EASY way to OVERHAUL a SR Suntour Suspension Fork

Even basic mountain bike forks need maintenance too! This video shows you how to disassemble, clean, grease, and reassemble an SR Suntour bicycle fork.
Tools for the job:
Fork tool: amzn.to/2WEsnv5
Rachet & Sockets: amzn.to/3zoRtMB
Adjustable Pliers: amzn.to/3jpq6wq
Adjustable Wrench: amzn.to/2WALFkZ
Long Flat Blade: amzn.to/2XZTD7u
Cleaning Supplies:
Bontrager Grease: bit.ly/3mM3bxk
Green Fizz: bit.ly/3zHKX3T
Super Clean Degreaser:
Microfiber Rags: amzn.to/3BlwdYE
Let me know what you think in the comments below & Don't forget to subscribe!!!
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DISCLAIMER: This video description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[@fredriklefvert8595]

My 10 year old son just did this and changed the sealing and bushes, all by him self thank you for a very good video.

[@dougchrysler3694]

with the way bikes and parts are right now, I think these kind of videos are fantastic. Cyclists can get more life out of what they already have.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Agreed!

[@HeHellooo]

@@Jamesthebikeguywhy would you want a limiter

[@smoke05s]

@@HeHellooo Because too much is no good

[@dronedunk3308]

This guy explains it so easy , my forks feel brand new , thank you sir 😎👍🏼

[@alanmartinezrodriguez884]

As clear as water. Great video. Thank you!!

[@DPris-ko9tn]

Best video on overhauling a basic Suntour I’ve seen. Thanks a million. Happy New Year.

[@AviationAngler]

Used to be into mountain biking but I jumped my bike too much and the spring came flying out when I came down from a wheelie thought I needed a new fork but after watching this vid I ordered a new spring preload and lockout cap just gotta get some grease and I should be good

[@snewberry8669]

Thank you for this video. You made things clear so that even I can do this. I am a subscriber for about a year or so and I enjoy your videos.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@fsrilpistolerodiabolico4111]

Thank you for the good & easy explanation

[@olelores9563]

thanks....i like your presentation....very simple and clear details.....give 10 points...

[@whyArnold]

Fantanstic explanation. You just earned a sub, like and me and my friends are definately going to be watching your videos

[@shoogsdude]

hi there, thanks, this was very handy, as iv never done this before.

[@vanveenmatt]

Thanks! Think I'll tackle this job this weekend

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Nice, good luck

[@sangramchavan4816]

Broooooo Super cool thanks so much very helpful. Understand what is the inside suspension fork. Thankyou so much brooo ❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥🔥👍 love it

[@user-jc3tz8se6x]

Great video and you work on the lower price range bikes as lot of vids is the expensive bikes thank you

[@kamalgurung4358]

fantastic brother ...i liked it tutorial

[@abdellahzaidi1257]

Bon travail. Merci pour la video.

[@markonikolic6070]

Such a great video! Tnx!

[@MrGoodaches]

Where's a good source for the internal plastic sleave/ bushing? My wife and I have a matched pair of MTBs with these forks. They're well overdue for their first disassembly and clean. Although not in horrendous condition I'm anticipating that new sleeves would reduce the amount of fore/aft cocking. I feel more enthusiastic about taking these apart and cleaning them up after seeing your clear presentation of disassembly and re-assembly. I learned my bike maintenance skills in a previous era of 5 speed derailleurs, and brake pads that grabbed the rim of 27" wheels. Suspension forks weren't a thing back then. Thank you for being complete but editing out the tedium.

[@hennadiyaryekhov8564]

Thank you for your video. What type of grease you are using in coil springs and other parts? Thank you in advance

[@23MikeJ22]

great video thanks

[@DavinderSingh-wv7eh]

Cool video man! Is this the same fork on the 2022 trek ds3? Is it possible to add remote lockout on the fork?

[@melainkinney7213]

thinking of trying this myself bought my first hard tail a Marin it came with suntour 120mm i must be rough on bottom brackets or there just cheap now a day .only 500 miles soft miles so is there a gauge when you should do this or can it go a summer season then deep clean the bike in the fall . i have heard some say every 50 hours of riding trying to treat my bike right . most expensive bike i said i'd never buy bought it at going out of business sale while visiting my brother first ever bike with a fork let alone disk brakes my old gravel bike is resting

[@RussJones-cd7ff]

Thanks for great video. Just installed an older SR Suntour fork and it "tops out" on rebound. Maxing the rebound doesn't help. Any suggestions how to fix this?

[@markfranckowiak9993]

I’d love to see a tear down comparison of the cheap Amazon air forks vs a “cheap” brand name air fork.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Shoot I never got back to you. Yes that would be great. I'll split the R&D 50/50 🤣

[@microwave311]

Why Amazon? Have they shown they have any bike prowess?

[@theantiqueactionfigure]

I'm curious about some of the low cost Chinese brands from Amazon too.

[@jeffhayes2288]

This is a low end cheap fork. It comes on Walmart bikes.

[@PrestonFarney]

Fr

[@johnprice1105]

I have a xc 60 sr suntour fork it's like your forks but got preload both sides so two springs inside one spring there's a what looks like a plastic tube the length of the spring could you tell what it's for, thanks oh and would the travel limiter go back under that spring,

[@bryanjohnson665]

Well done video and very informative. Unrelated to the video content and quality is the fork itself. I have this fork on my daughter's 2019 Trek Marlin 5 and unless you are riding on a sidewalks, streets, prepared limestone or a smooth dirt trail, the fork is pretty much useless on bumps, small rocks or tree roots and a rigid fork would be better. While the Marlin 5 is an entry level, dare I say, mountain bike, the fork holds it back. My thought is once you remove the fork for service, just toss it in the garbage and upgrade to an air fork if you are venturing into any real mountain bike trails.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

That's fair. I serviced this in preparation to build up a 2015 Marlin 5 that this came off of. It is a perfectly useable fork, but is the weak link in the Marlin 5 being a decent MTB. With parts availability so tough right now, options for a replacement fork are slim. I think the Rockshox Judy would be a nice option, or actually I have a want for the SR Suntour Epixon air fork. Either of those would turn out nicely.

[@EdibleOutdoors]

I just keep mine locked out 90% of the time.

[@Thebirdemoji]

I have a 2022 trek marlin 5 I take it on dirt jumps roots and rocks pretty much anything to distroy it really. But yeah agreed a ridged fork will do great! This ones just to soft and moves around while breaking. I might upgrade to a rock shock Judy. I really love coil so much better than air well I think so.

[@theantiqueactionfigure]

@@Thebirdemoji I have this fork om my Giant Talon Ebike and and a Rock Shox Judy on my Orbea hard tail. Night and day difference.

[@ondrejsoldat9624]

3:30 - Where is the edge of brake when you dont put rod into another side? It could be worse suspension only. Do you know how much power put into fork when fork suspension fail without rod? So If I use it on a road with bumbs could be ok?

[@GabrielPurziani]

🙌😎 thanks for video...

[@TheTwistedStone]

If you haven't got the plastic tool to remove caps a 1" socket works fine.

[@thegad4539]

what's that in cm ?

[@drengskap]

A 1" 12-point socket, 6-point doesn't fit.

[@drengskap]

@@thegad4539 You need a 1" 12-point socket, not a metric socket. 1" is the correct size.

[@smoke05s]

Mine is kind of like this. Except there is a damper cartridge in one side (with a bunch of air in it so the lockout does not work, not sure it ever did work). And the other side is where the spring is (which some how is a half inch shorter than the cartridge side and does not move (making the fork rigid). Any tips on how to get the spring out and getting it to move again? I will try to get it out of the top like in this video and well see what happens. but please comment if you have any tips for the lock out version of this fork.

[@Mr.chameleon]

Can you please make a tutorial on how to adjust the forks

[@QuietMikeW]

on my e-bike, it has some cheap fork, can't find any brand or numbers, but even with the preload at max, it still sags when i ride --- I'm not a bike person , but would it be possible to open the fork, and install some kind of spacer under the cap, so that the preload adjustment would do more?

[@hemtet5500]

Very nice

[@unclealig]

when my suntour fork rebounds, i feel a hard stop on the endpoint (when the lowers are all out). is there anything i can do against it, so that the endpoint (when the fork is out) is more softer? thanks

[@mutant6445]

I am very concerned now. I don't have ANY nuts at the bottom of the forklegs! And one of the rods has already fallen in. Do you have any suggestions what exact nuts to buy as replacement? Thank you in advance!

[@eyefishinggunkchannel1011]

i hope this shows u in deatail cos av just took mine 2 bits and they look diff the coils so i dont no how they go bk i should of taken pictures as i go along plz be in detail

[@LukePridestalker]

I took my friends sr suntoru xce28 fork to overhaul, didnt start yet, i have a question about freeplay on stanchions entering lowers. He crashed few days ago frontal into the fence and now have this freeplay, will overhaul help it or do i need to order some parts to make it tight again? Ty in advance 😀

[@saitoyukio]

that help me, i have same fork thanks!!!

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Awesome, I'm glad I could help

[@asdfgoogle]

Generally, a de-greaser will damage (dry out) seals due to their chemical make-up. Generally water, soap and water, or an ammonia-free glass cleaner (spray away or invisible glass) will be the best to use.

[@MobileBicycleRepair505]

What would be the cause of a Suntour suspension not locking out? I was repairing a bicycle that had that issue.

[@Spammy1]

I have a question.i want to do a wheeilie on my merida v matts series bike but i cant and when my friend tryed he couldn’t either even though he can wheelie for ever on any other bike , i dont know if thats because my fork isnt loose enough ive got this exact fork in the video

[@oilburner225]

I have these forks on my bike, they creak really badly and clunk if the front brake is applied and the bike is rocked back and forth. I bought the bike new and have 71 miles on it, not good. Great video and hopefully this procedure will sort out my creaking and cluncking.

[@ianmangham4570]

Lmao, sounds like they're loose, you undo both the stem bolts that hold the fork so they're loose, then using the top cap bolt you tighten for tension, then tighten the two stem bolts.

[@jonnyblayze5149]

@@ianmangham4570 what if theres only one stem bolt is this supoosed to be?

[@thomascampbell889]

In what position should the preload knob be directed to, towards the minus ( - ) side or toward the plus ( + ) side ?

[@magnumllama400]

😮Minus

[@randommountainbiker9305]

Hi there, just wondering if any type of bike grease would get this job done, thanks.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Medium to thick waterproof grease of most kinds will work fine. If it's too sticky you'll see it on the fork stanchions, but it will still be working

[@vgnope]

I have an older fork , suntour nvx. On breakdown, the one side had a spring other had nothing. Not even a rod. Would it be possible in getting a pair of springs and implanting them into both tubes?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

I doubt you can retrofit anything into the empty leg. And even if you could, I'd question if it would help with whatever you are hoping to gain.

[@augustlandmesser1520]

@@Jamesthebikeguy Oh, I see now answer to my question too. So, nobody actually try that? Well...

[@topbanana4013]

on mine NRX suntour lockout . the damper on lockout side is seized the nut on the bottom is not a nut but seems to be Allan key bolt. it just spins does not come off i got access to the inner part its seen allot of water so that bolt design is awful all inside just spins with the bolt

[@harrygrimley4352]

Thanks for sharing this with us. I've been wondering how to do that. And to state the obvious. Only one side is actually a shock? Hmmm

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Pretty typical on most forks. In fact high end forks one side is spring and the other is damping. In this case the damping is purely done via grease and friction so nothing is needed in the other side.

[@augustlandmesser1520]

@@Jamesthebikeguy Would it be of any use to fill that "empty" side with some similar fitting spring or elastomer bumper?

[@mesoble2727]

What would happen if i would remove the travel limiter ?

[@gordonjones4705]

Hi what would be the recommended torque settings be for the bolts on the bottom of the legs

[@jeffhayes2288]

You should contact Suntour for torque specs. They are the manufacturer.

[@danielrutter1276]

do you actually need the suntour adjustor or could u just use a wrench

[@DrMarvinLara]

Did you use the same grease on the stancions as you did on the spring and internal parts?? No specific fork suspension lube?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

On this kind of fork you just want a waterproof grease. Higher quality forks do require specific lines but this kind of fork is pretty simple and just needs it to be sticky enough to stay on and thick enough to make up some of the tolerances

[@_CORO]

@@Jamesthebikeguy will axle grease do the job or is petroleum jelly be better ??

[@jtperez657]

Can I use red b tacky grease?

[@dtww.3599]

How did you remove it from the bike ?

[@user-jt9su3oh5t]

I've a mongoose bike with Sr suntour forks..The tops of the forks have gaiters, so I expect no debris damage. During cleaning I flipped the bike over. After righting the bike up, I left it a while. I was shocked to see a puddle of some oily substance. Yet according to all videos I've watched.. none seem to have oil added when putting forksback together... What am I missing..

[@MacNSteez2602]

Nice

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Thanks

[@desertrider325]

Is this XCT?

[@theantiqueactionfigure]

I have that fork on my Giant Talon. It bangs hard when it tops out and it tops out often. Is that common with this fork or do I have an issue or adjustment to make. And what, no fork oil?

[@magnumllama400]

Same happens here when I lift the wheel up when riding. Bike companies are scamming us with these shit

[@theantiqueactionfigure]

@@magnumllama400 so should I just buy a new S-Works, Lol?

[@magnumllama400]

@@theantiqueactionfigure no you should buy a used dirt bike yz125

[@13ballom]

Can you please do the rockshox judy coil fork?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

If I have the opportunity to, absolutely!

[@paularthur6456]

I could really use a video of a 90's manitou shock rebuild.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

The best thing you can do with a fork of that age is not to take it apart. Parts are unlikely to be available and you might be asking for trouble

[@harrygrimley4352]

Is this the same with trek stock forks?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

This is off of a 2015 Trek Marlin 5

[@user-xz1tc9uk3p]

잘봤습니다🎉

[@thomascampbell889]

I've got a question about this suspension Fork

[@bonzobanana1]

Suntour M3030 is quite a basic fork, I'm trying to think what bikes come with those, maybe low end hybrid bikes or super cheap ebikes. I think the Suntour XC range are generally ok but I'm sort of thinking the Suntour M3030 is more akin to a Zoom fork in performance. Still a very useful video for forks that probably do need regular servicing. I sort of feel that sub Suntour XC range forks you might as well just have rigid forks.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Yes this is a pretty basic fork.

[@komoonkh]

I have the xcr (coil version) and it is ok. It has a lockout and I made it run on oil instead of grease and made it up to 120mm, stock was 100mm. It works smooth. But it is kinda heavy and air fork is of course better.

[@jonnyblayze5149]

My Trek 3500 alpha gold aluminim came with SR M3030.

[@jonnyblayze5149]

Mine only has 1 bolt on the bottom, its on the preload side. What does this mean? Now i have play or wobble between the uppers and lowers, how can i fix this?

[@magnumllama400]

@@komoonkh how did you make it 120

[@jonnyblayze5149]

I have a Trek 3500 alpha gold aluminum with suntour SR M3030. it only has one bolt on the bottom of the preload side and noe i have wobble between the upper and lowers. Please help me how can i fix this?

[@magnumllama400]

Everybody has wobble on these

[@jonnyblayze5149]

@@magnumllama400 never had it before🤨

[@jonnyblayze5149]

@@magnumllama400 why is there only one nut on the bottom?

[@magnumllama400]

@@jonnyblayze5149 maybe you lost the other

[@jonnyblayze5149]

@@magnumllama400 lost the other? Wtf come on guy. Theres nowhere to screw it on to, theres no hole opening in the bottom of the fork🤨

[@games68775]

XCM Fork?

[@asdfgoogle]

Has anyone ever clipped the spring down just a bit? How would that affect performance? My wife is small and it's super stiff for her. Almost like a rigid fork. lol.

[@AnotherMrLizard]

Coil suspension is linear so if you take some length off the spring it will be just as firm but there will be less travel, dropping the front end of the bike down. The only thing you can do would be to find a softer spring which would be very difficult. A service if the fork is a bit older to free everything up or a new better air fork.

[@asdfgoogle]

@@AnotherMrLizard oh yeah. That makes so much sense. Thank you!!

[@user-nn3ic1iy2k]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@grumpyjay215]

Has anyone thought to add another spring and bump stops to the other side? Because by the looks of it the other side is just that same rod... I’m guessing this was a cost saving measure to just run one spring. Hmmm, if the spring is affordable I might just try it. It would be interesting to see the results.

[@michaelinglis567]

I couldnt say from experience if it would be possible or not but I can say you would need to change both springs to a less stiff variant or your fork would be too rigid unless you weight a lot.

[@grumpyjay215]

@@michaelinglis567 I ended up replacing the plastic rebound dampener with urethane skateboard bushings. In the video they seem to be rubber. For whatever reason Suntour put plastic in mine.

[@michaelinglis567]

@@grumpyjay215 Its mindboggling how many alterations are made in the world of biking components all based on what was available for the lowest cost lol. But good on you, I'm about to service an old XCT V3 29er so it will be interesting to see what I find. I too would like my forks to run as optinally as possible for as long as I decide to keep them on the bike so I completely understand where you are coming from.

[@grumpyjay215]

@@michaelinglis567 Being of a DIY mindset. I mess with everything I own. And I knew there was someway to tweak it. For the time being I’ll keep it. But it is the bottom of the barrel forks. Yet at least now it has some more dampening then just a chunk of plastic. 😉👍🏻

[@CuiZinieR7]

7:28 That's what she said!

[@rodrigotiagowiggers2733]

If the S plaid can do that, i would like to see what a super sport tesla could do!😮😮😮

[@HYRAGAMING06]

My fork has 2 knobs but only 1 works the other can't turn

[@triciamcintyre4947]

I would never get a bike with a Suntour fork on it again,I would pay the extra for a Rockshox one instead.👍🚴

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Well it depends on the rider. More aggressive mountain biking does require a nicer fork than this.

[@Kx0195]

I wish it took 11 mins in real life 🤣🤣

[@jazzper_nl]

When I turn the bolts (like on 1:10) one comes off, the other turns loose (like there is no counterhold inside). What to do?

[@lolandypanda]

awesome content, just bit pointless, even if youll keep it neglected for next 3 years no characteristics gonna change :D That is slightly different for advanced XCM and other starting from XCR forks...

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

You must have skipped through the part where this was seized up, and now it isn't that's a pretty big characteristic change!

[@scottwhittet5226]

Good idea to remove the fork from the bike to rebuild it. We know how to wipe grease and dirt off bike parts , so less time wasted in the video on that stuff , please. a source for replacement parts is necessary , since there is no point in rebuilding the fork with old worn out bushings , etc.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Please let me know when you start posting videos the correct way.

[@triton189]

Why bother? Just remove the boat anchor and put a rigid fork on there. Lighten the bike and probably improve the ride.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

A couple of minutes and a tube of grease is a heck of a lot cheaper than "just buy something new". Not to mention depending on where you are riding, the basic fork will add some comfort

[@iiii2903]

...with the "boat anchor", you decrease braking distance, you corner better, and your spine isn't shaken at everty pothole you've seen too late.... I guess you are at 5% bodyfat to say that....because if you aren't, instead of changing the fork and shedding 2 pounds off your bike, just go on a diet. You will save money, improve your health, and get up hills much faster.😉

[@dtww.3599]

youtube people talk tooo much

[@ih8hertz1]

Wtf is the point of only having one spring

[@martinblenstrup366]

Use your logic sense