Marzocchi Bomber Help

[Takingabreak]

Is there a Bomber expert out there that can help me?

A while ago I bought a "batch" of used Bomber forks (I don't remember why....)

However, I'm hoping to rebuild one to use on a mid 90's frame that was built for a small A-C fork.

The box of goodies contains a green Z2 stamped 97, 2 red Z2 atom bombs stamped 98, a silver Z2 BAM stamped 98, a silver Z1 CR? stamped 98, a blue Z4 flylight air stamped 99.

I have no idea where to start, which fork to use. Are they basically all the same parts inside? Are parts available for some models and not others? Are the crowns the same for all of them so I could use whichever crown has the most suitable length steerer. Are the legs the same ?

The Z4 has a longer A-C so is out of the equation but the others all seem much the same.

Any help or pointers much appreciated

 

[KeepItSteel]

I’m not an expert but most of the 96-98/99 era forks share internals. The ‘BAM’, ‘Atom’, ‘Light’ etc designations usually alluded to steerer material and absence or inclusion of disc tabs. Seals are all cross compatible as are stanchions IIRC. For Z2s at least, the only real difference should be travel length which grew in either 98 or 99 on some models IIRC - for which different length springs would be used (and possibly stanchions/bushes, but not certain here).
Most stated dates are a year earlier than actual fork release date, so a 97 stamp usually denotes a 98 fork.
You should be fine picking a steerer and running with it as they all share 30mm stanchions.

 

[Takingabreak]

Re:

Thanks Keepitsteel, I guess I could pick a crown with a suitable length steerer and try the different lowers to see which suits

 

[drcarlos]

The 98 Z2 Atom bomb was a shorter travel 68mm from memory Z2 (think the BAM was 75mm). It had the alloy steerer and no disc mount and I think was designated as the lightweight XC race fork in the range (Kona fitted it to the Kula which has always been an XC Race bike). Usually the light was the basic spec fork from the range (steel steerer), BAM the do it all mainstream fork (alloy steerer, disc mount) and the Atom the lightweight XC race fork (alloy steerer, no disc mount).

 

[Takingabreak]

Re:

Excellent info, thanks

 

[dyna-ti]

The only bits that are interchangable is the steerer and some of the caps. The travel rate and internal size ive found is unique to the fork.

If you measure the distance of the void underneath where the footnut is, determine's the length of the springs and travel. If the distances are different then either the gubbings of one will be too tight and under a fair bit of compression at all times, or too short leaving play in the system no matter how hard you tighten down the preload.

That said obviously some things should work, but i'd watch out for either of the above issues.

Have you a torque wrench ?, as the footnut on these forks threads onto a stud at the bottom of the rebound cartridge and to my eyes it doesnt look like it would take much to shear :? So don't horse it on