please help with Raleigh front suspension fork!



B

Boatman

Guest
I own a 2002 Raleigh C40 hybrid bike with an RST 791 CL suspension fork
which seems to have lost most of its "spring." I'd like to take it apart and
clean/regrease it, but the "owner's manual" is dreadful. After taking the
dust caps off the top of the crown assembly, I can barely see a bolt about 6
inches down in the tubes, but I have no idea how to take them off (or, more
importantly perhaps, how to put them back on). Any help on servicing these
beasts would be appreciated. I'm mechanically adept, but not a wrench
wizard. Thanks!

Boatman
 
Boatman wrote:

> I own a 2002 Raleigh C40 hybrid bike with an RST 791 CL suspension fork
> which seems to have lost most of its "spring." I'd like to take it apart and
> clean/regrease it, but the "owner's manual" is dreadful. After taking the
> dust caps off the top of the crown assembly, I can barely see a bolt about 6
> inches down in the tubes, but I have no idea how to take them off (or, more
> importantly perhaps, how to put them back on). Any help on servicing these
> beasts would be appreciated. I'm mechanically adept, but not a wrench
> wizard. Thanks!


That turned out to be a difficult question.

I have 2005 C-30 model bikes with RST's current model
RST-781 700C fork. There's no obvious way to open it for
service. Spinning the top caps around doesn't do anything.

The manual that came with your bike is voluminous and
verbose, in several languages yet has no useful information
("don't ride without reflectors", "lock your skewer", etc).
The salient lines are "disassemble for cleaning" and to
lubricate but "do not use lithium grease".

You can get a prettier copy of that manual here:
http://www.rst.com.tw/load/English.pdf
but no useful information. I was about to advise you to see
if you can get a human at RST 888.RST.7731 tomorrow morning.

Oh, hell, it can't be that awful. I pried off the caps and
found a 4mm drive allen bolt in each leg. Uscrewing those
popped the fork apart without any trouble at all. It also
reassembled easily. Just press down on the column with the
fork ends on the floor to start the screws. I used Englund
fork lube but Judy Butter or any similar fork lube should be OK.


--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
 
A Muzi wrote:

> Oh, hell, it can't be that awful. I pried off the caps and
> found a 4mm drive allen bolt in each leg. Uscrewing those
> popped the fork apart without any trouble at all. It also
> reassembled easily. Just press down on the column with the
> fork ends on the floor to start the screws. I used Englund
> fork lube but Judy Butter or any similar fork lube should be OK.


Thanks, Andrew! I'm going to the store to look for a 6" long 4mm drive right
now. Is any non lithium based grease ok to use? I have some Wrench Force
"syn grease" that I use for most anything on my bike.

Boatman
 

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