Damper rod range of motion....

[midway]

I need to properly adjust the damper rod as some ne'er-do-well service tech or previous owner put the full range of adjustment out when last reassembled. This is the area you skip in the service manual if the damper lock nut as never been tampered with... well it's been tampered with. So I get to go all the way down this rabbit hole and thought I would share some things I see and learn along the way. Keep an eye on me please, I don't want to screw this up. New seals will also be installed.

Tearing down the forks is a snap, we can all do that per the SM. Removing the center bolt from the bottom of the fork slider lets the whole rebound assembly slide out (something you don't need to do if only replacing seals) However sludge is found on the lower end of the damper rod assembly. You'll never see it if you don't go all the way... see image.

Not real happy with how the SM describes making the actual (damper range of motion adjustment) but perhaps it will be obvious.
SM reads like this;

Damper Rod Assembly

1. Fully thread the damper rod lock nut onto damper rod clockwise until it lightly bottoms.

2. Adjust rebound assembly for proper range of motion.

a. Lightly turn the rebound adjuster screw on top of the
rebound adjuster assembly counterclockwise until it stops.

b. Turn the rebound adjuster screw three full turns
clockwise.

3. Fully thread rebound adjuster assembly onto the
damper rod assembly until it lightly bottoms. Do not
tighten.

4. Thread the damper lock nut until bottoms lightly on
the rebound adjuster assembly. Do not tighten.

5. Turning the rebound adjuster screw counterclockwise
three full turns or until stops.

6. Tighten the damper lock nut to 22-30 ft-lbs (30-40 Nm).

7. Repeat for other fork assembly exactly the same.

At this point in the thread everything will be flushed out, cleaned and inspected as I'm waiting on a 43mm fork seal driver. I won't be using the bullet tool as you guys seem to prefer seran wrap to slip new seals over the sharp edges.

[lowkey]

It's quite simple when you go to put it all back together. The lock nut gets threaded all the way down so that the needle valve shaft (that shaft with the tapered tip) can bottom out, then you run the lock nut back up making sure the tapered shaft is still fully seated, this sets the end of the range so make sure the adjustment knob is set to the same end of its adjustment. Problem with only doing the one leg is if the other one was not set up exactly the same you will never be able to have the same dampening settings between the two, causing unsafe riding, tire wear, etc... best just to do them both so you know for sure oil is the same weight/type and set to the same height (coat hanger makes a great dip stick) and that both have been bottomed out with the external adjuster set the same.

I've run into less than great service on my STT fork as well and found all the same stuff going on that you have so this is why I say to do them both at the same time and make sure they are right. The STT fork has the external adjustment as part of the top fork cap with damper rod (needle valve shaft) attached, so this is my experience but the setting you ask about when rebuilding is the same.

[Cooter]

Step #2 is simply describing what you are doing in step 2a and 2b.

The rebound adjustment screw should be 3 turns in from max out, screw the assembly on the rod to lightly seat it and thats where you tighten the locknut. The rest is the manual telling you to back off the adjustment before you tighten it, so you don't inadvertently crank on it and over tighten the needle in the seat. Yes, do it that way.

And lowkey, is right. Always do both legs at the same time. Seems like you have the rest handled, but no need to wait for the driver when a bit of PVC tube will work fo a buck or so Just make sure the id of the PVC doesn't hit the lip of the seal. It doesn't take much to seat them properly. Saran wrap is a step missed by most people until the new seal you just put on leaks! Then you never miss that step again,

[midway]

Thanks for the confidence!

Ah I'm reading 2a & b subsections correctly now. I WILL do both forks at the same time, makes sense. The seal driver will be here on tuesday so using the time to clean all parts and study the mechanics. I will say this tool made quick work of the spring compression. A coat hanger for oil level check seems practical, probably didn't need a kit.

I noticed this piece of the (preload adjustment assembly) is not recognized by my hard copy service manual in the exploded view or numerical listing. But it is shown in the parts manual. Makes me wonder what else was forgotten in my SM's version detail.

[Cooter]

I set my dial indicator to the right measurement and use the tail of it. The syringe is still faster

Thats a heck of a nice spring compressor! Put your initial on it or Ol' Coot's coming by to borrow it! LOL

[lowkey]

Nice fancy tools Midway! Cooter please describe the saran wrap procedure in detail, I can't picture it in use. Is it used over the slider bushings on the stanchions when sliding into the seals?

[Cooter]

A little lube all over everything and then wrap it over the tip of the hard tube (just the tip). You don't want your big tube to cut the virgin seal lips when you spread them over the shaft. Then you can yank off the protection and raw dog it all the way down the hard shaft until you hit the bottom. Bam!


Jokes aside, it's just to protect the seal from the end of the threads so no twisting. Threads are sharp!

[midway]

to protect the seal from the end of the threads so no twisting.

You didn't mean to say threads did you Cooter? My understanding of the saran wrap trick is to easily slide a new seal down over these sharp edges specifically the one very sharp edge where this bushing snaps on to the fork piston AFTER the seal has been installed.

Without pictures my mind went here when reading about the use of seran wrap. Help me out if I'm wrong please.

[lowkey]

Midway, I think you have it exactly right on where this would be used (and a nice safeguard for the seal), this is the only part of a rebuild where I can remember them possibly getting damaged. I used special o-ring grease without the bushing on the stanchion, once the seal was past that recess I installed the bushing on the stanchion. When seating the seals into the fork tube, o-ring grease or fresh fork oil will help the process. Looks like you went with OEM seals if that is a picture of your fork. I went with All-Balls which have a double lip seal, very good choice if you have to do the forks again in the future.

[midway]

I went with All-Balls which have a double lip seal, very good choice if you have to do the forks again in the future.

I'm going to highlight your suggestion here for future readers. Perhaps pause and place an order myself.

https://www.allballsracing.com/