Repair guides › Suspension
Stanchion clean and seal care
A fork with a spring (coil or air) and damper so the front wheel can move up over bumps. Stanchions (upper tubes) slide into lowers on bushings. A spring holds you up; a damper controls how fast it rebounds. Wiper seals keep dirt out. Air forks are tuned with a shock pump; coil forks with a preload knob.
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Tools
- Shop rags + nitrile gloves: shop towels and nitrile gloves ($)
Compare Good, Better and Best for each tool
Steps
- Wipe stanchions with a clean rag after every dirty ride.
- Lift the dust wiper edge with a clean finger to check for grit.
- Never spray degreaser at the seals.
- If oil leaks from the seals, book a lower-leg service.
Signs it needs doing
- Fork bottoms out with a clunk
- Oil ring on the stanchions
- Sticky, notchy movement
- Fork tops out with a clunk (rebound too fast)