This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Trailmonkey posted re using a car bodywork filler and a solvent to buff it smooth rather than wet and dry. If The whole process can take anything from 8 to 24 hours, depending on the environmental conditions, as the drying time of the epoxy resin is sensitive to temperature and humidity. @vaious comments: Just to be clear, scratches on stanchions is a leading cause of forks getting completely trashed. Gently sand the resin in the direction of the stanchion until the repair is smooth and no raised surfaces are detectable. I've managed to scratch both stanchions of my forks, presumably in the same incident, although I'm not sure sure how. Rub away until the painted surface is no longer raised above the original stanchion. Sexiest Ebike Thread. Why does RockShox say you shouldn't use a bolt on axle on their fork? Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Clean the scratch and the surrounding area thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol, removing any debris from the scratch itself. Win a pair of Shimano ME7 shoes worth 180! Looks to me like minor usage damage - you rode your bike past a thorn or stick , or maybe it hit the ground. How are your forks going now mate and what did you do. you MUST wait for the nail varnish to harden before smoothing it off. You can use super-fine wet & dry paper for this; something like 2000 grit should do the job without damaging the rest of the surface. Unfortunately, this means that we can only ship this product to addresses in Australia via regular road-based postage. Is Bramacharya necessary for spiritual advancement? All rights reserved. Sad but true. Clean the stanchion with your solvent. Hey there, im trying to repair a few sratches on my fox fork stanchion and ive got it smooth and ready to be filled but im not sure what the best filler is. Some clear nail varnish might be all you should apply, or even nothing at all. Is this sentence correct? This topic has 10 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated. What do I need to make this new fork aesthetically pleasing? If it's a good deal, I wouldn't sweat it. This time were giving you the chance to win a pair of snazzy Shimano ME7 shoes courtesy of Freewheel. Oscillating comparator in a discrete DC-DC converter. The aim is to get it into the bottom of each scratch - it'll serve as a filler - but it is hard not to paint a bit of the surrounding area, so don't worry if you do. Step 1 - Start by running a sharp, clean blade over the damaged area, using a brand new blade if possible. I use nail varnish top coat. As with other moving parts you should inspect your fork stanchions when you clean your bike, and address problems as they come up. really impressed with this product, super easy and effective, managed to save my scratched stanchions, would recommend doing a lower leg service with it as well. Think I am going to carefully smooth out scratches with razor blade, degrease area, fill with either epoxy or nail polish, wet sand and finish. They will get scratched over time if the owner was having it serviced regularly or switching back and forth between travel lengths. Heres a bunch of great MTB stocking filler ideas from DMR Bikes; Makita; Wickens & Soderstrom; Race Face; Fibrax; Sealskinz and more! These guys have a good reputation if you haven't tried them already (and are happy to send the forks away). Cycle the fork through the travel a few times to make sure everything is working OK. I admit I know little of what the internals look like, but presumably the air is inside a cartridge? Had a quick look at the servicing movies on you tube, cheered me up that the air seal is inside the stanchion so wont be affected . Brand of sandpaper etc? As mentioned, ideally you'd take the forks apart first. Bicycles Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people who build and repair bicycles, people who train cycling, or commute on bicycles. Remember its better to have a slight indent on the fork leg, than a sharp protruding burr. What You'll NeedTo make a clean and tidy repair without exacerbating the damage, it's best to head to the hardware store. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Are you asking how to touch up the paint, or how to stop it rusting? All rights reserved. Sendhit have provided a step by step tutorial to guide users through the delicate operation. I didn't realise the image was of the inner fork leg. use a fine emery paper/wet and dry to take of the burrs. They may not be open now, but beauty shops will have black nail polish, so will some big drug stores like Thrifty.. Couple of burrs, almost certainly have gone past the seals many times - fell at the top of cut gate and rode back to Langsett, so a couple of km minimum of fairly bouncy terrain. Briefly, the process involves the filing down of any metal burrs created followed by filling of the cavity with the epoxy resin. Theres lots of information online on how to do this. Lizzie Deignan wins the first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes, while Sonny Colbrelli wins epic mens battle. Maybe you'll have a bruise or scrape but they heal soon enough. This will flush away any metal debris and prepare the surface for the following step. Mountain bike -- exciting after-market parts, modifications or paint jobs. Inspect the fork, and check youve not missed any other stanchion scratches. If youre not sure contact someone like TF Tuned wholl be able to offer further advice. Which comes around pretty quickly. Another week, another chance to win! Beate Kubitz Classic Ride Print #117 Duddon Valley, Beate Kubitz Classic Ride Print #124 Isle Of Wight, Premier Partners for Singletrack issues & exclusive subscriber perks, Metcheck MTB Weather Forecasts At A Glance. As long as it's not rounded off it's fine just cosmetic. Grab the 1,200 grit emery paper and give the surface a wet sand. Gently smooth the stanchion scratch out with emery paper, and use brake cleaner to keep the area clean and polished. (How) Can I switch from field X to field Y after getting my PhD? If stanchions are black colour in scratch with sharpy marker. Mixing the epoxy fluids together for 3 minutes to initiate the hardening process. Some people also recommend epoxy resin for this application, but I've had good success with nail polish, and the fact it comes in a wide range of colours doesn't hurt either. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. The lower legs are joined by the brace that has "Pike" printed on it. Thinking Ill still attempt something to try to stop the deeper ones getting worse/flaking. Anodised finish of forks is actually harder than steel blade, provided you dont dig a pointy end in. Thanks, I'll see about getting service booked shortly to make sure the seals /bushings are in good nick. If you didn't notice the scratches till after a ride you've probably contaminated the bushings and wiper seals already. I would imagine though that you'll need to be really meticulous with the surface as MTB components are a lot smaller and much higher performing. Use a box cutter blade to trim off burrs. Here are the five MTB essentials that he just cant seem to live without. Do a thorough job and your fork will still perform as intended without impacting on anything other than the aesthetics. Komoot Trail View is Google Street View for yknow, trails! No, you don't necessarily need to replace your CSU assuming there isn't immediate and noticeable damage to the forks. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The Sendhit Fork Stanchion Scratch Repair Kit will get your components looking and performing great again and will remove those tears from your eyes. Its lasted well, too. Support us! I've heard people recommend nail polish or epoxy for fixing marks, but if it could cause damage I would avoid doing anything else. Bicycling Australia is the magazine of choice for road cyclists looking for high quality information and entertaining articles that will help them become better riders. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Ive sadly had to do this. The Sendhit Stanchion Scratch Repair Kit is available now from various online retailers at a price of 39 ($43). I'll also ask if they had it filled. JB Weld for deeper scratches. That is the route I would take, change the seals and whilst the forks are apart use a metal filled epoxy and the finest wet and dry you can get hold of. Any recommendations for instructions to follow? Wipe away the sanded material as you work. Here is a better photo of the marks on the air cap: Are they something to be worried about if the fork is functioning fine? Brief instructions: Be sure to thoroughly read the detailed instructions and watch the video before you begin! A scratched stanchion is not going to seal as well so will let water and dirt past the wiper seal and accelerate bushing wear. What determines whether Schengen flights have passport control? Been pretty successful in removing the burrs, so do I need to worry too much, as not on the damping side? Spend time on this, but it doesnt need to be perfect. To be clear, the concept of repairing scratched stanchions is by no means new; Sendhit just seem like the first to sell a complete kit specifically for the job. Breathe a sigh of relief and give yourself a high-five. Loads of great ideas! So - what's your question? Morning it depends on the type of scratch, if its just a stone chip, you just need to take any sharp edges off of the chip so it doesnt damage the seal, larger wear from dirt ingress smoothing wont make much difference. Post Your Road Bikes (Read 1st post for guide). Don't try to use a heat gun or do anything clever. I'll definitely ask about those marks on the air cap. Inside your Sendhit Stanchion repair kit you will find a pair of gloves, enough epoxy resin for 5 repairs, a pipette, some eppendorfs, a file, some sandpaper, and a sanding spacer. As above smooth edghes with 1200/1500 grit wet a dry and maybe try filling with nail varish and then flat it down after 24 hours. Apply a small drop of the mixed epoxy resin with the pippette. I wouldn't recommend trying to sand the burrs initially (or using a blade), as I've found you can cause the coating surrounding the scratch to flake off. If you're unlucky, the bike will cop some damage and they don't heal, not without making your wallet lighter first anyway!The following fix may not be approved by suspension manufacturers but our experience has shown that it's a workable solution, at least in the short-term. Thanks for all the advice, always appreciated. A filler (see note below). Why did the folks at Marvel Studios remove the character Death from the Infinity Saga? What exactly happens when YAML files pending changes are applied? German climber Alex Megos has completed the well-known project on Face de Rat atCese, naming it 'Ratstaman Vibrations' and has alluded to it being in the '9b range.'. Vertical marks are less critical. Nice one! This will leave a super-smooth finish. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Carefully remove the sharp edges of the bur, but be careful not to damage other areas of the stanchion. Step 7 - And there you go, this is how our fork turned out after we'd finished. You want it to be as smooth and flat as possible. You may even need new wiper seals, so additional tools, oils and suspension grease will also be required. The mark is totally smooth, so it sounds like it will be fine. The best fix for stanchion scratches is kind of the ugliest. It really depends how deep the scratch is. I can't find anyone prepared to fix them for me so I'm going to try myself. As stated in the intro, we're not suggesting this as the ideal solution, and badly scratched stanchions will still need replacing at some point, but this simple fix is far better than continuing to ride with sharp edges that can cut away at your seals and bushes.Job done! Once you're happy everything is smooth, lube your stanchions. Make sure it's all good and clean. Someone else mentioned the shop he works in regularly do repairs and use wet 1200 grit wet n dry glass-paper. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. This is an old question, but there's a good few views on this, and it might be more helpful to give a more detailed answer. Fine grit wet & dry paper. huge amount, but keep in mind that most fillers will shrink slightly The only permanent option here apart from a new part is to remove the inner fork leg and take it to an engineering workshop.. A good shop should be able to grind the leg down in the damaged area. French company Sendhit have just launched the first complete stanchion repair kit. Previously, this type of grievous injury could be considered a death sentence for the component (or your wallet) but Sendhit has come to save the day with their Sendhit Fork Stanchion Scratch Repair Kit. We pay our respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Kit to use? Windscreen,or windshield for my overseas brothers/sisters repair resin.Rainex. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. The Expanse: Sustained Gs during space travel. If the last resort is new uppers, what do you have to lose? Small low spots are not really a problem. Used nail varnish and relatively coarse wet and dry (it was all I had). Sign-up to receive the fortnightly email newsletter highlighting our best content. It's the high spots which wear out and damage the seals and bushings. It "is/was" crazy that he did not attend school for a whole month. Thanks for popping by - why not stay a while? If you just want to hide the chip a little just touch it a couple of times with a black sharpie pen. A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. A cleaning solvent that leaves no residue (isopropyl alcohol, or brake or contact cleaner are fine). cyanoacrylate with sodium bicarbonate filler. I've found nail varnish top coat (Mavala brand) to be quite suitable, but you will want to let it cure for 24 hours before attempting to sand it. Crashing and mountain biking go hand in hand. Could the German government decide to free Russian citizen Vadim Krasikov from prison? I read somewhere on the mtbr (enduro fork seals forum I think) the other day to us a shaver instead of sand paper. That nut is part of the cartridge. We headed there to get our forks and shock custom Push tuned check out what happened.. as they cure, so you. Please no posting of your own bikes. Ive done it on a smallish scratch caused by the bike falling over and the stanchion sliding down a brick wall. Actually, it was 1500 grit he claimed is ok to slide up and down the stanchions. You need to sand the whole area smooth and just leave it. Specialized Evo Expert v New Hightower v3. How to know that MAC isn't modified in ECIES. Yeah man accidents happen. Couple of deeper scratches, say 0.5mm deep and a handfull just enough to reveal silver beneath the gold (Rockshox), all on the air side. Even a light sand with 1,200 grit wet-and-dry followed by a polish will do a decent job of restoring lighter scuff marks. Sadly this is more than just cosmetic damage. Takeaway: Scratches on your MTB stanchions can damage your seals, allow the ingress of dirt and water and make you sad when you look at them. I could try to fill the scratch with paint and polish or replace the crown with standpipes. I'm seen many repaired this way with no ill effects during the life of the fork. 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