Can I lock out an old pair of Suntour adjustable forks?

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Sloth

Senior Member
Hi, my MTB has a pair of SR Suntour 'Magnesium' XCR forks fitted.
Can I lock them out for road use or am I stuck with either replacing them for fixed forks or putting up with a bouncy, energy absorbing front end ?
This may impact on whether I bother with all the other stuff or just sell it and put the cash and the cash I would have spent on a road bike.
There are two plastic knobs that can be turned (pre-load?) one on the top of each of the fork stems and each one has a little bubble in it, like a spirit level.
That's the only adjustment I can see and there is no lever or anything related to it on the handle bars etc.
Here's a few pics...

50587298581_1a5b81de98_k.jpg EBF6288D-AC99-4176-BB82-877219A75B5F by NEIL MCCARTHY, on Flickr

50586553363_33500fcf9b_k.jpg 8224C639-2F95-4FBD-A9E7-1551AEC00A28 by NEIL MCCARTHY, on Flickr

50587298711_e1353470dd_k.jpg 09F5DE93-040A-4C8B-B187-E490403470D6 by NEIL MCCARTHY, on Flickr

50583220226_7cec98bd4e_k.jpg 238DBA27-94BE-459A-8864-8152373D7466 by NEIL MCCARTHY, on Flickr
 

Spiderweb

Not So Special One
Location
North Yorkshire
Unfortunately not on the model you have.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
No.

The preload doesn't work well even on later XCR forks. Leave it be. They aren't that energy sapping unless you are out of the saddle. It's going to cost you even more to replace them with rigid ones - you'll be in new bike territory - i.e. a Carrera Subway money for the commute.
 
OP
OP
Sloth

Sloth

Senior Member
OK thanks, I suspected as much.
Providing it doesn't sap too much I'll leave well alone I think, although a fixed fork can be had off eBay pretty cheap I suspect the cost of someone fitting of it will be the killer!

Just out of curiosity, how do I determine the fork sizing should I want to source a set and swap?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
OK thanks, I suspected as much.
Providing it doesn't sap too much I'll leave well alone I think, although a fixed fork can be had off eBay pretty cheap I suspect the cost of someone fitting of it will be the killer!

Just out of curiosity, how do I determine the fork sizing should I want to source a set and swap?
Ask the shop you’d get to do the work!!
 

vickster

Legendary Member
I was responding to the question about determining size

cost At least £100 I’d think (plus labour)
 

carvelos

Active Member
Location
IOW
OK thanks, I suspected as much.
Providing it doesn't sap too much I'll leave well alone I think, although a fixed fork can be had off eBay pretty cheap I suspect the cost of someone fitting of it will be the killer!

Just out of curiosity, how do I determine the fork sizing should I want to source a set and swap?
If you are after good quality affordable rigid mtb forks I have bought two pars from here and use one set on an mtb tandem

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MTB-ALLO...080080?hash=item2f3d5eb610:g:-r8AAOSw-v5eNBhS

well worth £42.00 i reckon. swapping over is easy, there are masses of vids on youtube showing cutting and sizing etc
 
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Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
If you want to bodge a lock out, then you have a couple of options; 1.) simply tighten a jubilee clip around each upper part of the fork leg. 2.) Cut a bit of pvc pipe and clip it in place like this
1605088878805.png


Both options are real bodges, but they do work.
 
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