Basic maintenance of lefty dlr2?

[Atomant]

Alright, so it's impossible for us to get a hold of the service manual for the lefty's. So what's the basic maintenance us "end users" can do to prolong the life of the fork? I love my lefty and would certainly like to get lots of good ride out of it instead of on a 50% maintained fork.

I noticed that on the lefty, there are grease inside the fork boot and there is also an airfilter in the boot just so bleed the air in the fork boot which is sealed to keep the grease in. What do you guys to do maintain other than pump it up with air?

Also, on the lefty, it is impossible to determine the exact amount of air you have inside the fork because everytime you pump it up to say like 150psi, and you unscrew the locking nut, alittle bit of air escapes. Even if i try compensating by pumping alittle more air, I'm unable to ride with the same air pressure everytime I pump it up. How am I able to determine exactly how much air I have inside the fork?

Shoot guys...

[Dwayne]

Odd, I downloaded the manual for my Lefty (Max) under Tech&Specs here:
http://www.golefty.com/flash.html

Not sure if that helps any, but there is a maintenance schedule int he manual, too.

[pecka]

Also, on the lefty, it is impossible to determine the exact amount of air you have inside the fork because everytime you pump it up to say like 150psi, and you unscrew the locking nut, alittle bit of air escapes. Even if i try compensating by pumping alittle more air, I'm unable to ride with the same air pressure everytime I pump it up. How am I able to determine exactly how much air I have inside the fork?

I think that if you are using quality shock pump most of the air escapes from the hose of the pump. I use Manitou shock and I know that the difference is 10psi so I always pump 10psi more.

[Dan Gerous]

The good old shock pump issue... Let's clear things up:

The air you hear coming out as you unscrew the pump is the air in the pump. You don't lose any pressure inside the fork or shock since the valve is released before the seal between shock and pump is opened.

Basically, let's say you pump the fork at 120 PSI, you have 120 PSI in the fork and in the pump, as you unscrew the pump, 1st step is the valve closes, so no air leaks from the shock/fork, then the seal opens and the pressure is equalized between the pump and the ambiant air (air inside the pump comes out)...

When you screw back the pump and it shows a lower pressure, it's not because some was lost on disconnect, it's because when the valve re-opens, the pressure is equalized between the shock and the pump (pump is empty, some air goes from the shock/fork to the pump). All you need to know is that when you pump and the gauge says, 120 PSI, disconnect, you still have 120 PSI in the fork/shock... unless you have a defective valve or pump....

[Atomant]

The good old shock pump issue... Let's clear things up:

The air you hear coming out as you unscrew the pump is the air in the pump. You don't lose any pressure inside the fork or shock since the valve is released before the seal between shock and pump is opened.

Basically, let's say you pump the fork at 120 PSI, you have 120 PSI in the fork and in the pump, as you unscrew the pump, 1st step is the valve closes, so no air leaks from the shock/fork, then the seal opens and the pressure is equalized between the pump and the ambiant air (air inside the pump comes out)...

When you screw back the pump and it shows a lower pressure, it's not because some was lost on disconnect, it's because when the valve re-opens, the pressure is equalized between the shock and the pump (pump is empty, some air goes from the shock/fork to the pump). All you need to know is that when you pump and the gauge says, 120 PSI, disconnect, you still have 120 PSI in the fork/shock... unless you have a defective valve or pump....

Thanks Dan Gerous, that makes whole lotta sense.

[MendonCycleSmith]

As for basic maint., there is precious little to be done. A yearly service by your LBS is what is best. Cannondale recommends every 40 riding hours, I thik that may be a bit much, once a year is a fine interval, unless you ride in REALLY nasty stuff, most of the time. Best thing to do on your end is make sure the boot is in good condition, once torn, replace immediately. If you have no good LBS to do the service, Cannondale does it, as well as folks such as myself, for a reasonable fee. Best of luck!

[Atomant]

[Dan Gerous]

Wow, that's a happy reply!

[Atomant]

Wow, that's a happy reply!

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