freeing a stuck pair of forks

[wisdom]

Bought a giant mtb which is great for what i need.its even got a magura hydraulic rim brake on the front.
the only problem is the forks are virtually stuck in the down stroke.
they are only basic not fancy ones.whats the best way to free them. The bikes been unused for a while and i think thats why they are stuck.could they free off with use

 

[stuee147]

i had a set of forks stuck down once after i had stacked it on the landing after a jump i just lay on the floor put my feet on the frame and pulled on the bottom of the forks and they just popped out. i might add i have long legs and had no problems but a friend tried it a couple of days later and on after the same jump and he had a front wheel hit him where he didnt want it. so be careful im sure theres a better way of doing it

 

[Cubist]

What sort of fork is it?

 

[wisdom]

It has rst ob the fork leg. Looking at the gaiter they could be stuck at the top of the stroke. Either way there is no movement.

 

[Cubist]

Hmmmm. Start by lifting the gaiter up and have a look at the stanchion underneath. The stanchion should be clean and shiny, and therefore slide in and out of the seal at the top of the lower leg easily. No movement suggests that it'll be an age/ corrosion problem. Trouble is, gaiters are renowned for trapping moisture underneath them and causing corrosion on the stanchion finish. This in turn shreds the seals, and allows dirt and water into the lower, where it then rusts springs and bushings.

You may be able to recover some limited movement depending on the level of damage, by smoothing off the stanchions and greasing them, and to do this you would need to remove the lowers, and clean everything up inside.

Ill have a look for some service guides for RST forks, but to be honest the prognosis isn't all that sunny. They are unlikely to perform as they should unless you replace some of the internals, and then we come onto the cost v benefit argument. It could be more economical to look for a replacement fork.

 

[Cubist]

Quite a few models out there. Does yours have a model number?

 

[wisdom]

There is a sticker on each fork leg with 281 on them.
Its not critical to get total movement it would be nice to get them working though.Just cause they should.

 

[Cubist]

I've checked and it looks like you need a special tool to remove the right hand side fork leg.

If you can't get hold of one then I would simply suggest flatting off any corrosion with wire wool or very fine wet n dry, then dripping light oil into the lowers via the seals recessed in the top. Then use your weight to force them to move. Iwouldn't worry about squeaks and rattles, but you may be able to persuade them to give some limited movement. Keep the stanchions greased to aid future movement. They aren't the most sophisticated forks to start with, with no damping, so run them until you can save up for a replacement. There are loads on ebay, but you may be better off looking for a different brand altogether, RST don't have the best reputation. My daughter had some on her Merida, and we ended up changing them for a fork with a lighter spring and better damping.

If you do look for a replacement, make sure it has brake bosses.

 

[Motozulu]

Also - for future reference, after every ride I clean my fork stanchions and spray a bit of silicon spray on them. Protects the seals and helps keep em moving plush. Just be careful to cover brakes/discs etc. when spraying.

 

[HovR]

Gotta agree with Cubist here. They look pretty similar in design/travel/age to my RockShox Jett forks, which are in perfect condition and still don't do a whole lot.

You could upgrade to some entry level Suntour forks with lockout for around £50, or for around £120 you could get some RockShox XC forks. Not sure what frame you've got, but I imagine it'd be fine with a modern 80mm travel fork.