Submitted by
Tym Tucker
a Cross Country Rider
from arlington, tx
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2009
Strengths: light, stiff, no oil.
Weaknesses: air valve strips, leaks. (fixable) compression daming would be nice
Bottom Line:
YOU CAN REBUILD THIS FORK!!!!!
If you had to abandon your mega air, read this:
First, I bought mine used years ago with a stripped schraeder valve in the top cap. I took it out, reinstalled it with a liberal coating of expoxy glue, and it hasn't leaked in years.
I have rebuilt the innards with new o-rings twice. IT DOES NOT LEAK AIR.
I thought it was a goner recently when the bearings started to go. It got loose and rattled and was driving me crazy. I searched online - with little hope - for a rebuild kit, and found it on ebay.
Here's what you need to replace the bearings and slider seals:
Slider bearing kit, part no. RK016
Slider seal kit, part no RK015
Here's how you do it:
Remove the two 5mm bolts at the bottom of the sliders. Pull the sliders off. Unless you need to replace the innards with new O-rings, leave them alone.
Both kits come with instructions and grease. The seals are straightforward, although hard to pry out. The bearings say you need a special tool, which you probably won't find.
Here's what I did:
The bearings are split. Do the upper first. Carefully tap a small flat screwdriver between the bearing and the slider wall near the split. The bearings are soft and will bend with ease. Bend the bearing in and then pull it out. Repeat for the lower. Only do one side at a time so you can compare the new bearings placement to the old!
Clean the slider well.
Lightly grease the slider wall and slide in the lower bearing. (they are 1mm smaller than the top bearing.) Use a wooden dowel rod or something similar in plastic and a hammer to tap it into place. There is a line on the slider wall to stop the bearing. I used a caliper to compare to the old bearings in the other side.
Repeat for the upper bearing. Do not install the seal yet.
A KEY FACTOR IS GETTING THE BEARINGS SEATED PROPERLY. THE SLIDER WILL BIND LIKE CRAZY IF THEY'RE NOT IN RIGHT. So, take the slider and test fit it. If it binds, get your hammer and dowel out and fix it. It will be very tight, after all it's new bearings. But it should move pretty easily.
Repeat for the other leg, tap in the seals with a wood block like the instructions say, reinstall the sliders, and enjoy a few more years with your mega air.
Submitted by
Big Al
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Alamos, NM USA
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2006
Strengths: Super light and rigid. Inexpensive and simple to maintain and rebuild. Spring rate is easily adjusted with air pressure.
Weaknesses: Leaked steadily over the years until they were so bad that I couldn't finish a ride before they were out of air. Hell, I couldn't even GET the bike to the trailhead with presure in the forks! No damping as set from factory.
Bottom Line:
I ended up with the leaky ones and decided to try rebuilding them after their demise. After taking them apart, I noticed that the top-out springs on both sides had been totally trashed and were broken into three sharp pieces each. One of the pieces had been driven about 1/8" into the outside edge of the plastic plunger on the spring side (found...the reason for the bad leak!). Raymond-Associated Spring has replacements (p/n C0600-072-0620-M) for about $32.00 each, but I bought cheapo similar looking springs from the hardware store instead. Warning: don't do this! The spring wire ends will start shaving the center plastic shaft on the spring side of the fork. The ends of the top-out springs must be squared and ground. I noticed this after the first test ride and disassembly inspection, so after some head scratching, I decided to try replacing the springs with 1/2" thick Rubber Grommets from the local hardware store. The damping side required that one of the grommet flanges be cut off and generous chamfers cut all around inside and out, with a small slot cut between them so's it can breathe. The spring side grommet went on "as-is." Adjusted the set screw on the damper bypass valve until the spring lightly seated the ball (Noleen failed to do this at the factory, hence no damping), smoothed out the damage on the spring side plunger, replaced the o-rings and lubed the stanchion tubes and o-rings. Since there are two o-ring grooves on the spring side plunger, I added a backup o-ring just for grins. Got the forks assembled and...presto-chango, they hold air just fine and I also have nice, adjustable damping instead of pogo sticks for forks! To the best of my recollection, below is a parts list of the O-rings required to rebuild a Mega Air Fork (excluding the schrader valve o-rings):
1 each .070 ID X .070 W (Parker 2-004) 3 each .987 ID X .103 W (Parker 2-120) 5 each .924 ID X .103 W (Parker 2-119) 2 each .362 ID X .103 W (Parker 2-110)
5 flamin' Chiles for value because you can buy these forks cheap and end up with an AWESOME fork after an inexpensive rebuild. 4 flamers overall because they are soooo plush now after the above repairs, and I anticipate many years of enjoyable riding on them.
Bike Setup: Gary Fisher Sugar 3+ frame. Noleen Mega Air Forks. SRAM Powerlink Chain, Cassette, and X-Gen Front Derailleur. Avid BB7 Disc Brakes. Shimano Deore Rear Derailleur. WTB MP250 Stealth Pedals, Speed V seat, Dual Duty XC Wheelsets.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Sean Novak
a Cross Country Rider
from Syracuse, NY
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2005
Strengths: Super beefy stanchions (32mm); can be pumped up to good psi for my weight (250# w/ gear); zero fork flex
Weaknesses: limited tuneability meaning air pressure and damping screw adjustment only
Bottom Line:
I was skeptical about getting the fork especially after having read all of the reviews detailling how much it leaks. But mine doesn't, and I've never been happier with a fork. It's light but beefy and soaks up anything I throw at it. I've landed 3'+ drops on it and it hasn't shown any signs of weakness. This is an older fork, but I have a feeling that it will last me for years to come. Buy this fork if you're a clyde looking for a fork that can be jacked up to support you. It has great travel for XC, but a little on the low side for freeride. I'm definitely going to enjoy racing on this fork. Too bad they don't make 'em anymore; Noleen had a good thing going.
Similar Products Used: bottom to top-RST Capa, Manitou Spyder, Manitou Axel Comp+Elite, Manitou Black Super Air
Bike Setup: '04 Komodo FX 19", Avid Levers, Hayes MX2 Mechanicals, Rocket V saddle, Ritchey 6" stem, Kenda Kinetics 2.1s, Deore Derailleurs, stock hubs and rims
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
John Mayer
a Cross Country Rider
from Winchester,KY
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2004
Strengths: Light weight,Very rigid,Easy to work on
Weaknesses: Leaks air badly on the damper side [left].Very harsh ride right out of the box.
Bottom Line:
Bought this fork because it is one of the lightest fork you can buy and you can pick one up new for $100.00 or less.The first month I rode it,it was terrible!Very harsh and was beating me to death.Plus I had to carry an air pump with me because it leaked so badly.I was about to give up on it when I decided to take it apart and try to fix the problems.First I filled it with air and submerged it in a tube of water and found that it was leaking air around the top fork cap on the left side and at the o-ring seal where the damper rod goes though the left bottom seal cap.When I toke the internal apart,I also found that thec compression bypass check valve spring was not even tight enough to seal the check valve for rebound damping.It has a set screw to set the preload on the check ball so I tightened it down to seal it on the rebound stroke.I toke all the o-rings in the fork down to the local hardware store and matched them up with new o-rings.After I put it back together and rode it I was amazed at the difference!It works great!!And it holds air! I haven't had to add air yet and this was months ago.And since I fixed the compression bypass check valve it is soooo plush.After the fixes I would very much recomend this fork.It was easy to fix and didn't need any part except new o-rings.I also coverted it to 100mm travel when I had it apart.To convert it you just have to take out a spacer.If you have one of these forks and are having problems like I had,which I have found out is common,don't give up.Its easly fixed.If you have any questions about it you can e-mail me and I will try to help you with it.
Weaknesses: Initial leaking No compression dampenign adjustment
Bottom Line:
Most people who are having problmes with this shock are probably not very mechanically oriented. Mine as leaking originally as well. I pulled it off the bike and submersed it to locate the leak. It was coming from the left top cap. I simply tightened the cap and it has held pressure for three months. As for performance, it works flawlessly. I wish the compression dampening were adjustable but the factory setting seems okay. You can get this shock on e-bay for about $130 right now. There is nothing close to it in that price range. Its also as light as the lightest $600 race forks. Stiffness is very good. Much less flexy than my Judy SL.
Submitted by
Kristan
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2004
Strengths: stiffness (32mm alloy stanchions), superlight, easy adjustment, plushness (very linear spring curve), bargain price since k2 is clearing them out.
Weaknesses: None so far on the five I own.
Bottom Line:
While some report leaking issues, the fork design is simplistic and the actual air seals are nothing more complicated that regular, available at any autoparts store, black butile rubber O-rings !!! If people are having leakage issues, maybe they should try to RTFM, take the fork apart, and replace the O-rings. There are no hydraulics to spill or reasons not to dismantle the fork, nor any special tools needed.
Similar Products Used: If its a suspension fork made in the past 12 years, i've likely used it.
Bike Setup: I got these forks on multiple hardtails and full suspensions, both XC and All-Mountain setups.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
doug
a Cross Country Rider
from san jose
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2003
Strengths: light and stiff with good damping characteristics
Weaknesses: no parts available
Bottom Line:
this fork works better than the fox vanilla i replaced. i bought it as an experiment and a cheap way to shed a full pound. it turned out to work better at bump absorbtion and handling also...all for 129 bucks. i just wish i could get parts for it when i need them in the future.
Similar Products Used: noleen elite, marazocci z2 atom 80 and fox vanilla
Bike Setup: racer x
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Harry Browne
a Cross Country Rider
from Arlington, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2003
Strengths: Lightweight.
Weaknesses: Mine leaked.
Bottom Line:
The shock felt very light on the bike. However, as reported by many others mine leaked from the start. Fortunately K2 customer service was FLAWLESS. After getting the shock returned through Oshman's they FedEx'ed a replacement (Rock Shox Duke XC) and it works great. 1 chili for value and overall - unit apparently has a flawed design.
Submitted by
Lance Loethen
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2003
Strengths: stiff suspension that only works when it needs to, light and strong, handles heavy abuse
Weaknesses: I haven't had any problems with this fork after a year of heavy riding (I'm 6'6", 200 lbs.) on XC and downhill descents in the blue ridge mountains
Bottom Line:
Despite everyone else's problems, I really like this fork and it's held up well. Although, if it hadn't come with the bike I would probably avoid it based on other experiences. I couldn't refuse the deal I got on my K2, bad fork or not (only paid $700 for everything, including free service for a year).
Weaknesses: Leaked air from second week. Totally blew out after 8 weeks.
Bottom Line:
I was very excited when I hopped on this bike for the 1st time. The shocks were great, sailed over bumps, rocks, roots, It was just a sweet ride. On the 2nd week, they started leaking air, so I pumped it up before a good ride. After owning the shoxx for 2 months, they completely blew out. 1/2 way through a 15 mile XC ride, I start bouncing around like a rubber ball. The shocks completely decompressed, no air what so ever. I had to ride the last 8 miles old school. When I pumped them up at home...swooooooshhhh, air flooding out. I sent them off to be warrantied that day, and am praying that they just give me something else.
My advise...dont buy these shocks. If you have these shocks, try to get them changed before the warranty expires.
Bike Setup: 01 K2 Zed team. Thompson elite post, otherwise stock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Phil
a Cross Country Rider
from Orlando, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2003
Strengths: Not too flexy, rather light but for XC use only
Weaknesses: Leaks air. No parts available to fix it
Bottom Line:
This fork leaked air from the start till I had to pump it up before every ride. Nice when you know that a Marzocchi holds air for an average 6 to 8 months...
Tried to order parts through several dealers. They were nice but none of them could get the parts from K2. I contacted K2 and they told me they would contact my dealer directly... nothing happened... contacted them again... and again... and I got fed up
This fork is an average XC fork but it leaks air real bad. Customer service stinks even more than the fork itself, so much that K2 IS REPLACING THE ONES STILL UNDER WARRANTY BY NON NOLEEN FORKS... Need I say more?
Don't buy anything from K2/Noleen unless you are planning to junk it after 12 months. You won't be able to get any spare parts form them once the legal warranty is over.
Bike Setup: This fork came with my K2 Evo 3.0... I mean what kind of medication would you have to be on to buy such a piece of crap as an aftermarket fork?!?
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Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Middletown, CT
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2003
Strengths: Stiff, light, durable
Weaknesses: Preload and dampening stiffen as air expands on long rides, paint job is brittle, lack of support from bike shop
Bottom Line:
I got this fork when I first bought my bike because it looked a lot beefier than the stock SID for an extra $100. I was satisfied with the performance except for the weaknesses I mentioned above. I never had any major problems with it except that I've had to ghetto-service it myself. The wiper seals are pretty shot and the shop I bought it from won't seem to order a rebuild kit for it. Considering the lack of support and that it is a discontinued model I may be forced to replace it soon. I will ride on it as long as I can, though. So far this season it has performed well under my 200-lb frame. It's pretty dinged up, but it's on a mountain bike! What do you expect?
Bike Setup: 2000 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 Pro HT
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Submitted by
Chris Owens
a Racer
from Whitby,Ont.,Canada
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2003
Strengths: Stiff,Plush and Light ! Oversize Stanchions track very predictably. Very easy to clean/maintain. I ride all year from 90 above thru 20 below and this Fork is awesome .Great for XC and reliable for racing !
Weaknesses: had a stanchion push thru the crown on the '00 fork, K2 replaced and no problem since.Not making them anymore .
Bottom Line:
I like this fork so much that at the Bike Show in Toronto this past week I scored a whole New Razorback frame WITH FORK and Shock for Cdn $ 450.00 tax in ,just so I can ride this fork till it calfs, and then I will have a new one for years to come ! But this is 2 full years on this one so who knows how long I will be riding it ?
