How to service your RockShox Pike suspension fork

[@Jimbothebarbarian]

+1 for NOT compressing the forks! I wish I'd read the comments first tbh. I had to remove the lowers and pump the air up near maximum, then I pulled the shaft until I could hear a hiss as it equalised. I then released all the air out and rebuilt without compressing. Job done and buttery smooth forks again.

[@memduherdogar150]

Just followed this video and serviced the lower legs of my pike, I have re-installed the lowers without compressing the fork though as suggested in the service manual and in the comment section below. The fork feels great now, many thanks.

[@wtf2krazy]

Love the vid, very informative, nice and brief. One complaint; you're using the torque wrench incorrectly, you should always apply pressure from the handle surface so that you're using a consistent moment arm for accurate torque values.

[@dskordo]

Thanks for this and the "travel change" video. I just did the service, and changed the air spring. Your instructions were very clear.

[@justinb8642]

Well done video but fully decompressing the lower caused me issues. It created a vacuum where by I could not get full travel out of the fork. Rock Shox docs are poor but they appear to say nothing about fully decompressing the lower.

[@pukki34]

Justin Buswell Which issues

[@thomasbutler7083]

Justin Buswell If you werent to remove all the air and you wanted to open the air spring, You could seriously damage the fork and/or yourself. removing the air isn't going to damage the forks.

[@chrisellis1981]

Thomas Butler you don’t know what you’re talking about. So shouldn’t fully compress the fork, unlike the advice on the video. I followed the video and lost travel. I also had to equalise the chambers after the service.

[@HaagsmaProductions]

rockshox service manual stats 10ml of0w30 in both drive and non drive sides

[@bobcatt2294]

Your videos are well produced and helpful, however I wish you could use a lapel remote mic, would make all the difference.

[@ivansmv]

Do not compress the fork before rebuild. If you do so you will have vacuum on the lowers and you will not get full travel out of your fork. I've tried it, and if you rebuild it fully compressed the fork loses about 10-15 mm of travel and it also felt more linear..

[@moonte7933]

exactly...the fork is basically built so when you inflate it you will have a bit of a negative air spring as well(even on solo air)...any aditional negative pressure will result in either a loss of travel or the need for more pressure so you won't be able to actually use all the travel

[@BeNeT33]

I've just had same issue and now lookiing for a reason. I have done my best but still 20mm missing :-(

[@richdarby2639]

do not compress forks b4 reasembley as this will create a vacuum and the the forks will not fully extend .

[@RideBikes_Walkplaces]

+rich darby mine were like that from new! back at the shop atm! 10% sag all the time

[@chrisellis1981]

Correct. I followed the video and lost travel after. I had to equalise the chambers to correct the issue.

[@jordanbell6465]

followed the video pretty strictly, as previously mentioned. had chew compressing the forks before reinstalling the bolt on the bottom of the legs. seen other comments saying not to compress the forks? should the bolts be threaded back in at full extension after the oil has been put in? slightly concerned I may have done something wrong and don't want to risk damaging the kit on my next ride. any help would be appreciated

[@s1lwo711]

Keep in mind that if you compress the forks before assembling it, it may be a little more sensitive to small bumps, but it will be much less supportive.

[@samubart4730]

if you dont, it could blow out the seals. its supposed to be done like that.

[@chrismbuk09]

i did this on my forks not so long ago but when i took the air out the lower legs didnt spring up just kinda stayed put which made it really hard to put the lowers back on, i had to really squash them in before putting the bolts back on underneath :/ but they seem to work good as new so must be ok!

[@jolzmann]

Nice video. Only one question... is the same procedure for a Dual Air Pike or you have to do another step?

[@joeymartin5662]

I've just done a full service of my bluto fork (air spring and damper service) and yesterday my fork lost pressure. Although I left it outside in the cold for a long, I wonder if that could be the cause.

[@ilija8562]

hi,great video. have a question about dual position pike,when you removing the air it only goes down to 120mm using the top airvalve,is there something else i need to do to take the rest of the air out? its for transport purposes. thanks

[@AlexeiPavlov]

I just got brand new 2015 Pike, do I need to open lower legs to check for oil levels? I heard sometimes there is zero oil in the legs.

[@dpb1997]

Hello Al,Thanks for the great video. Question: if you turn the bike upside down can the 20-ml of oil get drawn elsewhere into the fork? The reason I ask is because my new Giant Reign Pike gets only 120-mil of travel, with 75-psi and I weigh 187--lbs in full kit. I just serviced the fork, as you demonstrated, and the was around 6-7 ml in total from both legs. There is no evidence of leaks. I clean the bike after every ride.Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks.

[@surschnitzelgulasch]

well now im not sure, RockShox Manuals says 10 ml Ow-30 suspension fluid for the drive side and 10 ml Ow-30 for the non drive side.. "Step 4 - Position the fork at a slight angle with the bottom bolt holes oriented upward. Angle the syringe fitting in each lower leg bolt hole so as not to fill the shaft. Inject 10 mL of RockShox 0w-30 suspension fluid into the drive side leg, and 10 mL of RockShox 0w-30 suspension fluid into the non-drive side leg."

[@danahun]

What oil did you fill in the fork?

[@8ight23]

Just to make sure is 5ml in the Dry side where the air is pump inside and 15ml on the wet side where the compresion lever is? and what type of oil weight is this? wich one should i use?

[@everythingproduced]

Hey guys great video... question, the lock out dial is loose and wobbly on my front forks and I can't unlock the forks... any advice??

[@jolzmann]

Nice video dude!!! Only one question, have you done this in a Dual Air Pike? Yesterday I did the leg service for the first time, everything ok until the assembly. I cannot move the bottles to the top of the travel because the damper side pull me back so hard, even when i released the air for compress. So I assembly as close to the top as possible but when I relased it expands again up to the half of the travel. When I put 90 PSI of air the fork get 10% of the travel without any weight. what can I do? what I did wrong?

[@MitchzPlayground]

Anyone have any tips on getting the circlip out of the damper? I've tried 3 different circlip pliers and none of them get enough grip on the clip to get it out past the thread. Thinking about seriously just replacing the whole damper. 🤦‍♂️

[@lopon12]

All I need now is some rockshox

[@konstantinosstamoulas4578]

Do not compress the forks before installing the lower leg bolts. As others have mentioned it will create a vacuum effect and wont let the fork extend to its full travel even if you go as high as 140psi. If you suspect air has been trapped in the lower legs use the burb method only when legs are fully extended,this will let any excessive air out. The duster seals DO seal the lower legs

[@renenavarro4121]

I'm glad I saw this comment..thanks

[@AlekseiPotov]

It looks like 2016 Rev.E of Pike Service Manual (GEN.0000000004461) recommends 10ml/10ml each leg now. Weird...

[@TonyFernandezjkdjedi]

Looks easy to do, and I still might take it to the LBS though..lol.. great video!

[@H3mL0ck]

Thank you for posting. This is very helpful.

[@shailoism]

Is this usefull for a 30 gold tk?

[@fuertep2do]

Hey guys thanks for the vidio but my rock shox suspension it's liking fron the sail what i can do it please i need help covid19 affected me i dont have money to fixing any idea to repair?

[@MightyOnion]

MBR magazine Could you please do a video for servicing of a Fox Float CTD performance 32 front fork?

[@nickn9270]

Is the service on the Pike DJ the same ?

[@zinabew]

I use the pm600 to replace the pit-stop or judy butter

[@j_gibbon]

can anyone give me some advice I've got these forks but I think their older and I'm just unsure if there's any difference in service?

[@pkmobius]

you use do degrease rubin alcohol?? its not bad ?

[@zwj890204]

This guy never wear gloves. Finally he recommends others to wear one. Lol.

[@nickorango]

If my pike forks behave like a pogo stick. Is the issue the negative chambers. Do i need to empty them?

[@MBRmagazine]

First check that your damping still works. Wind the rebound all the way in (clockwise) and see if the fork still kicks back instantly. If so, the damper will need a service.

[@nickorango]

@@MBRmagazine Great. Yes the rebound does work. I will try to service it. Thanks

[@sickbikes2066]

My fork travel adjuster is not working after first service. Help me

[@bigfridgedrew]

The lowers would not hold a vacuum, as the upper wiper seals are not that good TBH. They push dirt out the way and keep the majority of water out, thats what their designed for. Good basic info for the novice though. P.S I'd leave the fork pressurised easier to get the the bottom bolts in.

[@vanessachu8237]

Can i use 5wt and 15wt instead of using 0w-30?

[@nuno-4b4]

I have a Pike from 2005 but it's a coil suspension not air. I tried to search for videos on how to service this one but couldn't find any. Could you recommend how to do this?

[@slapster2275]

clean the lowers and springs,put the same amount of oilt that went out

[@williannathan4823]

but this is a lower leg only service, right?

[@KEEPitSTUPID]

why 5 and 15ml in each leg when sram say 10ml each side on their manual?

[@TheChricke]

10ml each side is for the 2016 Pike version, if you have an older version it can be something else, they've changed it every year

[@BeNeT33]

good question. Does anybody know the answer?

[@wiegehts8599]

What grease is it on 6:00? (can't hear the name) Thanks in advance!

[@moonte7933]

pit stop or judy butter...basically the same thing,just different name

[@adam_hr8231]

Can you upgrade a Yari fork with a Lyric charger damper since its the same chassis ?

[@kanderson622]

Yes you can pal, the new charger 2 is compatible, I've just ordered mine off CRC.

[@DJ_Zesty]

if my forks don't fully compress and don't go back after I compress them even when there's about 200psi what should I do?

[@DJ_Zesty]

I do have argyle 409s if that makes any difference

[@user-iz7zy7rx9t]

is it true that if you have the travel adjust Pike RC you cant use the bottomless tokens?

[@MBRmagazine]

mick jager That's true, the Dual Position Pike doesn't accept Bottomless Tokens. Only the Solo Air versions

[@user-iz7zy7rx9t]

bummer, thanks.

[@jaysean9589]

mick jager There are other brands making spacers/tokens for the Dual Air, I believe. Who? I can't say but I know it's out there.

[@kilobitti]

+mick jager check the sram-webpage. "Dark red bottomless tokens are compatible with the following Dual Position Air forks: Pike, Lyrik, Yari."

[@stephengreenwood7213]

So I wish I had read comments about not decompressing forks and saved myself 2 hours of ballache

[@RoryGoesFishing]

Would this be pretty much the same for a Rockshox revelation?

[@Startrooper5555]

Yes.

[@nachis04]

except for the oil type, check your manual

[@rosh3918]

is it bether the rock shox pike or rock shox boxxer rc>? plz answer im going to buy bike i need to knew!

[@reecegillan2820]

+The AlekCreeper depends on your riding pike is perfect for enduro, boxxer is more downhill

[@pukki34]

Honestly is this all the maintenance the fork needs?

[@maximilianlindner]

pukki34 Actually yes.

[@pukki34]

Max Lindner Great stuff :D

[@maximilianlindner]

pukki34 Haha, yes it's easy. You could service the air chamber or damper too of course, but this is far less important and has longer intervals than the normal lower leg service shown in the vid.

[@carlomagnotm]

Why one of the legs need more friction oil than the other???

[@beaumiller1803]

carl torrico 2016 Pike calls for 10 in each leg, not 15 & 5.

[@stephenlee2894]

the audio isnt really that clear, but decent info, thx!

[@Neil.C57510]

Rebound bolt just spins, won't undo, tried tapping numerous time and still spins so can't remove lowers 🤷‍♂️

[@MBRmagazine]

Try compressing the lowers while unscrewing the damper rod foot bolt to try and increase the friction between the damper rod and inside of the lowers?

[@Neil.C57510]

@@MBRmagazine I gave that a go, still no luck ☹️. I might just saw off the bolt so I can slide off the lowers. You can buy replacement bolts cheap online!

[@SlightlyRadMTB]

DON'T compress the forks before putting air in them!

[@SlightlyRadMTB]

+1Life Watch my video on the Pike if you want to see how to work on them correctly.

[@leozwergie]

Attention ! Dont compress the fork before assembling it ! It causes a negative air pressure and you wont be able to use your full travel! Apart from that good vid...

[@baddevotions]

wait, so at 08:07 where he says, it's a good idea to compress, you are saying DON'T do this?

[@leozwergie]

david boston If u want to use the full travel of your fork then yes, DONT compress.

[@baddevotions]

nice one... did some research since posting and have now finished up the lower leg service.... all seems to be ok so far! cheers bud

[@TonyFernandezjkdjedi]

leozwergie really..crap, I pressed it all the way down (as much as I could comfortably), heard air slowly coming out the bottom and then tightened the bottom bolts..bad?

[@leozwergie]

Tony Fernandez just check if you are able to use the full travel just like before... U can read it according to the scale on the fork. In my case and i assume a lot of others after compressing i had barely 150 of 160 mm left. Furthermore ive never seen the advice of compressing the fork before assembling... So my advice is to NOT compress it. If you already did and meesed it up you will have to disassemble it again.

[@peterhyland9253]

is the process the same for a rockshox sector tk silver fork with 140 mm travel

[@davidpisoa5288]

great help thank!

[@sportskagrafika6423]

And dnt forget 2 put the air back ON , ... i didnt see in the vid.

[@bernardomiranda3756]

The oil is Ow-30 suspension fluid RockShox ? And says 5 ml Ow-30 suspension fluid for the drive side and 15 ml Ow-30 for the non drive side..????

[@transpenninecycles104]

8.10 This is wrong!!! by compressing the lowers and then tightening footnuts your creating a vacuum in the lowers, this vacuum acts like a secondary negative chamber causing an imbalance between + and - chambers and sucks the fork into its travel. If anyone has followed this and their forks aren't fully extending afterwards this is why. If in doubt follow Sram pdf instructions, no mention of compressing forks prior to installation of lowers.

[@jeffmilum5858]

Help! Lots of comments about not compressing the forks (which I did not see until now). Not much information if you DID compress the forks, like me. I have compressed the forks and added the oil, but have not yet done anything further. What should I do now?!?! These guys should really address this issue and change the video....

[@barrystill1792]

Completely wrong about compressing the fork, unless you want to loose 30% of your travel🤔

[@superei8ht2]

what weight is the oil you're using?

[@superbikesify]

HELP forks not fully exstending after following this vid ??

[@gbzeus123]

As per comment below, the advice is bad from the video - you do not compress the fork before reassembly. Look at the rockshox guide, not this.

[@XDEWILL]

gilles beesley Hi....I looked at Sram´s WEB and find this : Slide the lower leg assembly along the upper tubes until it stops and the spring and damper shafts are visible through the lower leg bolt holes.Use a rag to wipe all excess fluid from the outer surface of the lower legs...... So video looks by ok.

[@TheDave20000]

I had the same problem with the fork not fully extending. Basically in the air camber leg the top out bumper or seal get "stuck" after the air has been fully emptied. When pumping up again the camber don't equalise correctly and therefore do not extend. To fix it I pumped the fork up hard(close it max pressure) and knock lower down. I could hear/feel whatever was stuck been release and I got my full travel back.

[@josereneducharme142]

Do you realize you are booting yourself out of Worker's Compensation Board publicly ?

[@45graham45]

Do not compress your fork before replacing the bottom bolts. Rock shox videos do not do this.

[@mrbarkeater1]

protect your peepers. luv you aussies!!!

[@AeronN7]

mrbarkeater1 Hilarious... He's English! 😂

[@voydnaught1397]

Great vid! Audio much though? Jesus it felt like I was watching Eraserhead for most of it!

[@MBRmagazine]

Apologies - it's a pretty old video using old equipment.