rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical content)

[ishaw]

Not sure why, but I've been chasing some rock shox Reba for is for some time now, and I have finally managed to get a set with v bosses courtesy of eBay. They arrived today and sadly on opening the box, I was greeted with a slippery mess of bubble wrap and fork fluid. Obviously the ebay description didn't mention this and it could have been caused by rough treatment by the courier, so I've messaged the seller to let them know the score, but........

..... I really like the fork so am looking for advice on what to do about the situation from an eBay perspective, but also a practical, can I fix and ride without sending them away perspective?

I've cleaned the oil away as best I can, and cycled.the forks through their travel. All seems well, they hold air and the rebound adjustment works well. I can't test the compression/lock out easily as it needs a remote/cable (there are of course other ways), but as this was the side that was leaking, I don't want to do anything to it until I know what's what. So, is this side prone to leaking? Could the oil simply be from the fork being on its side in transit? If so, should I try and refill, and how? Is there anything else that I should consider if I tackle anything myself or would it be best to send them away (to who as well, I know it costs quite a bit these days, so who are good fir the money).

Last q, what is a Reba SL , as rs have gone through the race/team designation and now seem to follow the Fox trend (Rebiund, Lockout, Compression)?

Cheers

 

[JamesM]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

Could the oil simply be from the fork being on its side in transit?

Possibly. I have a reba team uturn and if left upside down over night a little bit of oil comes out the floodgate knob. We're are talking a few drips at most though.

 

[suburbanreuben]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

It sounds like the damper unit is leaking, and my money is on the little screw/knob in the middle of the lockout knob. I'm not sure whether the remote version is the same but my SLs came with a little cap in the centre of the knob, behind which is an allen headed threshold adjuster. It is very easy for a muppett to f this up when refitting, leaving out the rubber ring or suchlike.
TF Tuned are the best place for RS parts and advice. The seals kits come in component specific kits, for damper unit, air spring or whatever, so they're potentially cheaper to sort.
They're very easy to work on too!

http://www.tftunedshox.com/

They're great forks but a bit flimsy when stretched to 120mm

 

[ishaw]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

Thanks for the replies. Having been googling the issue it appears a common issue. I'm a novice when it comes to modern forks but happy to give repairing this a go, as it sounds as though all is needed is a new o-ring. Has anyone got a how-to guide on taking the offending parts out and fixing? Hopefully I don't need to take them completely apart and I can just do the leg/side with the leak, as the res is working fine.

I don't plan to take these up to 120mm, not sure what they are set at currently though, or what year, so how can I tell, as I will need to buy the right kit. Seen a few basic service kits and also moco ones, any idea which I will need if tackling the job myself (£93 for a TFT service is a stretch too far for me at the moment).

 

[suburbanreuben]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

I'm not sure which kit you need. Do you have a power bulge?

http://www.tftunedshox.com/Catalogue/Sh ... Reba-Parts

 

[ishaw]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

I'm full of cold, so the only bulge I have is a packet of tissues in my pocket. Not sure in all seriousness that my forks have a power bulge, how does one tell?

 

[suburbanreuben]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

If you have a bulge in the lower leg, about half way down, you have a power bulge. If not , you don't. It seems that some seal kits differ depending on whether you bulge or not.

 

[ishaw]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

Cheers, will look into that. With these and the Fox forks (if the spares ever turn up from activesport), I may well become versed in the dark art of modern fork servicing.

 

[ishaw]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

After draining the forks of air, cycling them through their travel, refilling with sir and doing the sane, no further leaks, though the lockout doesn't function. I'm not overly fussed about that, though I read about the big hit threshold adjuster, does this have an impact on the lockout, as it may just need adjusting?

Oh, and if I shake the fork up and down, I can hear liquid like you would if shaking a half empty bottle of something, is this to be expected?

 

[suburbanreuben]

Re: rock shox reba - issues and help (ebay & practical conte

The lockout won't work as there's not enough oil in there to , er, lock it out.

You should be able to find a service guide here, http://www.sram.com/service/rockshox/7

or on youtube.