How To Service A Slow MTB Dropper Post | Mountain Bike Maintenance

When dropper posts are working as they should, they are one of the best components on a mountain bike; but, they do need a bit of looking after to work their best. A question that seems to come up quite frequently is about why dropper posts can feel sticky or slow. In this video, Doddy shows you a couple of ways that you can resolve this, a quick fix and a full disassembly and service 🔧
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[@DeadsetYT]

When mine gets stuck I just spit on it and call it bad names. Works 60% of the time all the time.

[@samg9055]

Anchor man- brilliant film

[@timbrassinne719]

I spit on it as well, just not from my face.

[@incognitoreuploads4991]

@@timbrassinne719 💀💀🤣

[@mrfrogg46able]

i throw my shit over a cliff then i retrieve it and it rides great.

[@SE-hi3my]

But what do you de when your dropper post gets stuck 👀

[@petedog9581]

A main culprit for a sticky dropper post is often people over-tightening their seat post clamp beyond the proper torque specs. Get a digital torque wrench drive. 3/8 drive was $100 on sale from an auto wholesaler. I never realized how often I needed it, until I bought one.

[@Alexandros_Patsialidis]

Hey Doddy, we desperately need one vid for the new fox transfer. There is NOT A SINGLE VIDEO on YT 😭😭😭 Thanks a ton for your great work 🙏🏼💪🏼🤙🏼

[@trailfoxx]

yess i neeed this! my transfer stuck in the last 2cm

[@TPV07]

Not gonna happen, leave that alone. Reverb and transfer only at service centres.

[@TurboTev]

@@trailfoxx try not having your clamp bolt too tight.. I've found there's a fine line.. to tight it stops just short and to loose the seat moves.. but find it and should work sound 👍

[@Gee-1979]

Thanks Doddy, legend. Just followed your guide yesterday and totally fixed my post! I used SRAM butter as well, and Rockshox 0W suspension fluid. Turns out I'd sprayed far too much silicone spray into it over the last year and it was absolutely blocked with residue. Was so slow before this that I was thinking about getting a new post. Instead, just $38 (NZD) and an hour of my time. Legend mate.

[@drmoynihan]

Thank you so much for helping me Doddy. Right after my ride today, I was able to go to our Coop - the Bicycle Collective, where I used SRAM BUTTER as you instructed, and now my dropper post is working very smoothly. :)

[@bensimon8646]

I just added a bit of chain lube to the seal of the dropper and that also helped plus quick fix!

[@JohnBoyd-vc6sk]

O in

[@tzed2509]

As a new owner of a used bike and my first dropper, I thank you for this.

[@katakis1]

I started noticing that problem 3 days ago and now here you are with the fix!

[@justinv.1573]

Thanks dude! You're a total legend who has saved my butt more than once with your top-notch videos.

[@wytse87]

Heyy great video! Please make one for the Fox transfer 2017-2020. And including hacks for the many, expansive specialist tools for the job. Cheers

[@bmdt81]

This was really helpful, thank you. I have a raceface post that starts off each ride fairly quick but then gets very sluggish.

[@gatoryak7332]

Smooth...like liquid butter. That's what happened to my dropper post when I did what Doddy prescribes here. BTW, While I was at it, I replaced the internally-routed actuator cable. Also very easy, but I did invest in a Park cable cutter. That investment paid for itself right there on its first job. Now I am free from bike shop waits and high costs for all my future cable replacements.

[@Graeleaf]

Thank you Doddy! That is extremely helpful! I am going to add this to my yearly maintenance! Woo! 🤘

[@jgsimons]

It is like you were riding behind me the last couple of rides and saw the problem I was having with my SB150. Thanks for help!

[@Jean-jk4zv]

Just did it the easy way, dropper is like brand new 👏🏻 thx doddy

[@roythearcher]

a useful guide especially as I'm looking at getting a Brand X post!

[@jonnywilson9117]

Had my bike since November 2017, like a loser, I've never given the post a proper service, just a little clean. So never had it fully apart to clean the lower section. It's a tad on the slower side with a good long scratch at the back of the post that's about 6 inches long. Yes, bad, I know. Less than ideal. I'll tell ya what though, It's a perfect dropper. Can't complain, especially since a new one isn't all that expensive. Well worth the money in my opinion. (Yes I should've serviced it by now, but couldn't be arsed. Replaced my Pivot and wheel bearings instead...) I'll get to it. Lel

[@a8str4ct]

just went out and cleaned my post after years of putting up with its slowness...thanks for this tutorial. worked perfectly with minimal tools and just a little lube.

[@winklertribe5268]

Excellent timing!! My dropper post recently stopped working well.

[@elmomos]

Thanks for including also Brand X in the tutorial! Talking about your cave, can you tell us more about those limited edition Steve Peat beers?

[@haji178]

This was so helpful! Gold Thanks a lot. Got my raceface aeffect working like new again

[@marcohillenbrand7039]

That's exactly what I needed to know right now. Perfect timing, thanks a lot! Great video!!!

[@mtbcanyon4108]

Me to

[@bradgreen9263]

fixed my dropper as a result of this. Thanks for the content - much appreciated

[@rayd2420]

So good. Thanks. Used slickoleum and had some fork oil. Did it literally 15 min before the ride and dropper was fixed.

[@RossiDeakin0406]

That Lux ls a beauty, the white and blue frame, with skin wall tyres.... 🤙👌👏👍

[@jltrack]

It’s just a bike relax

[@The_Real_JN]

@@jltrack it's not just a bike, let him like it

[@matiasestrada9568]

Excellent video Doddy, I'll try this myself.

[@Icantfindtheanykey]

Excellent work and vid Doddy. Brilliant as always. My eyes were glued to the screen the entire runtime. lol

[@levitj5948]

Just got my first dropper. Very much Worth it

[@megabowzer100]

Thanks mate.my dropper post has developed a side movement which throws me of balance sometimes so this clip will really help me out later.thankyou

[@jean-baptistebrionnaud7318]

Nice vid Doddy! I appreciate it. Thanks for your help.

[@cb6866]

Thank you Mr Dodd. Be safe mate!

[@lozetchells9164]

Really useful thanks Doddy, you are the Edd China of the bike world!

[@pierrebroccoli.9396]

Thanks Doddy, something I need to do with my Bontranger Post. It's a bit gunked up and as a result slow moving and sticky. Need to get a grip wrench though to undo the seal/bushing.

[@tim__sadler]

Another perfect reference video. Top Work!

[@arseniecatalin6493]

Nice to see proffessionals at work👍!

[@stephenbrown5844]

Cheers my friend, fantastic tutorial 😁👍learnt a lot for my dropper 😉👌

[@MehmetSevil]

This video tipped me over from my hesitation of self maintaining my two dropper posts to actually taking action. It was amazing how much muck has built up over time. They both work like magic now. Big big thanks for your thoroughness. Watching the manufacturer's videos had made me think I'd need LOTS of specialized equipment. It was nice to see I could make do with what I had lying around in my workshop. Happy subscriber here! :)

[@dudeonbike800]

The bicycle seat post is the perfect "much catcher!" As are seat tube clamps & slots. I've utilized old inner tube over many of my bikes' seat post clamps. So much dreck flies right off your rear tire and onto (and into) your seat post, slot, clamp & clamp bolt. Can't really protect the dropper very well. I GUESS you could try some sort of accordion boot (like front shocks of old), but I just know it would foul anyway - and make proper bike stand clamping difficult or impossible.

[@Sibert_]

Doddy time! Perfect Saturday morning.

[@tomm6962]

Just in case it helps someone; some of the brand x droppers don’t have a nut under the seat but a valve for topping up the air. There’s a metal plate with four rectangular cut outs. This is threaded onto the valve and can be unscrewed to allow removal of the cartridge using slim needle nose pliers into the rectangular cut outs.

[@FirestormAA]

Awesome step by step video! Cheers!

[@rideitmtb]

Had a go at the quick method today on my x fusion manic. After 3 years+ of all-weather abuse i was surprised at how little dirt was actually inside the upper seal. Bit of lube and a clean-up around the shim and O ring and its defo less lazy on the pop now. I was lucky enough to unscrew the outer using just a thick rubber glove too hehe! Quick clean of the the wiper and post itself after every ride has proved to be a good habit…

[@gpearce11]

Very helpful and useful. A follow up with a Reverb and Transfer, the two most popular hydraulic posts, would be awesome. Also, thanks for specifically showing a BrandX post, as BrandX/TransX are by far the most common OEM dropper posts on the market, especially on the lower end.

[@bmichael291]

Sure would have been cool for the greases to be placed in the description

[@Paulo-fr3xm]

Spot on that Doddy as have both posts 👍

[@dosetti]

Thanks Doddy just did mine.

[@SvenfromKiel]

thanks..this is very helpful for me as I ordered a brandnew PNW Loam/DXC DP which I give this procedure from the beginning. It is a bit different but use "brass keys" but same technology. Instead of SRAM butter I have good experience with RSP Slick for my Suspension Forks and actual dropper. It feels a bit thinner. By the way I bought some years ago 2 new Rock Shox Reba which were already dry inside and so I am a bit carefully with new things like this...thanks again!

[@jakoballes4882]

Could you do one about the fox transfer

[@chrisridesbicycles]

I would like to see that, too.

[@archieansell9160]

Like Doddy said "fundamentally they're the same". Its the same principles no matter the model or brand

[@chrisridesbicycles]

@@archieansell9160 He mentioned the 3 different sytems. I guess there are some more seals to grease in a non-cardrige system like the transfer.

[@willkence7745]

Yeah the transfer is semi- hydraulic not cartridge

[@fabian5422]

I worked at Fox and let me say the transfer is not an easy thing to work on! Especially because you need some special tools and a good knowledge! If you have problems with the transfer sent it to fox and they can help you!

[@danh925]

Nice! The ascend dropper post on my vitus won't fully extend and I was thinking it was time for a new cartridge, I'll give cleaning it up a bash first.

[@MrVanengelenhoven]

Thank you very much, your a good teacher. Keep on being a legend.

[@hedemalmcarl]

6:37 the best thing sbout crankbrothers pists i have one is that when its tight enough it has a defined feel where you know you should stop when you can feel you shouldnt tighten anymore.

[@thomasdove1083]

Am rocking the audi s1 Quattro! Thanks for the vid aswell

[@smoothisfast6644]

Thank you for this video. I’ve had terrible luck with droppers and my lbs won’t service them and sends them to the factory. Please consider doing a full install video. Thanks again.

[@markorrico2779]

Could you do the Rock Shox Reverb next? I know it’s been done before but not by you I don’t think 🤔 😃

[@florianzimmermann3815]

Have a look @Butter Suspension. His reverb rebuild ist amazing!

[@giorgio_abruzzese8232]

Send it to special Dynamics suspension the reverb is fully hydraulic and requires the damper to he bled if it needs to be actuated quickly I sent mine and it came back feeling brand new for just £55

[@danimayb]

Reverbs are more hassle than their worth. A lot of money for a fragile system that ends up needing more attention than others, And certainly not a post to go for if you are gonna rely on a bike shop for any work! Throwing money away at that point.

[@jackluckett5746]

Just what I needed

[@Sibert_]

Sick Lux you've got there :O

[@mrplow911inc]

If you don’t have a vice or bike tube clamp, you can install the post back into the bike and tighten the seat post clamp. Then use the bike as a vice.

[@mrd6093]

GREAT HANDS ON REPAIR DEMO YOUR SKILLED

[@seandavis007]

Thank you for shaving the mop off! Got a little hard to watch with that thing on! 😂 Love the content tho, keep up the good work!

[@odelld9004]

Great video, thanks.

[@martinschuster3001]

An EXTREMLY good Video. Everything excellent explained.... This Video helped me a lot to maintain my Dropper Seat!!! Great job. Thx a lot! :-) Nice greetings from North Germany

[@richwaight]

Super useful! Thanks so much :)

[@francescoschiavo7315]

Thank you, very useful info....👍👍

[@davehahn9306]

Really valuable, thank you

[@andrewcornford2306]

A third type is air / cable. That air the in top with the valve under the seat runner clamp, normally max 250psi. With the cable release on the bottom. Another great video though Doddy.

[@bauke-LV426]

Nice one again doddy, thanks. #askgmbntech can you do a video on what the "obvious" places on the bike are, where you could expect cracks in the frame etc. Every now and then, I scan the bike when I'm washing it, but I'm curious where hairline cracks (or something) are likely to occur. So I could focus on those area's a bit more and therefore decrease the change of dying. Thanks!

[@silys5253]

Awesome video! Thanks

[@davehendry2519]

Hey Doddy, loving the content. Most of these I have used at one time or another apart from the epoxy one but it makes sense. I am currently trying to rebuild a 1998 Santa Cruz heckler and am looking for some advice on which forks to run. I was running them with an old set of RST delta TL however they have seen their best. I haven't ridden in a while and am gonna try and get back to a bit of XC, free ride, and maybe some enduro. I have a cane creek DB air for the rear but looking for the best 1 1/8 steerer 26" wheel based fork and at least 100mm travel. Thanks mate. #GMBNTech #GMBN

[@dudeonbike800]

Thanks! Funny because I just serviced a guy's bike by replacing his broken cable, cleaning & lubricating the lever mechanism, new housing, flushing the mud out of his seat tube & BB, but the Fox post is still sticky. Been meaning to unscrew that top seal, but always wondered if it would go KABOOM! (Was pretty sure it wouldn't, but didn't want to open a "can o' worms.) Off to the shop to perform this little bit of magic...

[@Snipeonz]

My friend's dropper would always get stuck on the last 5mm of travel. Pulled it apart, black crap everywhere. The top bushing was also really scratched up due to all the crap inside. Fella kept using wet lube on both the stanchions and bushing. NEVER use wet lube. Just like you won't use wet lube on your forks, invest in the proper suspension grease. In fact, I'll keep away from oils too. Unlike forks and shocks, there's nothing preventing the oils from just dripping out of your post and pooling somewhere in your frame.

[@pgjudo]

Just got a new bike with a Fox Transfer and it has the same problem brand new. Miss my Reverb. 😐

[@Snipeonz]

@@pgjudo my suggestion would be to warranty the post. However, if you're a DIY kind of person, ensure there's enough air pressure in the post, then pull it apart to find the offending part causing all the additional stiction. There's a rebuild guide on the fox website. In my case, it was the top bushing which got all scratched up and it had quite a few burs. Luckily the bushing is made of plastic, so I used the stanchion itself to file/cut off all the offending burs. A bodge for sure, but my friend was penniless and we had trouble sourcing the rebuild kit for his post. And it worked. I would still recommend getting the rebuild kit from fox and just swapping the part out if it is due to the bushings, guide pin or gutter seal being damaged and causing the friction. But if it is the air cartridge itself, then I would strongly recommend you warranty that thing instead. Between the parts, specific tools, and expertise required, it's just not worth it to try to do it yourself and risk voiding it when it's covered under warranty.

[@pgjudo]

@@Snipeonz, thanks, but I’d expect it to just work after paying over $9k for a new bike. Reading the comments, it seems that’s too much to expect from Fox.

[@Snipeonz]

@@pgjudo Well, I won't blame is specifically on Fox, but more on the fact that with current manufacturing methods, defects are still inevitable. Most of the manufacturing process still requires humans to be present, and as we know, the human component has the highest error rates.

[@pgjudo]

@@Snipeonz , I can’t argue with that, dude... the biggest shortcoming my killer new bike has is its rider! 🥴👀

[@adapta]

Am I the only one who noticed that Doddy put the outer tube on the wrong way round on the Crankbrother's one? I mean not that it would matter... Just had to check mine as a reference ✌️😁

[@DB-zh4vw]

After riding on a Giant cartridge dropper for two seasons, I figured it was time for a cleaning and tune-up when responsiveness began to slow down. Discovered to my horror that the aluminum dropper had cold-welded to my carbon frame. Several trips to various bike shops brought no solution. Damage to either the frame or to the post without it being removed would make the bike useless. For now the solution is a hacked clamp around the part of the dropper that telescopes essentially keeping the post fixed in place. Frustrating, not great but still rideable. It would most certainly have been part of my regular maintenance routine to loosen the dropper to avoid this if I'd known about. So, just a heads up.

[@jpg6482]

Been looking for a vid on this

[@diekloon]

Newer dropper posts also requires you to add air. Remove the saddle, there should be a valve like with the shocks and pump it up with a shock pump. The psi range should be printer at the top of the post.

[@markwilliams-gr7mj]

as a 51 year old not used to all this hi tech equipment on our steeds i installed a dropper post that worked quite well for a few months until it became so slow i was tearing my hair out until i saw this video earlier today so if i ever meet you in the street i will quite happily shake your hand (when all this covid) is out of the way

[@aeronphillips8576]

Just the video I needed. Should I remove the pressure from the cartridge before pulling the post apart? It looks like I don’t need to. Cheers

[@jay_pozz4222]

Just a side note love the tan wheel walls👍 I should have got them for my bike dam☹️

[@Icamas]

Ran my BikeYoke Revive for 2 years without service. apart from lubing it a bit and keeping the seal clean. I didn't touch it. reset it a few times but not much. took it apart before I sold my bike and replaced the seal, cleaned it, put some fresh suspension grease in it and it was like new again.

[@WBOS72]

Thank you so much - servicing my Trans will be far easier.

[@pickup000]

Great video👍

[@rossd5936]

Hello professor Doddy could you make a video showing how to service a hydraulic post? Perhaps specifically a rockshox reverb? Thanks!

[@MRLIROCK]

My new XLC-dropper got stuck during the first snow ride this winter. Fully disassembled it, cleaned and greased it up. Works perfectly. I also did the inner tube hack. Also the internals of the XLC look exactly like the Brand-X ones.

[@growler477]

G'day Doddy, love the show. I have a 2021 Trek Fuel EX5 with the Rockshox Redon Gold forks with 140mm of travel and i was wondering how i can get them up to 150mm? Cheers legend!

[@dunadan112]

Hey, great video. One question I have is, what kind/type of suspension oil do you use for the fast maintenance? It's somehow sticky.

[@TPV07]

After this video every bike shop gonna have customers coming in with seat post issues saying ‘I tried to service it at home but something went wrong’. Or worse they are gonna take a reverb and a transfer apart ;)

[@pgjudo]

💯 😆

[@maramara1116]

#askGMBN Hi Doddy. Could you do a video about getting in to the hubs for maintenance the bearings please? There is so many different hubs on the bikes and time of ball bearings gone and it is not always easy to know how to access modern hubs. Thank you and hope you all will do some cool adventure video together soon.

[@luisr.blanco8098]

Hi Doddy! Someone said to me not to leave the dropper in the down position when I am not using the bike that it could damage it. Is this true ? Thanks and awesome video 💪🏼

[@Nullking_]

The Trans-X has the exact same internal design with the same type of bushings as I can tell as the V1 OneUp components dropper post.

[@stevebennett3587]

👌great video as always👍🤔ive got the brand x ascend and sometimes the stock brand x lever sticks😏so ive ordered a shimano dropper lever an cable🤔hopefully this will sort it🤣

[@mx5matt]

Does adding or removing air pressure affect speed at all? And if not, what does pressure affect?

[@jazzmobile123]

Great video! Can you do the same for a Rockshox Reverb?

[@felixb.59]

Mine always malfunctions when I had the bike stored in a warm room before riding in cold weather, probably because of the air volume reducing in the cold. Since I started storing my bike outside I havent had any problems

[@mikekeen9710]

my dropper post head the unit that the saddle sits on creeks can it be tightened or lubed? from new zealand. keep up the awesome work

[@LuisGonzalez-nx2pn]

Hey Doddy, what type of suspension oil do you use, 5wt, 10wt, 15wt? Excellent video btw, keep the content flowing 🤘😎

[@archetypex65]

I would use 5w or 10w 15w is a little bit on the heavier side. some Forks use 15w but most are going to use 5 to 10. For the seatpost 5w or 10w is fine even a good transmission fluid. But I wouldn't use trans fluid in the forks.

[@ilkicognjen]

@@archetypex65 So like a wet chain lube could also do the job?

[@Gee-1979]

It doesn't matter. I used 0W. Any suspension fluid will serve the same function.

[@tdunkerley1]

#askgmbntech Doddy, thanks for the insight on keeping these posts working properly. On another topic, I have been wondering if it would be technically possible to flip the rear derailleur system from the bottom of the rear triangle to the top, and reroute the chain accordingly? Seems that it would eliminate bent/broken derailleurs.

[@deathorb]

doubt it - several reasons but one is the pull coming from the top of the chain and how that would affect the top of the upside down derailleur, and also nobody appears to have tried it. Also soon new tech will remove the derailleur entirely

[@TheButlerNZ]

Zoom Tequila (and ZTTO which I believe is just a Tequila with a ZTTO roller lever): For those of us that are cheapskates... A Zoom dropper is still 1000% better than a clamped post... BUT the top actuated ZOOM droppers can get muck in the actuator. (I did a video of cleaning mine). The result is a post that doesn't lock (so keeps raising to full extension). Clean/lube the actuator & perhaps look at covering the top of the post to prevent dirt/mud/dust from sitting on the top of the post. (I wrapped the top in a bit of innertube & zip ties). The reason I used a Zoom is I have a 2010 Giant Faith 0 that has a very short post tube with the suspension rocker bolt in the middle making the seat depth about 200mm. With the Zoom I was able to get 100mm with barely 10mm depth left in the post tube to play with. It also looks like you can lock out the Tequila with spacers if you want less than 100mm.

[@andysrange8789]

Quality video

[@martinfeeneyUT]

Getting to this video now and thank you . That 10mm bolt at top spins with cathridge has any one got any ideas?

[@mikaelmagnusson7411]

How to service the Fox Transfer would be helpful! 😜

[@-Alex-]

Do you have any tips of getting your chain off that has a master link if you don’t have a chain tool?

[@cormacjordan7173]

Nice Lego Quattro S4 Doodles!

[@Nando_]

mine doesn't go full extension without a handy help... I'll try it!