Store mountain bike/fork upside down?
06-24-18, 11:48 AM
#1
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Store mountain bike/fork upside down?
So I store my bike upside down in the garage ceiling and noticed a bit of oil on the top of the stanchions. Three questions
1. Is it ill advised to store bikes with suspension forks upside down due to leekage?
2. Its an old suntour nrx7000 magnesium fork and leekage could be due to age and poor quality. Sould I replace it?
3. I would like to call myself a mechanic but have never dabbled into fork maintenance...any easy care sus forks that are good? or do i need to up my mechanic game and start repair and maintainance on forks?
Thanks!
1. Is it ill advised to store bikes with suspension forks upside down due to leekage?
2. Its an old suntour nrx7000 magnesium fork and leekage could be due to age and poor quality. Sould I replace it?
3. I would like to call myself a mechanic but have never dabbled into fork maintenance...any easy care sus forks that are good? or do i need to up my mechanic game and start repair and maintainance on forks?
Thanks!
Last edited by greyghost_6; 06-24-18 at 12:12 PM.
06-25-18, 12:10 AM
#2
Junior Member
1. It's not ill advised. A fork shouldn't leak if it's upside down. I've got a few hanging on the wall & they don't leak. If they did it's seal time or at least maintenance time.
2. Most likely old seals. The degrade over time with use. You might get lucky & cleaning the seals could solve the problem but most likely they are just worn out.
3. If you really like the bike you could get a new or used fork. I'm partial to the old Marzocchi Z1's & Z2's for my old bikes. They last forever but can be heavy with only rebound adjustments. You should step up your game & delv into suspension work. Often times it's pretty simple but occasionally I've had to modify sockets to remove chamfers for proper contact or to remove material to make the outside diameter narrow enough to fit tight spots. A properly maintained fork feels light years better than the alternative. Slickoleum is the best suspension grease I've found. If you do a search for suntour nrx7000 seals a few options come up, you'll need to figure our what diameter your stanchions are.
2. Most likely old seals. The degrade over time with use. You might get lucky & cleaning the seals could solve the problem but most likely they are just worn out.
3. If you really like the bike you could get a new or used fork. I'm partial to the old Marzocchi Z1's & Z2's for my old bikes. They last forever but can be heavy with only rebound adjustments. You should step up your game & delv into suspension work. Often times it's pretty simple but occasionally I've had to modify sockets to remove chamfers for proper contact or to remove material to make the outside diameter narrow enough to fit tight spots. A properly maintained fork feels light years better than the alternative. Slickoleum is the best suspension grease I've found. If you do a search for suntour nrx7000 seals a few options come up, you'll need to figure our what diameter your stanchions are.
06-25-18, 08:39 AM
#3
Senior Member
The other potential issue from hanging a bike upside down is that air bubble can get to the calipers of hydraulic brakes.
If the fork hasn't been serviced, it may need to be replaced as older forks are notoriously difficult to get parts for.
If the fork hasn't been serviced, it may need to be replaced as older forks are notoriously difficult to get parts for.
07-02-18, 03:05 PM
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So I store my bike upside down in the garage ceiling and noticed a bit of oil on the top of the stanchions. Three questions
1. Is it ill advised to store bikes with suspension forks upside down due to leekage?
2. Its an old suntour nrx7000 magnesium fork and leekage could be due to age and poor quality. Sould I replace it?
3. I would like to call myself a mechanic but have never dabbled into fork maintenance...any easy care sus forks that are good? or do i need to up my mechanic game and start repair and maintainance on forks?
Thanks!
1. Is it ill advised to store bikes with suspension forks upside down due to leekage?
2. Its an old suntour nrx7000 magnesium fork and leekage could be due to age and poor quality. Sould I replace it?
3. I would like to call myself a mechanic but have never dabbled into fork maintenance...any easy care sus forks that are good? or do i need to up my mechanic game and start repair and maintainance on forks?
Thanks!
Fork is still sweeeeet no issues. However, I often bang my head on the seat or bars when walking about.
07-09-18, 06:31 PM
#5
Senior Member
Some people actually recommend storing bikes with the front tire up so that the upper foam rings don't dry out.
07-10-18, 06:30 AM
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