godders":5scmzshy said:
old_coyote_pedaller":5scmzshy said:
Lhatch4":5scmzshy said:
I would love a step by step tutorial on this. I have avoided cannondales thus far because of this.
Well, in the interests of not effing up a Headshok I wouldn't use the method :shock: that was "detailed" here. :facepalm:
If you want to know how to do it properly there are lots of threads, with pictures, online from other forums that don't involve using a hammer, FFS.
Any link to the other descriptions? Fancy having a go at my 20year old fatty
Mick
The 2 links themountie put up are a start, it's just a question of looking and you will find. Don't expect to find any of Cannondale's actual workshop manual info, they removed it all from their site years ago possibly because of them maybe being blamed if someone used that info to rebuild their Headshok/Lefty and effing it up, getting hurt and then suing them for it. Litigious America.
I have around 5/6 Headshoks, a couple came with my bikes, others were bought with the idea of building good ones out of the bits, never happened when I bought a Lefty, then a 2nd Lefty for my 2 Cannondales, a Super V and an F800. The biggest problem with maintaining old Headshoks/Leftys is the plethora of special tools required to work on them. Each model has different tools. Tools for cartridge re-building/changing seals, tools to remove and fit the bearings....etc. The 2 Leftys I have require different tools to remove the damper cartridge (Castle Tools), these tools are different from the ones needed for Headshoks. Some or most of these tools for older Headshoks/Leftys are almost impossible to find, if you do they are expensive because of their rarity. As can be seen from the Sheldon Brown link decent bodges can be used to replace some of the tools for re-assembling them but others are needed or you will definitely eff up the forks. Spares for the bearings inside the forks are fairly cheap and easily available, but you don't just take out the old ones replacing them with new, they are different thicknesses to take into account the machining process for where the bearings sit inside the fork. If you have a fork with OK bearings and dismantle them you need record where each of the bearing plates were so that they go back in correct place. If not the fork bearing could be too loose causing play or too tight causing too much pre-load and worse, excess wear. I suspect themountie's Headshok will be like this, more than a bit rough.
Leftys/Headshoks are probably the stiffest, lightest forks there are but require regular maintenance, like greasing the needle bearings inside every so many hours of use, the internals have to be kept clean when doing this as rubber boot has to be moved out of way, it's so easy for dirt attached to the edge of boot where it is secured to get inside.
They take a lot of dedication if you would to use them.
Never meant to write an essay but wanted to let you know what it takes, do it correctly and you will have a fork functioning smoothly as it should or wrongly and you'll have a fork that's just shit.
