great walkthrough! Thanks so much for taking the time to create and post it. Can you please share your source for the 200 hr service parts and seals?
I normally buy the kits from Planet Cyclery or Jenson.
Thanks@@Sockets_and_Sprockets ! Jensen didn't have what I needed, but Planet Cyclery had it, and at a good price.
Great job
😱wow, you know your stuff👌🤣i wouldnt even try it, on a basic fork may be👍fairplay😉
Great video! Does your wife know you are rebuilding your bike in the kitchen 😂
Thank you for posting that manual at the end! Why did RS take it away?
I don't know why they removed those steps from the last few revisions of the manual. Maybe they no longer consider it a service item to replace the bladder every year? But even then it would be nice if RS put these steps at the end of the manual to reference for repair if needed.
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets Turns out my bladder blew a hole. Have no idea why - I was looking everywhere for a reference. Thanks for the bleed tricks too. It's not as easy as the RS video shows.
Thank you for this vid sir. Can I request a tutorial on how to service a coil spring forks like SR Suntour XCT? Thank you!
I don't have a Suntour XCT to do a service on to make a video. It looks like the 50 hour service on that fork is to just clean the outside and inspect for damage. The 100 hour service is disassembly / cleaning the entire fork inside and out / cleaning and lubricating dust seals and slider sleeves / checking torques. Replace the slider sleeve if play is excessive.
I also looked at the fork diagram - it looks like one version has a coil on each side and no hydraulic damping circuit. The other version has a coil on the brake side and a hydraulic lock out on the drive side. There is no indication that I can find that says the hydraulic lock out is serviceable.
To me it sounds like you need to take the lowers off the uppers, clean the sliders and the seals, grease them with suspension grease, and put it back together. That's my best guess, good luck!
Expand the service tab on this page for links to the manuals. www.srsuntour.com/products/fork/XCT-5879.html
Any chance you can email the “older” service manual?
Good video. So even though that one fluid says it's for a shock, it's what's supposed to be used? Kind of weird it doesn't say anything about forks on bottle.
Well, I figure it's fine. Here's my long explanation for that conclusion.
The manual for both the fork and the shock call for Rockshox 3wt suspension fluid. Neither specify front or rear specific fluid. I can't think of a scenario where the front damping circuit and the rear damping circuit would call for the same weight, but require different fluids. So then when it comes to buying the fluid, you can get a 120ml bottle of 3wt that does not denote front or rear, or you can get a 16oz bottle of 3wt, which says rear. There is no 16oz bottle that says front. So, if we assume the denotation matters, does that mean the 120ml bottle can be used front or rear, but the fluid in the big bottle is only suitable for the rear? That doesn't make sense. So, I decided it's probably the same stuff in both bottles and can be used front or rear. I bought the big bottle because it's a better value. I've done this service before with this "rear" fluid with no problems. So, my conclusion is it's fine.
Last thought - as far as I can tell, the 16oz bottle is sold out most places right now anyway, so if you're about to buy parts for this service, you'll be getting the 3wt in the 120ml bottle anyway. Thanks for watching!
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets I've bought all the bits I thought I'd need and they're in the post- I got the 3wt Suspension fluid/bleed kit from Epic Bleed Solutions and added an extra bottle so now have 200ml, do you think that's enough for a drain down, refill and bleed? I cannot for the life of me find ANY advice on the internet and the silly SRAM/Rockshox manuals just list the damper volume as "bleed"...never seen anything so stupid (I've done Tora and Recon Race and they give you the exact volume) considering there is a volume of oil in them!! Hope you can help, and the video is excellent, getting a good heads up on what to expect and reassuring to see I'll be able to remove the damper seal head with adjustables!
Very good video. Ill give this a go 2 days from now. Would you advise me to also do the bladder servicing? My fork is due for a full check, but I dont have any issues with it at the moment (crossing fingers).
It's hard to say. I always used to replace it when that was in the service manual, but the last service I did not. I would like to think if Rockshox took it out of the manual, then it doesn't need to be done every time. How long will it last? I'm not sure. If you're way over due on this service (years) then might as well do it all, it will only cost you some more time.
Thanks. All worked out fine. A bit of stress, but once done it's not that bad. :)
Great video. What year pike is that?
Thanks, it's a 2015.
Great video. I'm getting ready to do this for the first time. My pike is RC solo air - is it gonna be any different than yours?
Some of the internals (air spring piston, damper side bleed plug vs compression adjuster) are slightly different, but the steps for the service are very similar.
Which version of Pike is this?
This is a 2015 rockshox pike dual position air
What year is the suspension?
This is off a 2015 Trek
Is there a way you can send me the bladder replacement instructions? Its hard to follow at the end of the video and this is where im stumped on this old damper
I put the playback speed down to 0.25x and paused it often, and replayed often just to ensure I was dealing with my "RC" and not the "RCT3" other one...
I have serviced a charger 2.1 damper a few times now. It looks a bit different than this but not that much. Also, they stopped selling the bladder, the bastards. And if you ever want to change shims you need to take off the bladder. annoying AF.
Do exactly same after assembly done ,lock on not working, about 2inch free play.
2 inches of free play in the assembled fork or the damper assembly? Before putting the damper assembly back in the fork, did you close the compression and push up on the rod to confirm the bleed was good? When you push up on the rod with the compression open, does the bladder expand? My first guess is air in the damper.
nice one. how much oil did you put back in the bottom of the forks on a solo air. each side.
10ml each side per the current version of the manual
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets cheers buddy
I was wondering how much 30wt oil do you put in for each lower leg? I couldn’t find it anywhere.
Rev F of the manual (current) says 10ml on each side.
@@Sockets_and_Sprockets do you have a link to rev f?
Disregard I saw the link in the description. Thanks.
after the lowers go back on how much fluid in each side?
The old manuals said 15ml on the non-drive side and 5ml on the drive side. The newest manual revision says 10ml on both sides. So... Take your pick? I did 10ml in both sides this time per the newest manual and it has been fine.
How many ml of damper oil does it need to fill up the damper?
It's about 100ml. I used a 120ml Rockshox bottle and it was enough, even with a bit of spillage as I did the first air purge (got caught out not holding my thumb tight enough against the tube end), and enough to bleed with the syringe(about 15-20 ml in the syringe, bottle empty) at the end. I bought 3 bottles because I couldn't find this info anywhere and was more concerned I'd not have enough once I stripped it and built it up, but I'd still recommend 2 bottles anyway "just in case" something goes wrong and you lose some or spill it!
1 bottle seemed to have been enough for me as well with some left. Thanks for the info
👌👍👍👍
Thanks!
Hi, very good explanation, Where Can you get all kit seals for 200 hr service ? Thanks