What happens when you scratch your stanchion?
If you have scratches in your stanchion or damaged wiper seals, then it’s only going to get worse, over time this can lead to damage of those rods or the stanchions, which will be problematic.
How do you polish fork stanchions?
Start with 400, maybe 600 grit paper,sanding by hand until smooth, then work your way on up to 1-2000 grit. Then use the polisher, Use clay bars on the buffing wheels as a polish. Start with black, end up using red rouge.
Can I paint my fork stanchions?
Fork stanchions are hard chromed, they are hard chromed for a purpose. They resist wear very well, something that decorative chrome and paints etc can not. If they are in good condition (not pitted) leave as is.
Are scratched stanchions a problem?
The dust seals on your forks are designed to keep the oil in, and keep the dust out. With this in mind, any imperfection from either worn or scratched stanchions can quickly do damage to the dust seal, and it can be very difficult to see.
Are pitted forks an MOT failure?
Not only are damaged and underperforming forks dangerous on the road, they are also an MOT failure. The conditions of the MOT test require that: There should be no oil visible on the fork tube or leaking down the slider around the fork oil seal areas. The forks must be adequately dampened.
How do you polish Alu?
How To Polish Aluminum
- Step 1: Clean the Aluminum with a Soap, Detergent, or Cleaner. Clean the aluminum with soap/detergent and water.
- Step 2: Apply Cream of Tartar (for small aluminum pieces)
- Step 3: Sand the Aluminum Surface (for larger aluminum pieces)
- Step 4: Polish!
Can you paint your MTB forks?
Yep, I’ve painted several fork lowers and used pretty much the same method. Many years ago I striped a set of Judy’s down to the raw magnesium and tried primer and paint. It came off ridiculously easy so ever since I’ve just gone the same route you have with zero issues.
Can you spray paint bike forks?
So for your forks you don’t have to sand them back to bare metal, just enough so they’re smooth and clean. Then spray on a coat or two of primer to help the new paint stick. White primer will make your new paint look brighter, as opposed to black or gray primer which will dull the colour.
What should I do if my fork has a scratch on it?
Apply some metal polish with a clean cloth, and polish out the scratched area as best as you can. Inspect the fork, and check you’ve not missed any other stanchion scratches.
What’s the best way to repair a fork stanchion?
Developed specifically by SENDHIT for mountain biking, the Scratch Cover © fork stanchion scratch repair kit removes scratches, restores the fork stanchion’s smooth appearance and thus keeps your suspension working properly.
What causes scratches on upper legs of suspension forks?
The upper legs – stanchion tubes – on suspension forks are prone to scratches, be it from flying trail debris; your bike rubbing up against another or general wear and tear. Whilst stanchion scratches can lead to a minor amount of oil or air leaking on some forks, it’s burrs that do the damage as they wreck your seals too.
What’s the best way to get scuff marks off a plate?
It turns out you can wipe away those marks with a gentle yet mildly abrasive powder like the ones listed above. Simply select your weapon of choice and make it into a paste with a little water. Then use your finger, a sponge, or a piece of cloth to rub the scuff marks with the paste until they disappear. How to Clean Marks Off Your Plates!
What to do with a scratched suspension fork?
People have been doing bodge repairs on stanchion scratches since errr, stanchions. It generally involves sandpaper, metal polish, nail polish, disk brake cleaner, a very steady hand and a wee bit of dutch courage. Personally, I can’t help but wince at the thought of sandpaper going anywhere near my fork stanchion, but needs must hey.
How to repair a broken MTB Fork stanchion?
Steps: 1 Clean the area with Isopropyl. 2 Very carefully and lightly, file or sand down the scratch marks to reduce any raised surface. 3 Clean with isopropyl when smooth 4 Using a clean microfibre cloth, polish using Autosol, or something similar. 5 Check the area to ensure there are no raised bumps or scratches. More
Why do I have scratches on my fork dropper?
Scratches on a fork stanchion or a dropper post that pass through the seals as they move up and down will damage the seals as they are used. So if you want your fork or dropper to continue to function as it should for as long as possible, doing these small repairs is essential.
Why does my MTB Fork have scratches in it?
Hence, many externally ‘clean’ looking forks with scratches down the stanchions that come in for service, have heavily caked dirt in the foam rings, instead of that silky smooth bath lubricant. This will likely lead to premature stanchion wear (ie, from dirt caked in the bushings), and an almost guaranteed loss of performance.