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Upgrade manitou relic 07 or keep?

5K views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  Dirt Bringer 
#1 ·
Hey guys. I have a manitou relic 07 super with coil and Ive been looking to upgrade for a while now. Its been good to me but Ive recently started feeling that I could benefit alot from something plusher or with better internals. I recently had the seals replaced and the fork overhauled so it may start working really well, but I can currently pick up a rockshox recon race solo air with poplock (its the 3.8lb model with motion control dampening) for 280, so Im considering selling off the relic and picking this up. At this point its either the recon, or something you guys suggest (MUST be under 300) or I just keep the relic, which is in no way a bad fork, just not great either. Suggestions? Thanks!
 
#4 ·
Ok, well here is the thing. It used to be pretty good, but recently started having compression sticktion and drag. I just had the seals replaced with enduros (which are extremely stiff) and had the fork overhauled. I assume the enduros will eventually break in and work well. However, if I dont replace the fork (and the main reason I wanted to replace it was due to imperfect compression, as I mentioned) then what steps should I take to get it working optimally for me? I dont really weigh much, about 135, so Im not sure what to do about fluid weight in it. The coil is of the right stiffness however.
 
#5 ·
Dirt Bringer said:
Ok, well here is the thing. It used to be pretty good, but recently started having compression sticktion and drag. I just had the seals replaced with enduros (which are extremely stiff) and had the fork overhauled. I assume the enduros will eventually break in and work well. However, if I dont replace the fork (and the main reason I wanted to replace it was due to imperfect compression, as I mentioned) then what steps should I take to get it working optimally for me? I dont really weigh much, about 135, so Im not sure what to do about fluid weight in it. The coil is of the right stiffness however.
Well, I would start with a move to 2.5 wt oil. I would also check your oil level on the TPC side, and make sure it is at the minimum level. What kind of sag are you running and what kind of travel do you get?
 
#6 ·
I run about 1cm sag more or less, although when its broken in its probably more than I should run, and I use about 85% of the travel. It appears to only have about 90mm of actual travel even though it claims 100. How much oil should be in the tpc side? I just had it overhauled so Im guessing the mechanic threw in whatever was in the service guide.
 
#7 ·
Dirt Bringer said:
I run about 1cm sag more or less, although when its broken in its probably more than I should run, and I use about 85% of the travel. It appears to only have about 90mm of actual travel even though it claims 100. How much oil should be in the tpc side? I just had it overhauled so Im guessing the mechanic threw in whatever was in the service guide.
First, if it is 100mm fork, you should have closer to 2 cm of sag and if it is a 130 closer to 2.5 cm of sag.

The last 10 mm or so, will come from a bottom out bumper that will only compress in big hit situations.

The oil height will depend on the model but most likely should be 120 mm down from the top of the crown. Too much oil is bad, as is too little.
 
#8 ·
Dirt Bringer said:
I just had it overhauled so Im guessing the mechanic threw in whatever was in the service guide.
Assuming he had a clue of what he was doing....

Make sure you have 20%-25% sag and the oil is the proper height. The Manitou 5wt is actually pretty thick for a 5wt oil (Motorex Fork Oil). At your weight a lighter oil like Maxima 5wt or Torco RSF Light would be a good choice.
 
#9 ·
Hes been working on suspension for a long time. My guess is he did it right. Now as to the oil dampener, how does one go about changing the fluid to a lighter one and also checking its level? Do any of you have experience with enduro seals? They seem extremely sticky when new...
 
#12 ·
If you haven't got the newer single lip wipers, there is a hack job you can do to the old ones to reduce stiction.
However once worn in they're not noticable and if you're relying on someone else to do basic service on your fork then I'm a bit hesitant to offer up advice on modifcations.

It sounds like you're oversprung for the riding you're doing and/or the fork isn't well lubricated. Regarding the travel, manitou use bottomout bumpers to cushion the end of the travel, you need to hit something big to compress them fully.
 
#14 ·
Well I hit the trial today and at first the fork was insanely stiff, but after about an hour the new seals started to loosen up, its fairly soft now...not yet "plush" though...not sure how much more they will break in. I still cant decide what to do. Id really like to get a nice upgrade to this fork (I chase perfection yes) but cant tell if the rockshox really would be any real improvement at all. It would alleviate my issues with the spring weight. For some reason before the new seal installation and overhaul I was getting proper sag, but now Im getting close to an inch, perhaps an inch exaclty...but not as much as I used to get with no preload...dont get it. Im using the light spring set. Speaking of the recon it comes with a poplock. Little details like that are just edging me toward it, as well as lower weight and increased stiffness, and Im fairly sure I can sell the relic. Still, given you guys confidence in it I cant help but feel that Im just missing something critical in its setup, or perhaps I simply expect too much out of this relic or a recon switch...??
 
#16 ·
Dougal said:
Changing a fork due to seal stiction is pretty silly IMO.
Do you know what semi-bath oil was used in your rebuilds?
No not entirely. So can we be certain its seal stiction? Its not just the seal issue that makes me want to change it. Im always trying to improve my bike in some way or another. In this case logic is preventing me from changing it...since it seems any upgrade short of a fox fork wouldnt be much of an upgrade at all.
 
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