[Ausable]

Considering that the TALAS is one of the most expensive xc forks on the market (mine came stock on my Stumpjumper) I am not satisfied of the small bump performance on gravel or tennis ball-sized rocks. The fork has noticeable stiction, and a lot of high frequency vibration are transferred to the handlebar.
I am not sure it is a lubrication problem. I was hoping it was a seal break-in issue, but I have a full season on the fork and haven’t seen any improvement. In this regard, my wimpy SID I use on my hardtail is much better. I did notice that the “oil rings” on the stanchions that were noticeable on the first rides have disappared and now the fork is running completely dry. I lube the stanchions using 15wt fork oil, but the lubrication does not last, the dust wipers remove the lubricant film in no time. How do you lube the foam rings? I think I need to remove either the fork lowers or the seals. Any help to improve smal bump compliance? Sending to Push is not an option yet! thanks
fab

 

[damion]

Has it ever been serviced?

To me, it sounds like a good rebuild is in order, with fresh oil, seals and wipers.

 

[mtnpat]

After a dozen or so rides you shouldn't have oil on your stanchions anymore...the seals should have bedded in by then effectively sealing the oil in and the dirt out....this is completely normal and I would not advice putting any kind of oil directly on the stanchions externally.

As far as the small bump compliance, are you sure you don't have the slow speed compression adjusted too high, or have too high of air pressure for your weight?

I have both an TALAS 36 and 32, and they both have excellent small bump compliance and very low stiction.

 

[Ausable]

I did not mention that my fork is a Talas RL , so compression damping is not adjustable. The air pressure shoul be OK since I almost always use full travel.
I know that lubing the stanchions is not the optimal solution (even if it’s suggested by Fox) because the oil film will attract more dirt. I think I’ll try to check if the foam rings are well impregnated, and mybe I’ll change the oil on the damping cartridge as soon as the race season is over
fab

 

[KevinB]

How do you lube the foam rings?

If you look closely at the base of the seals (dust wipers), you'll see some small slots into which it's possible to place a small screwdriver blade. You can use these slots to pry the seals up so that the area below the wipers may be cleaned and the foam rings may be lubricated. The Fox manual recommends wrapping the screwdriver blade with a rag to avoid damaging the paint. N.B.: Older Fox manuals recommended doing the foam ring maintenance this way. The text which describes this procedure has been removed from some of the more recent manuals.

The other way to lube the foam rings is to turn the fork upside down for a minute or so. The fork oil will saturate the rings and provide lubrication in the seal area.

 

[Jayem]

How much sag are you running?

 

[harky]

I've been running a TALAS RLC on my 03 Hollowpoint team for over 3 years now. It is a great fork!
But it's also sensitive to pressures. I weigh 185 and the Fox manual recommends 80 psi. I've found that to be way too much for my kind of XC riding. I have been running 55-60 (depending on terrain) and it doesn't botom out except for big hits and then not harshly. Play with your air pressure, it makes a big difference.
Also, I run pretty low rebound damping...3 or 4 clicks in from minimum (and it's easy to adjust on the fly). That also makes a big difference in feel over the small stuff.
KevinB is right about the seals...after they are broken in, lubing the stanchoins is a waste of time (just keep them clean between rides!) Adding a little oil to the foam ring by popping off the seals is easy. Takes 10 minutes. Or store the bike inverted bewteen rides. That's the best way to insure the bushings are well lubed.