[Can Monte]

I crashed in a shallow pond a couple of days ago and broke my thumb. Now that I have time off and my hand in a cast should I be dong anything maintenance wise to my bike. I just don't want to get on it in a month and have the shock seized or anything. I ride an '03 Jekyll 2000 if that makes any difference. I just got it and it was the first time off rode on it, and now I have to wait a month to get back on it.

Cheers
Monte

 

[rjahr01]

its a sealed shock, so I would not touch it..unless it soaked in water for a couple minutes. The problem lies normally when you open it up somehow you get dirt in the shock when your cleaning it and because of that your better off leaving the seal of the shock on

 

[direktor]

Um, I think most people would disagree with that advice. There ARE breather holes at the top of the boot which can and do let water in in certain circumstances.

Prior popular wisdom on these boards is to cut one zip-tie, and inspect the slider surfaces, and reapply some sort of waterproof grease if there is none, or is minimal.

The Lefty/Headshock mechanism requires hardly any maintainance, but this is the one thing that's been recommended everywhere I've read. I'd just make sure the boot is clean before one does this so you don't introduce dirt like the previous poster mentioned.

 

[Can Monte]

Thanks for the advice guys, I will check and see if there is any grease under the boot. Would you care to recommend a particular kind of grease or will anything waterproof do?


Once again thanks

Cheers
Monte

 

[damion]

direktor is right.

Thanks for the advice guys, I will check and see if there is any grease under the boot. Would you care to recommend a particular kind of grease or will anything waterproof do?

Once again thanks

Cheers
Monte

Use SlickHoney or Rock Shox Judy Butter. Cut one zip tie and inspect/clean the insides of the boot. Apply SlickHoney to the machined surfaces, and cycle the fork a few times. Wipe away the excess, and zip tie the boot back in place.

 

[Can Monte]

Once again thanks for the advice, typing with one thumb in a sling is a b**ch. I will check with my LBS tommorrow for those two greases'. Hopefully they will have one of them.


Cheers
Monte

 

[rjahr01]

aight...whatever...just makesure that when you do cut the zip tie that you have very clean hands and their is no way to get anything in their...i'm just going to forewarn you about that idea...if their is a boot on a shock it generally means its not supposed to be taken off

 

[damion]

What are you trying to say?

aight...whatever...just makesure that when you do cut the zip tie that you have very clean hands and their is no way to get anything in their...i'm just going to forewarn you about that idea...if their is a boot on a shock it generally means its not supposed to be taken off

Why do you need clean hands to cut a zip tie? THe boot needs to be moved in order to lube the bearings.

 

[rjahr01]

Why do you need clean hands to cut a zip tie? THe boot needs to be moved in order to lube the bearings.

because if you get any dirt in there at all..you could easily mess up the bearings...the headshock is not like a normal coil spring shock...or at least it wasn't back in the day with my cannondale f900

 

[damion]

Greasy hands?

because if you get any dirt in there at all..you could easily mess up the bearings...the headshock is not like a normal coil spring shock...or at least it wasn't back in the day with my cannondale f900

Only grit and sand will hurt the bearings. You have to remove one side of the boot in order to lube the bearings.

 

[evolutionfiles]

My lefty did freeze up after a puddle dip

My 01 Lefty DLR ti did freeze up last fall... but it was mainly my fault - after the ride where I endo'd into a 3' muddy puddle (hey it used to be 6" deep before the rains) I locked the fork out then took the bike to the LBS where it stayed locked out for 2 weeks... with water in the fork I guess, cause it was frozen and had to go back to cdale. Came back fixed, n/c, but what a pain.

Bear
XC in SD