Top Gun Fork maintenance query

[John F]

My Woosh Santana has Top Gun forks fitted. The bike is 4 months old with 600 miles to date. No complaints so far re the forks. I guess they are not the most expensive forks around, but I would like to make them last. Other than squirting a bit of oil around the chrome bits at the top, there doesn't seem to be anything else to do, but am I missing something else on the maintenance front?

Also what are the grey plastic things at the top - adjusters (?)

 

[Emo Rider]

The top gun forks are a basic but a much improved fork over earlier ebike standard forks. The only thing you can do is keep the exposed crome clean and lubricated with a light oil (motor oil is good as well). If any rust appears, clean it right away with some fine steel wool and light oil. Do not use GT85 or WD40 as they contain solvent that could damage the rubber seals.

The grey bits on top are probably caps for the fork tube and do not adjust anything. Hope this helps

 

[EddiePJ]

Wipe the fork tubes with a damp cloth, paying particular attention to the seal area. After this compress and release the forks and wipe again. Once you have done this, repeat the procedure using a dry cloth/tissue. Cotton wool buds are also handy for wiping the seal area.
Once you have done this, apply a product called Fork Juice. Failing that and as a last resort, wipe with something like 5wt fork oil.

Remember that all oil collects dust which is abrasive.

edit.. Section removed, and a link for Fork Juice provided. http://www.gbcycles.co.uk/p/37539/Juice-Lubes-Fork-Juice?kw={keyword}&fl=1000&ci=27296364782&network=pla&gclid=CK2D16yR-bsCFWcUwwodX1EAdA




.

 

[Clockwise]

If you are lucky they will come apart enough to have a clean. Be careful when you do as cheap forks won't offer replacement seals/bits and you could break them and do more bad than good.

If they are on the uber cheap end then they will have been made to push together in the factory and never come apart again. Expect 2-5 years out of them and then need a replacement.

edit - can't tell if the video is showing

 

[Emo Rider]

If you are lucky they will come apart enough to have a clean. Be careful when you do as cheap forks won't offer replacement seals/bits and you could break them and do more bad than good.

If they are on the uber cheap end then they will have been made to push together in the factory and never come apart again. Expect 2-5 years out of them and then need a replacement.

edit - can't tell if the video is showing

Perhaps I should clarify my suggestion. Clean the chrome with and oiled cloth wiping away the excess.

Ignore the above advice.

Don't ever use engine oil on the sliding parts of forks tubes. It collects dust worse than anything else, dust which is obviously abrasive and will ultimately shorten the life of the forks.

Wipe the fork tubes with a damp cloth, paying particular attention to the seal area. After this compress and release the forks and wipe again. Once you have done this, repeat the procedure using a dry cloth/tissue. Cotton wool buds are also handy for wiping the seal area.
Once you have done this, apply a product called Fork Juice. Failing that and as a last resort, wipe with something like 5wt fork oil.

edit.. A link for Fork Juice. http://www.gbcycles.co.uk/p/37539/Juice-Lubes-Fork-Juice?kw={keyword}&fl=1000&ci=27296364782&network=pla&gclid=CK2D16yR-bsCFWcUwwodX1EAdA




.

I stand by my posting. The only thing I could have clarified was to wipe away any excess once cleaned. As you suggest, a dry, clean cloth will work fine. You are correct in stating that an oily surface will collect dust. If you are maintaining your forks, you will see this happening and wipe it off as necessary. In fact, these forks come greased and until they have some miles on them the greasy film on the chrome will collect dust as well.

You go on to state my advice be ignored and suggested using a 5w fork oil. I don't know about your car but my car and just about all others use 5w motor oil. 5w is 5w wether it be mineral or automotive oil. Btw, the fork juice will work fine as well but an unnecessary expense to use on an entry level fork.

 

[EddiePJ]

Emo, you are probably right.

A religious routine of cleaning care and fork juice didn't prevent my Suntour forks from corroding badly after just a few months of fair weather use, so using the product on an entry level fork, was as you say an unnecessary expense. Sadly that was just down to poor chroming.

I wonder if there are any wax products out there that would help. I use Rustins lubricating wax on all of my wood working machinery tables and it puts up with affair bit of continual abuse from wet green oak . It would be interesting to see how it lasts/works on forks. I'll have to put it onto one tube of my forks before they are replaced to find out.

As an aside, one product that is very good for general corrosion resistance, is ACF50. It's expensive but does a superb job, and I apply it after every bike riding/cleaning session.
For a bike that is used only on the road, one application would last months and months, which obviously helps to reduce the extortionate cost of the stuff. I'd highly recommend it as a guard against winter salt damage.

 

[John F]

Some interesting info there, thanks all.

Regarding using wax. I have an old tin of Waxoil which was used for rust proofing cars, and which I still use today in odd places on the bike. Ok for the fork tubes perhaps?

 

[Clockwise]

The video I tried to put up shows how to get them apart. Cleaning the uppers can only do so much when the dirt is getting inside and ruining them.

 

[John F]

Can't see the video Clockwise?

 

[Clockwise]

Can't see the video Clockwise?

It's this.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvaPjoIA_tI

Try as a link instead.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

They're Suntour forks in the video, which are a bit different to Top Guns.

Have a look underneath your forks to see if there's hex screws to undo, and unscrew those caps on the top to see what they do. Don't worry, the forks won't explode. You can then make your own guide for us to disassemble them.

 

[Emo Rider]

They're Suntour forks in the video, which are a bit different to Top Guns.

Have a look underneath your forks to see if there's hex screws to undo, and unscrew those caps on the top to see what they do. Don't worry, the forks won't explode. You can then make your own guide for us to disassemble them.

I was in a shop today that had two different types of Top Gun forks. Neither had nuts of screws on the bottom. One set had threaded rod coming out of the base which leads me to believe that you would have to take off the top cap of the fork and access from there. A check of you tube shows no videos related to these forks.

 

[John F]

That's correct, no access from the bottom at all. The bottom of the forks is curved, so clearly you cant get a tube to go round a curve. So that only leaves a large nut at the top??? Excellent video though. Perhaps Woosh can advise?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Some forks don't come apart. Why don't you remove the top-caps and see what's in there. It can't be that difficult!

 

[John F]

Some forks don't come apart. Why don't you remove the top-caps and see what's in there. It can't be that difficult!

Not sure! I have 2 plastic caps which both turn.

One has a screw inside, which turns with the cap a bit (but not completely) when you turn the cap. This cap has an arrow on it suggesting an adjustment? Or is the screw simply removable to allow access?

The other cap doesn't have a screw, just a blank metal stud?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

One of them (the one with the screw) is probably a pre-load adjuster to stiffen them up. If the other one unscrews from the fork, take it off and look inside. There will probably be a hex screw to separate the slider from the stanchion.

 

[Clockwise]

Preloader cap is a good sign, uber cheap forks wont have that.