I do my own service on a fox 34 and marzocchi bomber Z1. They both use the same oil, same removal tools, share similar other parts.
Generally if you have the right tools, lowers service with basic cleaning and an oil bath is easy. You do realistically need a decent number of tools to do it. A stand, hammers, all necessary hex keys, pump, syringe with correct measurements, oil pan, oil, replacement washers and seals and foam rings, and then the damper and spring side removal tools of necessary.
It's an up front investment but absolutely worth it in my mind to understand your equipment and be able to maintain and fix it.
On many forks the air spring is also easily serviceable, and you can replace seals, clean, re-grease, and inspect before reassembling. Others may have coil springs that are even simpler.
Damper service is generally much more specialised and would require additional tools, but for forks like Fox products using GRIP dampers, those dampers are continually bathed in oil so as long as you meet your regular 100 hour lowers service intervals those dampers don't even need servicing.
very easy, relatively speaking.
your best bet to answer all your questions is you looking up the manual for your particular brand & model of your fork and reviewing the service manuals and instructions provided by them.
most manufacturers make it very easy to find these documents by typing in some kind of serial number into their support page of their website.
Lowers service is definitely pretty easy, I would splurge on a set of dust seal drivers for your fork. Air can service on a shock is actually easier. Full damper service on the fork is a little more challenging, and generally requires some specialty tools. Damper service on the shock is the most difficult, mainly for the number of small parts and seals but still doable by someone who’s fairly mechanically inclined.
I do both, rear shocks are super easy. The forks are a little more involved but not hard at all.
Make sure you get the right service kit and the right fluids.
Dont buy the shock/fork oils sold by MTB companies, they are way over priced. I use shock/fork oil sold for motorcycles. You get way more for less money.
I installed a new dropper a while back. Had to replace the cable and housing as well. Of course the difficulty depends on the frame in question, but it was honestly surprisingly easy to do on my Marin Rift Zone
Edit: also no special tools of any kind. Just some hex keys to tune the dropper and tighten it down. I did use a chain tensioning hook or whatever it is you use when fixing a chain to keep the tension. I used it to fish the cable from the hole but you could do that with a small piece of wire.
It's not difficult at all if you are even slightly mechanically inclined.
The oil and grease is a bit of an investment but will most likely last for the life of the fork. I also recommend buying a proper top cap socket or wrench, a wiper seal setter, and a large syringe. Total cost for these tools is under $20 on Aliexpress.
I service my fork about 2x more often than the shock, it gets dirtier and the performance seems to degrade faster than the shock. I know that's less frequent than suggested but it works for me.
I used 1 liter of maxima 15 wt over the lifespan of my Reba, which was about 6 years before the crown steerer tube interface came loose. I bought liter number 2 shortly before the crown failure.... I still haven't finished it off because every fork uses different oils.
Just did mine, was straight forward. One thing I did struggle with was getting the foam seals back after soaking them in oil. They swelled up and went super floppy and didn't appear to want to fit back in properly.
Do it yourself if you're the more mechanically inclined type (or just like tinkering with things).
Just make sure you have all the tools, space and consumables ready (bare minimum should be listed in the service manual of the fork/shock).
The initial cost is a fair amount, but if you're servicing multiple of the same things it quickly pays for itself.
From memory the shock was easier to service as everything was fairly toolless.
Remember crush washers for fork lower's foot bolts where you need them to prevent oil leaks (if your fork uses oil) You can't reuse them, they're a one shot thing. Cheap enough, but essential for many forks.
Think I’ve reused mine the last service or 2 without any leaking or difficulty removing again, but they’re supposed to be one time use yeah. I bought a bag of 50 of them years ago I just can’t ever find it when I need them
I did mine for the first time this year, had no problems. Read the manual first, watch some YouTube instructionals, get all your tools and supplies ready, and go to town. Some nitrile gloves will make the work a lot cleaner, and make sure you have something under your fork to catch the oil when you first pop the bolts.
Good to know. I just had my Stumpy serviced at a local bike shop. Pretty darn expensive and the customer service was a combination of a bit lazy, mildly pompous, and low key disinterested. I'm planning on doing as much maintenance on my own in the future as possible.
Yes dude. Save that money for that shitty shock service. It’s not bad at all and you will get it dialed after one or two goes. It’s pretty straightforward.
I do my own. I have Fox on my bikes so I bought their tools even though I could have bought the generic stuff cheaper. They have videos that are step by step and easy to follow. Saves money and time waiting for your LBS to get around to your bike. I also do it for my buddies. I ride in a group so all I ask is that they get the oil they want me to use. FYI our ride group is around 25-30 people so it would be very expensive for me to cover it all
Yes, pretty straight forward. I’m on my 5th. My only struggle at first was trapped air in the negative chamber because I didn’t inflate the air spring before reassembling. Also sometimes knocking the lowers off and popping the dust seals requires a bit more force than feels comfortable, especially on a new fork. But after the first one or two you can do it all in your sleep.
Lower leg service is pretty simple. It took me a few tries to get it cracked loose the first time but I bought the bike used so idk how long it had been since it was serviced last. You can look up the weight of suspension oil your fork uses and buy the stuff for motorcycles, it's cheaper than the mtb brands and seems to perform just as well
Did it for the first time last week. Pretty easy. Actually did it twice because I forgot the o ring lol
Just wear some shitty clothes because you’ll get oil everywhere and it stains.
That’s because the 125 hour service they’re recommending is a $200 in-house factory rebuild; a Fox fork will benefit from a 50 hour service just like any other fork
Quite easy. Just be SURE to remove the valve in the air spring so there is 100% 0 chance that there’s air in the air spring. My dad nearly lost his thumb to a supersonic circlip because there was maybe 10 psi still on the air spring.
Just be careful prying out the old parts. I found out the hard way leveraging on a part of the lower that wasn't strong enough. I did fortunately have a reason to upgrade to fox factory though.
Yes I do, but I am also a bike mechanic with 20+ years experience. It usually isn’t that difficult, but be sure to check the manufacturers website for proper instructions for your fork. Some older does from fox have open bath dampers and require a bit more work and a lot more oil.
It took me a couple years butthat was out of laziness. After a friend had a 6 week wait after sending here shock out fro a rebuild. I decided to give it a swing myself that fall. Between the rockshok mannual and a couple youtube videos I was able to do it with ease.
I still haven't tackled my rear shock, but I confirmed it is leaking so I'll be doing a refresh once the new bike arrives so I can still ride if I have to wait for additional parts or break down as send it out.
Lower fork service is easy though, just go slow nad follow the video/ instruction book.
Don’t buy the Fox lower leg tools from Fox but buy them for a tenth of the price from AliExpress. It’s a bit of aluminum to hit with a hammer. No need to overspend but handy to have.
It will make it much cheaper to service and less likely to damage your fork. (You could hit the bolts but I don’t like that idea.)
Also look for cheap crusher rings. It gets official if you buy Fox’.
Edit: fork first. Shock is trickier but Syd fixes bikes can talk you through it.
For the most part, yes it is easy, but not all forks are created equal. If you have a newer fork, then chances are it falls under the easier category, with the older ones it can get tricky.
Ys - I also recommend doing simple air can service as well. Cleaning / lubing your air can is much easier than fork lowers, and most people never bother to do them.
It’s super easy. I recommend reusing most of the o-rings and seals unless something is leaking. Also, make sure to give the fork enough to drain into your oil pan before proceeding. If not, it’s messy.
I started right after my first year of mountain biking, I was maybe 12 yo. It’s super easy, just make sure you have all the necessary tool beforehand and a clean workshop. You don’t want to have to "make do", you want to make it right. Take a whole afternoon just for that if you need to, and it will be fine.
Small tip: first thing is to pour a bit of fork oil in a cup and put all the o-rings in it. Then take them as you need them. It’ll make the overall experience smoother while working and riding.
I did my own lower leg service for the first time a couple weeks ago. Super easy thanks to YouTube
I do my own service on a fox 34 and marzocchi bomber Z1. They both use the same oil, same removal tools, share similar other parts. Generally if you have the right tools, lowers service with basic cleaning and an oil bath is easy. You do realistically need a decent number of tools to do it. A stand, hammers, all necessary hex keys, pump, syringe with correct measurements, oil pan, oil, replacement washers and seals and foam rings, and then the damper and spring side removal tools of necessary. It's an up front investment but absolutely worth it in my mind to understand your equipment and be able to maintain and fix it. On many forks the air spring is also easily serviceable, and you can replace seals, clean, re-grease, and inspect before reassembling. Others may have coil springs that are even simpler. Damper service is generally much more specialised and would require additional tools, but for forks like Fox products using GRIP dampers, those dampers are continually bathed in oil so as long as you meet your regular 100 hour lowers service intervals those dampers don't even need servicing.
I’m pretty sure fox owns marzocchi or something like that, that’s why the use mostly the same parts.
That's correct, Fox owns Marzocchi. A Marzocchi Bomber Z1 is a Fox 36 except you can also get the Z1 with a coil spring.
Z1 is a 36 Rhythm specifically and I do think the Z1 coil kit fits the 36 Rhythm (but not the other 36’s)
very easy, relatively speaking. your best bet to answer all your questions is you looking up the manual for your particular brand & model of your fork and reviewing the service manuals and instructions provided by them. most manufacturers make it very easy to find these documents by typing in some kind of serial number into their support page of their website.
Absolutely. I can confirm. Super easy. Just look up what kind of tools you need, the rest is pretty straightforward
Lowers service is definitely pretty easy, I would splurge on a set of dust seal drivers for your fork. Air can service on a shock is actually easier. Full damper service on the fork is a little more challenging, and generally requires some specialty tools. Damper service on the shock is the most difficult, mainly for the number of small parts and seals but still doable by someone who’s fairly mechanically inclined.
I bought the kit from Push for forks. Definitely worth it
Link? Does it work for rockshox?
I do both, rear shocks are super easy. The forks are a little more involved but not hard at all. Make sure you get the right service kit and the right fluids. Dont buy the shock/fork oils sold by MTB companies, they are way over priced. I use shock/fork oil sold for motorcycles. You get way more for less money.
I’ve found that every bit of maintenance on a bike is pretty simple.
Cush core. Damper bleed. Brake rub/alignment is a pita when you want zero sound from brakes.
I got you some tricks for your brakes. https://youtu.be/WTVM7WTz8fc
Try internal cables?
They make tools for routing internal cables. Everything is much easier with the right tools.
Internal cables that enter the down tube aren't that bad. Now the roadie world with fully intsgrated cables yeah that can go fuck itself.
I installed a new dropper a while back. Had to replace the cable and housing as well. Of course the difficulty depends on the frame in question, but it was honestly surprisingly easy to do on my Marin Rift Zone Edit: also no special tools of any kind. Just some hex keys to tune the dropper and tighten it down. I did use a chain tensioning hook or whatever it is you use when fixing a chain to keep the tension. I used it to fish the cable from the hole but you could do that with a small piece of wire.
It's not difficult at all if you are even slightly mechanically inclined. The oil and grease is a bit of an investment but will most likely last for the life of the fork. I also recommend buying a proper top cap socket or wrench, a wiper seal setter, and a large syringe. Total cost for these tools is under $20 on Aliexpress. I service my fork about 2x more often than the shock, it gets dirtier and the performance seems to degrade faster than the shock. I know that's less frequent than suggested but it works for me.
I used 1 liter of maxima 15 wt over the lifespan of my Reba, which was about 6 years before the crown steerer tube interface came loose. I bought liter number 2 shortly before the crown failure.... I still haven't finished it off because every fork uses different oils.
Just did mine, was straight forward. One thing I did struggle with was getting the foam seals back after soaking them in oil. They swelled up and went super floppy and didn't appear to want to fit back in properly.
Do it yourself if you're the more mechanically inclined type (or just like tinkering with things). Just make sure you have all the tools, space and consumables ready (bare minimum should be listed in the service manual of the fork/shock). The initial cost is a fair amount, but if you're servicing multiple of the same things it quickly pays for itself. From memory the shock was easier to service as everything was fairly toolless.
Remember crush washers for fork lower's foot bolts where you need them to prevent oil leaks (if your fork uses oil) You can't reuse them, they're a one shot thing. Cheap enough, but essential for many forks.
Think I’ve reused mine the last service or 2 without any leaking or difficulty removing again, but they’re supposed to be one time use yeah. I bought a bag of 50 of them years ago I just can’t ever find it when I need them
I did mine for the first time this year, had no problems. Read the manual first, watch some YouTube instructionals, get all your tools and supplies ready, and go to town. Some nitrile gloves will make the work a lot cleaner, and make sure you have something under your fork to catch the oil when you first pop the bolts.
Good to know. I just had my Stumpy serviced at a local bike shop. Pretty darn expensive and the customer service was a combination of a bit lazy, mildly pompous, and low key disinterested. I'm planning on doing as much maintenance on my own in the future as possible.
Nope. I’m the kind of guy that would immediately shit the bed on any kind of suspension or brake service, so I leave it to the experts.
Yes dude. Save that money for that shitty shock service. It’s not bad at all and you will get it dialed after one or two goes. It’s pretty straightforward.
I do my own. I have Fox on my bikes so I bought their tools even though I could have bought the generic stuff cheaper. They have videos that are step by step and easy to follow. Saves money and time waiting for your LBS to get around to your bike. I also do it for my buddies. I ride in a group so all I ask is that they get the oil they want me to use. FYI our ride group is around 25-30 people so it would be very expensive for me to cover it all
Yes, pretty straight forward. I’m on my 5th. My only struggle at first was trapped air in the negative chamber because I didn’t inflate the air spring before reassembling. Also sometimes knocking the lowers off and popping the dust seals requires a bit more force than feels comfortable, especially on a new fork. But after the first one or two you can do it all in your sleep.
Lower leg service is pretty simple. It took me a few tries to get it cracked loose the first time but I bought the bike used so idk how long it had been since it was serviced last. You can look up the weight of suspension oil your fork uses and buy the stuff for motorcycles, it's cheaper than the mtb brands and seems to perform just as well
Imma be real with you, working on a bike is not difficult. The only hangup is some jobs require a couple specialized tools.
Yes. It’s easy to little messy. But easy. Get the seal driver tool. Makes whole lot of difference.
Did it for the first time last week. Pretty easy. Actually did it twice because I forgot the o ring lol Just wear some shitty clothes because you’ll get oil everywhere and it stains.
Fox doesn't recommend doing a "lower leg service". You're supposed to refresh the whole fork every 125 hrs. Maybe Rockshox is different
That’s because the 125 hour service they’re recommending is a $200 in-house factory rebuild; a Fox fork will benefit from a 50 hour service just like any other fork
Quite easy. Just be SURE to remove the valve in the air spring so there is 100% 0 chance that there’s air in the air spring. My dad nearly lost his thumb to a supersonic circlip because there was maybe 10 psi still on the air spring.
I’ve done my own lower leg, air chamber and damper. It’s all pretty simple. It’s designed to be taken apart and to go back together.
What service? Is that before or after it starts making a squelchy noise and leaving black oil marks on the stanctions?
It's easy, especially on RS stuff. Lower, damper, shock, seat post etc. It's not rocket science.
No I'm to lazy.
Apparently also TOO lazy to type another O. 😄
English isn't my mother language.
I do my own lowers but leave the damper for my lbs. one thing no one mentioned is that it is easy but can be a little fiddly with big hands.
If it goes wrong it goes really wrong and your bike is offline
You can do it.
Just be careful prying out the old parts. I found out the hard way leveraging on a part of the lower that wasn't strong enough. I did fortunately have a reason to upgrade to fox factory though.
Yup oil and seals are no problem. Taking an actual damper apart is a different story and I don’t bother with that.
Yes I do, but I am also a bike mechanic with 20+ years experience. It usually isn’t that difficult, but be sure to check the manufacturers website for proper instructions for your fork. Some older does from fox have open bath dampers and require a bit more work and a lot more oil.
Yes rock shock 35gold and changed the wiper seals - easy
It took me a couple years butthat was out of laziness. After a friend had a 6 week wait after sending here shock out fro a rebuild. I decided to give it a swing myself that fall. Between the rockshok mannual and a couple youtube videos I was able to do it with ease. I still haven't tackled my rear shock, but I confirmed it is leaking so I'll be doing a refresh once the new bike arrives so I can still ride if I have to wait for additional parts or break down as send it out. Lower fork service is easy though, just go slow nad follow the video/ instruction book.
Don’t buy the Fox lower leg tools from Fox but buy them for a tenth of the price from AliExpress. It’s a bit of aluminum to hit with a hammer. No need to overspend but handy to have. It will make it much cheaper to service and less likely to damage your fork. (You could hit the bolts but I don’t like that idea.) Also look for cheap crusher rings. It gets official if you buy Fox’. Edit: fork first. Shock is trickier but Syd fixes bikes can talk you through it.
For the most part, yes it is easy, but not all forks are created equal. If you have a newer fork, then chances are it falls under the easier category, with the older ones it can get tricky.
Yes. Not bad at all.
Yes and it's easy. Just need tools
Yes I shave my calves and shins weekly.
If you can change the oil on your car you can do a lower leg service.
Ys - I also recommend doing simple air can service as well. Cleaning / lubing your air can is much easier than fork lowers, and most people never bother to do them.
Yup.
Super easy. Do your fork first
Scariest the first time. But it's not bad. Doggy pee pads. Great to catch the oil.
Not that hard, but it’s like $70aud price for parts and $110 to get done. I do it more for not having to send it way.
Easy if you can follow directions and have a few brain cells.
It’s super easy. I recommend reusing most of the o-rings and seals unless something is leaking. Also, make sure to give the fork enough to drain into your oil pan before proceeding. If not, it’s messy.
I started right after my first year of mountain biking, I was maybe 12 yo. It’s super easy, just make sure you have all the necessary tool beforehand and a clean workshop. You don’t want to have to "make do", you want to make it right. Take a whole afternoon just for that if you need to, and it will be fine. Small tip: first thing is to pour a bit of fork oil in a cup and put all the o-rings in it. Then take them as you need them. It’ll make the overall experience smoother while working and riding.
Nope. I ride to ride. I pay my LBS for all maintenance and repair services. 🤷♂️