[Flying Wombat]

My Lefty DLR has performed flawlessly on my Rush for the last 2 months, until today. I noticed after the ride that there is a pronounced top out "clunk" with no negative spring as though the fork is topped out completely. As a note I have a medium Rush, it has the blue negative spring and I run about 100psi pressure for my 140lb weight. Previously the fork had some negative travel.
I take it into the LBS and we deflate the fork, with almost no pressure there is a negative spring, and when we take the cartridge out everything appears OK. The owner thinks (and it makes sense) that the negative spring has become soft over a couple of months. I have never heard of this happening and have run Fox and Manitou forks with negative springs in the past without this happening.
I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this problem, and if our diagnosis could be correct, or if there is anything else that could explain this problem. We are ordering new negative springs, but with the 24 hours of Old Pueblo looming I cant afford for the fix not to work.
Interestingly a team mate is having the exact same problem with the Carbon SL on his Scalpel.

Kevin

 

[Flying Wombat]

bearing migration?

I did a little searching on this forum and I guess the problem could be bearing migration? It sounds like a routine thing and an easy fix with Lefty forks, but it blows me away that the LBS didnt mention it or seem aware of it.
Worse thing is that the fork is pulled apart, the bike shop has my bike and they will be closed until Thursday! :madman:

Kevin

 

[CdaleTony]

Well you can always wait on an answer from our Pre-eminent Cdale tech guru, Mendoncyclesmith...Craig...
He will help you immensely :thumbsup:
CDT

 

[MendonCycleSmith]

Well you can always wait on an answer from our Pre-eminent Cdale tech guru, Mendoncyclesmith...Craig...
He will help you immensely :thumbsup:
CDT

Tony's my PR guy Yup, easy fix, you can do it yourself. And shame on the shop. Sounds like another take your bucks and run kinda shop. How thy could not know about it, least of all, or how to fix it (better) is beyond me. Let me guess, they'll send it in to Cannondale......

 

[Flying Wombat]

Thanks Craig! :thumbsup:
They were actually going to order a new negative spring, but sounds like the bearing issue to me. In defense of the shop they have been beyond great to us as a bike sponsor, but they are more of a road shop than a mountain bike shop and the owner had a lot on his plate as he was leaving on vacation the next day and I just dropped in while he was trying to wrap things up and attend to customers and had way too much on his plate.
I wasnt really aiming my stuff at the shop, but more at the fact that Cdale doesnt have some kind of compulsory training/tools for everyone who becomes a dealer?
I think I am going to buy myself one of those castle tools for the Lefty and plan on doing my own servicing as required. The internals are actually pretty simple in there.

Kevin

 

[MendonCycleSmith]

Thanks Craig! :thumbsup:
They were actually going to order a new negative spring, but sounds like the bearing issue to me. In defense of the shop they have been beyond great to us as a bike sponsor, but they are more of a road shop than a mountain bike shop and the owner had a lot on his plate as he was leaving on vacation the next day and I just dropped in while he was trying to wrap things up and attend to customers and had way too much on his plate.
I wasnt really aiming my stuff at the shop, but more at the fact that Cdale doesnt have some kind of compulsory training/tools for everyone who becomes a dealer?
I think I am going to buy myself one of those castle tools for the Lefty and plan on doing my own servicing as required. The internals are actually pretty simple in there.

Kevin

Sounds like they mean well. Hopefully, your experience will be added to their knowledge base, and they will be more on the up about it when the next fellow walks through the door. Maybe you can even clinic them about it, and how bloody easy it is to fix :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: As for migration, you don't need a castle tool to fix it, (that takes about 3 minutes,a 1.5mm allen wrench, 10mm socket, and an external bottom bracket tool) you will need it to service the cartridge however. Be advised, the DLR2 carts are pressurized, and if you don't follow the instructions EXACTLY, you will lose tiny parts forever, due to powerful ejections, and cover yourself in oil, at that point, much dirty language will flow, quite freely in all directions