Just wanted to show some appreciation. I use your videos a lot during maintenance on my own bikes and you definitely explain everything in a way that any novice cyclist can understand and the steps anyone can follow without too many complications. As well as the videos being informative, they are also interesting to watch.
This is so crazy. Was living on the coast of Ecuador for a couple of years, not taking too good care of my bike, so the shocks got rusty, muddy and wasn't working. So I figured I'd take them apart and give it a good clean. Among the first few vid's was this one.... GREAT VIDEO, and tailored to me perfectly, because as it turns out I have the EXACT same bike make and model . How weird is that!!!!!! Thanks for the great instructions. Off to find some lube.
> "Every 4 weeks or 25-30 hours of riding or whenever the performance of the fork has diminished(whichever occurs first)." Thanks. I'll now go and take apart my creaking suspension not opened for 10+ years. Wish my luck LOL
I have just taken on a refurbish bike build so...i definitely wish you luck...lol This guys videos are just full of little tips tricks and essential maintenance advice you will soon be cleaning, repairing and cycling with the pro's.
I got similar forks. They are the most insane forks I’ve ever had. They are like a pogo and I have full confidence I’ll be jumping into a cloud! Never serviced em in 5 years they’ve never changed! Maybe I’m lucky! But I love em. On a Columbia too lol
Wow.... I have 15,000 km with my Gila RST :) . It is first time when I will do this :) . Was a second hand Magellan Polaris bike. 100% has over 20,000 km without maintenance... :)
cheers that looks simple enough i have the very same fork on my bauer razor FS bike and this is wot i need to do to them as the forks have never bin touched since I've had the bike cheers once once again from New Zealand
I like your videos! Lots of info. I haven't read all the comments but instead of having a helper sit on the bike, a ratchet strap from the front wheel to the top of the handlebars or frame would have put pressure to get that bolt released as well... For those of us alone in the garage :-)
Thanks for the video. I bought my bike 2 years ago and I probably hit the dirt trails twice a month, I don't think they need this maintenance yet. I have RST Gila fork.
Thanks a lot for detail video. Going to do the same to my shocks. Hope there are everything the same as in yours. And that is a good point you showed, how to unscrew the bolts at the bottom if they spinning freely.
cant wait to do that with my specialized hardrock, as well as use your how to fix bent chainring guide to clear that issue up. your videos have helped me with many different bikes, always look for rj the bike guy for tutorials and you have always had them lol
Just so you know, you put the rubber pieces shaped like cones that are the first of two pieces that go on the thin bar coming out of the upper on backwards. I know from watching the way it was when you took it apart and from comparing with my own RST fork. Hope that is helpful if you didn't ever catch it.
Thank You for this excellent video,I have the samo fork on my bike, and I will do the same,without this video I wouldnt try it!! Wouldnt be easier to take off the suspension from bike and set it on the working table,than clean it?
Thanks for this tutorial. I have a fork that had lost most of it's spring. I'll be needing to install new coils and hopefully what you've demonstrate will apply to this fork. I have another fork that has no bottom screw and when I remove the top cap, there's an Allen bolt, however I don't have an Allen key long enough to reach it. Are there special tools for this kind of fork?
I have over a dozen different fork overhaul videos. Different forks are different. If I don't have a video on your fork, then you will have to find instructions or figure it out. www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001NT2LK4/ref=nosim/youtube25-20
You can try an impact wrench. Sometimes that will break it loose. If you remove the stacks from inside the fork, I think you can get a long hex socket down there, and hold it from inside. I can't remember if these had that like RockShox.
I couldn't find any other videos that you did on the 2005 Hardrock Sport. I'm especially interested in removing the cranks and replacing the bottom bracket. If you did a such a video, could you give me a link to it? (I have a 2004 Hardrock Sport.)
I actually have the same forks on a Cannondale. Followed your video and got them cleaned. Except the grease that was in them was this nasty yellow stuff. A devil to get out! Smelled of old dirt and vasoline. Finally just dumped lowers into a bath of strong citric cleaner.
Thanks for the Video, very informative! I have an RST CT-FREE-TNL which has oil on one side and a spring on the other. Do you (or anyone who is reading this) know if it's safe to open that up like you did? Or will I have oil all over the place then? Thanks!
You said a non-lithium grease, but I searched marine grease and it is lithium based. I just bought some petroleum grease for car brakes/ bearings. Wonder what's right... doing this overhaul on similar fork soon
So, ive owned my bike about 4 weeks. And i dont know that much about bike mechanics, and didnt know if it was a concern that grease was getting pushed onto the showing part of the suspension, so i took it in to the bike shop. Also got brakes adjusted and stuff. And before i took it in, the suspension made a lightish squeak when i went of curbs and such. The guy said he cleaned out and re lubed the suspension, but the problem now is whenever i go off big curbs and compress the suspension, it makes a clunking sound similiar to that of an 80 year old car going over a pot hole. I would like to know if theres anything i can do about it.
Thanks for the video! Just a quick question, though. I got this exact make/model of bike used for a nice price, but the top tubes have one cap missing (the things you used your special socket too for around 3:35.) Do you know if there are replacements for those?
When doing the pre load will the knows be facing the same or will they be different as I am trying to get mine equal but I wound them as far a I can (only a kid) and one is alot stiffer to turn than the other one
Nice one - that should work for the Capa T6 RST's I've got to sort out. Ever had to get new boots/covers ? both are split on the bike I'm restoring, any hint for where to get them would be helpful!
Hi RJ, I have an rst fork that is leaking an oil from the rebound adjuster. would this or another video of yours help me open the fork up and figure out what's going on? thanks, your videos have been a huge help
Because it may not play nicely with any plastic parts or especially the elastomers. I think it's probably different in other ways also. Use the correct lubricants. Would you replace your motor oil with vegetable oil? They are both about the same consistency... No. They are different. They have different properties.
im trying to restore a mountain bike and the chain has some rust and ive tried to use coco cola to clean it but not very good...can i remove the chain completely from the bike to clean and then put back onto the bike ??? also my front suspension is not working and maybe seized but i noticed on one top side of the RST gila forks there is a lever missing and on the folk there is a label marked lock...would the missing lever cause the forks to appear seized ????
@@RJTheBikeGuy thanks for that...i will have to try and get a lock lever...my forks are RST gila sl so not sure where to buy the exact one that i need...i will take a look on ebay but not sure what im looking at...im new to trying to fix mountain bikes so sorry for too many questions.
I don't know what the black greasy coating is. Are they working okay? If so, maybe leave them alone. You can always clean the black grease off and add some slickoleum.
ZMan99999 That black grease is more like thick sticky residue right? I would tear down, clean and relube immediately ... i have a cheapo fork on one of my bikes and I let it go like that. bad idea
Thick as in almost dry...not thick as in depth.... anyways its actually really easy on most forks. And i just cleaned and lubed up a RST somethin 29er fork with NAPA auto parts lube called "Sil-Glide". The more often you clean and lube a cheap fork, the better. As long as you know basic tool skills like not over-tightening bolts and stuff. Watch vids of a bunch of different types of forks being dissassembled
Thanks for the upload, i have the same hardrock only difference is i have disc brakes. My question is. Do i have to do this maintenance? my top caps of the left side are loose and dont snap into place. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!
Great Video! generally speaking marine grease is lithium based, i use red ruber grease which is castor oil based. Any way, Im trying to stop top out, any ideas?
I appreciated your video, thank you. I have an old Giant Sedona that needs some TLC and since the prices at the bike shop to do it are a bit high, and since I'm a bit handy, I figured I could do a lot of it myself. They told me the suspension was not serviceable but apparently, from watching your video, that's not quite true. Perhaps what they meant was that the hardness could not be adjusted which sort of appears to be the case. On an old bike, those springs sooner or later will provide less tension much like in an old car. So If I need a harder ride, is there any option other than changing the whole fork? I have noticed that on the top of the Gila T5 fork there is the indication of an adjustment with a + and - sign but you didn't go into that in this video. Could you elaborate on what they do and how to use them? Thanks, Peter.
+Water Air Industry Taking old shocks apart can be risky as parts are likely not available. Adjust the cap on the top. That is the preload and will stiffen the shock some.
Hi there! First of all thanks for the video, BUT; I have a problem! Right at the beginning! The second screw just dont come out, i tried with a person helping me, pulling down on the front and putting as more weight on it as possibe....but nothing...the screw just dont want to come out! Is there anything else i can/should do? Taking it to a professional I guess? I'm out of ideas :/ Thanks
Bubu461989 The part that is inside the fork is turning too, so the bolt just turns and turns, right? Another method I have used, was to use an impact wrench to loosen it. The hammering action caused it to free up from the part inside. Also, I think, if you can get the stacks out of the upper tubes, there might be a hex fitting on the top of the part at the bottom of the tube. So you might be able to get a long extension with a hex socket to hold it from turning while you remove the bolt on the bottom.
RJ The Bike Guy when i read it the first time i misunderstood the "impact wrench" with the fact that i should hammer the fork with a wrench, so to loosen the part inside, i did that and obviously didn't work, and I don't have an impact wrench actually..so i guess i should buy one....or i should go to a specialist? Or i could try and hammer the bolt a little, maybe that would work?
i bought my bike in Taiwan and the spring from the front shock came loose I disassembled it and the parts are completely different the screw on the base leads to nothing it got only a cylindrical plastic pressed in by a foam and the spring that does not came loose when i disassembled it. crazy thing is that it came loose when I lift the bike the front shock just fall down.
I took a 5mm allen wrench and used 2 extenstions to get a bit on the screw inside the uppers. 4mm spun off easily when I did that. Thanks for the video. Shocks are back together and work great. Your videos gave me the confidence to try and fix on my own.
Any idea how I can identify the type of suspension I have ? I also feel a bit of a small tap in my suspension when I hit the ground hard and a click when I pull the suspension up. I'm assuming it's not the best type of suspension for my bike
For more bike repair videos hit the subscribe button 🛑 and click the notification bell ► bit.ly/SubRJTheBikeGuy
Thank you - it was very helpful
Just wanted to show some appreciation. I use your videos a lot during maintenance on my own bikes and you definitely explain everything in a way that any novice cyclist can understand and the steps anyone can follow without too many complications. As well as the videos being informative, they are also interesting to watch.
This is so crazy. Was living on the coast of Ecuador for a couple of years, not taking too good care of my bike, so the shocks got rusty, muddy and wasn't working. So I figured I'd take them apart and give it a good clean. Among the first few vid's was this one.... GREAT VIDEO, and tailored to me perfectly, because as it turns out I have the EXACT same bike make and model . How weird is that!!!!!!
Thanks for the great instructions. Off to find some lube.
> "Every 4 weeks or 25-30 hours of riding or whenever the performance of the fork has diminished(whichever occurs first)."
Thanks. I'll now go and take apart my creaking suspension not opened for 10+ years. Wish my luck LOL
I have just taken on a refurbish bike build so...i definitely wish you luck...lol
This guys videos are just full of little tips tricks and essential maintenance advice you will soon be cleaning, repairing and cycling with the pro's.
I did thit to my RST capa T6 and it had never been cleaned ,before the suspension wasn't working very well , now it works beautifully,thank you. :)
I got similar forks. They are the most insane forks I’ve ever had. They are like a pogo and I have full confidence I’ll be jumping into a cloud! Never serviced em in 5 years they’ve never changed! Maybe I’m lucky! But I love em. On a Columbia too lol
You're the Man, RJ! Thanks for your clear, well edited videos.
Thanks to you and your videos, I literally now making living servicing in repairing MTB here in the P.N.W 🤙
Thank you for using a tripod and editing your video. Great Job!
Wow.... I have 15,000 km with my Gila RST :) . It is first time when I will do this :) . Was a second hand Magellan Polaris bike. 100% has over 20,000 km without maintenance... :)
Nice one. I'm currently restoring an identical Specialized so now I know how to recondition the fork too 👌🏻
simply amazing! thanks dude, it's a useful video about how to do maintenance by yourself. I think I'll save a lot of money.
You are a very professional luber
No one really likes to leave things dry
this helped a lot I have this mongoos 2.2 ledge its almost two years old and I'm doing maintenance on it for the first time
I've really learnt a lot this past couple of days. I always thought shocks were a costly job.
Mate. Your stuff is great. I've learned heaps about servicing my own gear from your posts. Thanks.
cheers that looks simple enough i have the very same fork on my bauer razor FS bike and this is wot i need to do to them as the forks have never bin touched since I've had the bike cheers once once again from New Zealand
I like your videos! Lots of info. I haven't read all the comments but instead of having a helper sit on the bike, a ratchet strap from the front wheel to the top of the handlebars or frame would have put pressure to get that bolt released as well... For those of us alone in the garage :-)
Thank you. gave me the confidence to have a go myself.
Another really useful video. They save me lots of time/ trial and error.
Thanks for the video. I bought my bike 2 years ago and I probably hit the dirt trails twice a month, I don't think they need this maintenance yet. I have RST Gila fork.
Thanks a lot for detail video. Going to do the same to my shocks. Hope there are everything the same as in yours. And that is a good point you showed, how to unscrew the bolts at the bottom if they spinning freely.
cant wait to do that with my specialized hardrock, as well as use your how to fix bent chainring guide to clear that issue up. your videos have helped me with many different bikes, always look for rj the bike guy for tutorials and you have always had them lol
Thanks so much for this video! I didn't have any non lithium based lubricant so I used vaseline and it worked wonders!
good tip man! thanks
THANKS FOR SHARING. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIND THIS VIDEO.
Cheers bud I have the exact same bike just the disc brake version but my forks were all seized and rusted
Would it be the same procedure on a 1998 rockhopper with a manitou fork
The Manatou is a different fork, so it is probably different. I haven't worked on one, so I don't know.
Hi, your knowledgement and technics are awesome. Thanks for all your videos.
Just so you know, you put the rubber pieces shaped like cones that are the first of two pieces that go on the thin bar coming out of the upper on backwards. I know from watching the way it was when you took it apart and from comparing with my own RST fork. Hope that is helpful if you didn't ever catch it.
Your are right! He put the pieces back on upside down.
thanks man, really well explained and very helpful.
Big help i was gonna go to the bike shop now i decided to do it my self
excellent explanation, for good maintenance of the suspension RST Gila. Upload video is general bicycle maintenance. Cheers...
That awesome orange is great for cleaning chains and rear cassette and rear derailleur
Many thanks. That tool is pretty cool.
Could you explain a bit about the plastic dials on top of the uppers and how they should be set?
They preload the springs and can make the suspension just a little softer or stiffer. Personal preference.
Thanks you for the guide! This helped me restore an old rst that i found
Thanks for these detail video instruction. thumbs up!
Good video tutorial , it helped me alot revamp my shocks
Thank You for this excellent video,I have the samo fork on my bike,
and I will do the same,without this video I wouldnt try it!!
Wouldnt be easier to take off the suspension from bike and set it on the
working table,than clean it?
Not really.
Thanks for the video, interesting and informative.
It was very helpful to me. Thank you very much. terima kasih.
Excellent video as always, tanks a lot RJ
Your are so helpful mate. Thank you very much. That tool you made is really cool. What would the proper tool be called?
+yathatisgood Not sure the exact name. RST Special Tool or something like that.
Nice job man ! I have ideal pro rider 29' . Fork RST Blaze-ML, 100 mm, mechanical lock out, adjustable preload . Is it the same system with yours?
thanks from uruguay!! very usefull!
Hello, thank you for video. It si very usefull for me but i have one question, where i can buy this oil?What brand it is? thank for answer.
+vladimir kacur I don't think I used oil on this shock. What I actually recommend in "Slick Honey" or "slickoeum"
www.slickoleum.com/
Very detailed and helpful. I will try with my RST GILA PRO after this.
this was actually extremely helpful, thanks!!
Muito bom. Vou tentar fazer na minha suspensão. Apesar da minha não ser a T5.
This helped me a lot cause the screw under the shock would not get tight
Thanks for this tutorial. I have a fork that had lost most of it's spring. I'll be needing to install new coils and hopefully what you've demonstrate will apply to this fork.
I have another fork that has no bottom screw and when I remove the top cap, there's an Allen bolt, however I don't have an Allen key long enough to reach it. Are there special tools for this kind of fork?
I have over a dozen different fork overhaul videos. Different forks are different. If I don't have a video on your fork, then you will have to find instructions or figure it out.
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001NT2LK4/ref=nosim/youtube25-20
if there is rust, is it a good idea to use a metal polish to get rid of it?
sir do you have any remedy incase the bolt is still turning but not loosening despite pressing the fork hard.
You can try an impact wrench. Sometimes that will break it loose. If you remove the stacks from inside the fork, I think you can get a long hex socket down there, and hold it from inside. I can't remember if these had that like RockShox.
Is it the same for double crown forks?
how do you wash all the towels and rags you use. Do you just throw them into your typical household wash machine?
The really dirty ones, just get thown away. I wash the rest in washer by themselves.
Thank you I'll be doing this tomorrow!!
Its like listening to Darth Vader doing cycle maintenance!
Your video is going to be a great help for me !!! Thanks!!!
I couldn't find any other videos that you did on the 2005 Hardrock Sport. I'm especially interested in removing the cranks and replacing the bottom bracket. If you did a such a video, could you give me a link to it? (I have a 2004 Hardrock Sport.)
I actually have the same forks on a Cannondale. Followed your video and got them cleaned. Except the grease that was in them was this nasty yellow stuff. A devil to get out! Smelled of old dirt and vasoline. Finally just dumped lowers into a bath of strong citric cleaner.
Joe N i recommend to use atf (automatic transmission fluid ) than grease will add more dirt inside the stancion
nice clear instructions. Thank you very much..
Ha! I just bought a bike with this RST fork on it this vid was all I needed to know. Thanks.
Now to go buy some grease.
I have RST Capa T9 model ... almost the same shape ... is in the characteristics also identical?
Yahyaoui Mohamed No idea.
Thank you for the instructions video!
It was very helpful to me!
:)
Amazing video dude!
Thanks for the Video, very informative!
I have an RST CT-FREE-TNL which has oil on one side and a spring on the other. Do you (or anyone who is reading this) know if it's safe to open that up like you did? Or will I have oil all over the place then? Thanks!
Sorry, I don't know anything about that model.
Hi! My bottom screw is attached to the metal bar and i dont know if i can disattach. Can i disassemble this fork?
Why we should use a non-lithium grease on forks ? What happened if I use this type of grease in my old RST Gila ?
You said a non-lithium grease, but I searched marine grease and it is lithium based. I just bought some petroleum grease for car brakes/ bearings. Wonder what's right... doing this overhaul on similar fork soon
So, ive owned my bike about 4 weeks. And i dont know that much about bike mechanics, and didnt know if it was a concern that grease was getting pushed onto the showing part of the suspension, so i took it in to the bike shop. Also got brakes adjusted and stuff. And before i took it in, the suspension made a lightish squeak when i went of curbs and such. The guy said he cleaned out and re lubed the suspension, but the problem now is whenever i go off big curbs and compress the suspension, it makes a clunking sound similiar to that of an 80 year old car going over a pot hole. I would like to know if theres anything i can do about it.
That your forks bottoming out all that you need to do is to turn your preload cap right
I did it works
bought a jamis trail x2 and the gila rst fork is not rebounding as it used to should i replace the fork entirely or get the fork looked at.
i just got rst oldstock yes!!!!!!!!!!!
Bg! Fork MTB saya yg sblh kanan (dBagian lock) ad 1 komponen yg tdk bs dKeluarKn, sudah dBalikpun forknya ttp tdk mw jatuh komponennya. Apakah ad caranya Bg?
Thanks for the video! Just a quick question, though. I got this exact make/model of bike used for a nice price, but the top tubes have one cap missing (the things you used your special socket too for around 3:35.) Do you know if there are replacements for those?
Doubtful. You can check ebay. Probably just replace the forks, or find some damaged versions of these for parts.
Great video. I've been looking for a little grease gun like that. Really hard to find. Does it have a brand name?
+yathatisgood It's a Dualco. I got it at Amazon. www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0025UGOVW/ref=nosim/youtube25-20
When doing the pre load will the knows be facing the same or will they be different as I am trying to get mine equal but I wound them as far a I can (only a kid) and one is alot stiffer to turn than the other one
Hey RJ love your videos, would it be the same for the RST Omega T6 fork? I have an old 2004 or 2005 GT Avalanche with that fork.
Sorry, I haven't worked on one of those.
Nice one - that should work for the Capa T6 RST's I've got to sort out. Ever had to get new boots/covers ? both are split on the bike I'm restoring, any hint for where to get them would be helpful!
You are just going to have to google around and see if any are even available.
Hi how do u remove the top plastic caps without the tool u made ?
Buy or make the tools.
Hi RJ, I have an rst fork that is leaking an oil from the rebound adjuster. would this or another video of yours help me open the fork up and figure out what's going on? thanks, your videos have been a huge help
the fork is an RST First GTRL Air RLO
+Matthew Larrabee Sorry, I haven't worked on one of those.
Quick question, RJ...
Would Castrol automotive bearing grease work well with my shocks?
+mtlnascarfan No.
+RJ The Bike Guy why ?
Because it may not play nicely with any plastic parts or especially the elastomers. I think it's probably different in other ways also. Use the correct lubricants. Would you replace your motor oil with vegetable oil? They are both about the same consistency... No. They are different. They have different properties.
+RJ The Bike Guy true . thanks again . I appreciate everything
RJ The Bike Guy . thnks for a great tutorial. tomorrow gonna strip down my shoock on the Titan, it has a similiar fork. cheers
Hey! great videos! they are very helpful
im trying to restore a mountain bike and the chain has some rust and ive tried to use coco cola to clean it but not very good...can i remove the chain completely from the bike to clean and then put back onto the bike ??? also my front suspension is not working and maybe seized but i noticed on one top side of the RST gila forks there is a lever missing and on the folk there is a label marked lock...would the missing lever cause the forks to appear seized ????
If the chain is rusty, replace it. They are like $10 on Amazon.com. I like KMC chains. And yes, it could be the fork is locked out.
@@RJTheBikeGuy thanks for that...i will have to try and get a lock lever...my forks are RST gila sl so not sure where to buy the exact one that i need...i will take a look on ebay but not sure what im looking at...im new to trying to fix mountain bikes so sorry for too many questions.
Thanks for your good instructions I Have an i dea how to fix my fork
Any idea where I could find an inexpensive super long Allen key to take apart my forks? I'm talking like 8-12 inches lol
As always a great video. And I do believe that I caught a glimpse of the elusive RJ the bike guys face!!! The is as rare as a Bigfoot siting😂😂😂
I need help I compress the forks but the screw still does not let me take it out and I don't have a impact drill
Try putting more weight on them. Have two people put their weight on the handlebars.
What's the reason for non lithium based grease?
Should i rebuild my fork (RST Blaze Cheapo coil fork) if there is a thin black greasy coat on the stanchions?
I don't know what the black greasy coating is. Are they working okay? If so, maybe leave them alone. You can always clean the black grease off and add some slickoleum.
They seem to work okay for what they are so I will save the time and clean the outsides. Thanks
ZMan99999 That black grease is more like thick sticky residue right? I would tear down, clean and relube immediately ... i have a cheapo fork on one of my bikes and I let it go like that. bad idea
I would say kind of but it is a really thin coat.
Thick as in almost dry...not thick as in depth.... anyways its actually really easy on most forks. And i just cleaned and lubed up a RST somethin 29er fork with NAPA auto parts lube called "Sil-Glide". The more often you clean and lube a cheap fork, the better. As long as you know basic tool skills like not over-tightening bolts and stuff. Watch vids of a bunch of different types of forks being dissassembled
Thanks for the upload, i have the same hardrock only difference is i have disc brakes. My question is. Do i have to do this maintenance? my top caps of the left side are loose and dont snap into place. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!
+rpmbxdj The top caps snap on and don't screw on?
+RJ The Bike Guy I meant the lowers top caps sorry
What are those black rubber covers over the springs? I removed them and don't know where to put them.
They cushion the springs from banging around on the insides of the shocks.
RJ The Bike Guy where would I place them on the spring? I have RST Omni 181. A version with very smaller rubber seals and no elastomers.
Probably in the middle in the middle. WHere were they before?
RJ The Bike Guy around the same location as yours, does it matter though?
great..saves me a lot off time investegaiting
Great Video! generally speaking marine grease is lithium based, i use red ruber grease which is castor oil based. Any way, Im trying to stop top out, any ideas?
They are topping out. Maybe replace them.
Thanks for response! Its 2 weeks old. I was looking to modify etc as im out of work atm
What do you mean it's two weeks old? It has RST Gila T5 shocks? These are old shocks.
My boke is new
Let me guess, you bought a cheap bike at Walmart, or Target?
I appreciated your video, thank you. I have an old Giant Sedona that needs some TLC and since the prices at the bike shop to do it are a bit high, and since I'm a bit handy, I figured I could do a lot of it myself. They told me the suspension was not serviceable but apparently, from watching your video, that's not quite true. Perhaps what they meant was that the hardness could not be adjusted which sort of appears to be the case. On an old bike, those springs sooner or later will provide less tension much like in an old car. So If I need a harder ride, is there any option other than changing the whole fork? I have noticed that on the top of the Gila T5 fork there is the indication of an adjustment with a + and - sign but you didn't go into that in this video. Could you elaborate on what they do and how to use them? Thanks, Peter.
+Water Air Industry Taking old shocks apart can be risky as parts are likely not available. Adjust the cap on the top. That is the preload and will stiffen the shock some.
Thanks RJ.
Hi there! First of all thanks for the video, BUT; I have a problem! Right at the beginning! The second screw just dont come out, i tried with a person helping me, pulling down on the front and putting as more weight on it as possibe....but nothing...the screw just dont want to come out! Is there anything else i can/should do? Taking it to a professional I guess? I'm out of ideas :/
Thanks
Bubu461989 The part that is inside the fork is turning too, so the bolt just turns and turns, right? Another method I have used, was to use an impact wrench to loosen it. The hammering action caused it to free up from the part inside. Also, I think, if you can get the stacks out of the upper tubes, there might be a hex fitting on the top of the part at the bottom of the tube. So you might be able to get a long extension with a hex socket to hold it from turning while you remove the bolt on the bottom.
RJ The Bike Guy when i read it the first time i misunderstood the "impact wrench" with the fact that i should hammer the fork with a wrench, so to loosen the part inside, i did that and obviously didn't work, and I don't have an impact wrench actually..so i guess i should buy one....or i should go to a specialist? Or i could try and hammer the bolt a little, maybe that would work?
i bought my bike in Taiwan and the spring from the front shock came loose I disassembled it and the parts are completely different the screw on the base leads to nothing it got only a cylindrical plastic pressed in by a foam and the spring that does not came loose when i disassembled it. crazy thing is that it came loose when I lift the bike the front shock just fall down.
can vaserline be used for the grease ??
I recommend Slickoleum or Slick Honey, or SRAM butter.
@@RJTheBikeGuy ok thanks
I am unable to compress the shocks and the impact drill does not spin the allen bolt off. any ideas on how I can remove lower section?
I took a 5mm allen wrench and used 2 extenstions to get a bit on the screw inside the uppers. 4mm spun off easily when I did that. Thanks for the video. Shocks are back together and work great. Your videos gave me the confidence to try and fix on my own.
Hi I have a question, my suspension doesn't have an alkey screws it have what seems like a bolt and I have no idea how to unscrew it from the bottom
Then you apparently have different forks which requires different instructions.
Any idea how I can identify the type of suspension I have ? I also feel a bit of a small tap in my suspension when I hit the ground hard and a click when I pull the suspension up. I'm assuming it's not the best type of suspension for my bike
very nice video, thanks
Yah this videos are very helpful
Thanks a lot