1996 Judy XC rebuild - FINISHED (page 7) 30/05/12

Today I acquired a pair of those champagney coloured Judy XC's from circa 96 or 97 I think?

I know next-to nothing about sus forks, and would like to rebuild them...big decision I know, but generally I'm technically adept of rebuilding stuff.

What I really want to know is if there's a how-to guide out there, and where/how I'd get all the bits I need to rebuild them.

Also, whilst you're in a reading mood, I'm thinking about changing the outer colour from champagne to black, can this be done by my friendly powdercoater, or would a car body shop be better for this, with potential masking that may be required..

Thanks for all your help, in advance..

colour = Nickelite year = 95/96
now i'll read the rest.


Now bushings can be got but you'll need to look around. (activecycles-may-or-maynot-turnup on ebay had some, about 20 quid for a set.
But first thing first.
Undo the top crown bolts, undo the top caps and get the springs or mess of crumbled powder out (or skanky shrunk mcu's)
Push the stanchions all the way down, make a grubby line, pull them out. measure the travel. could be 50 or 60mm (or maybe more)

Next, undo the bolt at the bottom of the legs.
now turn them back in a few turn and tap them with a hammer, then harder if they do not come out, then REALLY HARD if still no luck.

Inspect the gold stanchions (inner leg) common place for damage is the lower damper side leg.
If these are shot you'll know, if not you may be able to polish them to a smoother finish but they'll never be great and smooth.

Take circlip pliers to the bottom of the stanchions, and get the dummy rod and damper out.
Inspect.
move damper up rod in damper up and down, if very easy then it probably needs rebuilding. if not it may be ok to use or need a rebuild for more oil if you can here air squelching around a lot.


Back to the lower legs, take the brace off.
insepect it all.
somehow clean the inside of them, no scraping with sharp object as there are bushings in there. (you can pop the dust seals off while you're at it). rag around socket set and long thin extension if you have one, if like me you do not then make something up.

take pics and post back.

You will need some sus fork grease for when you put it back together by the way.

Bushing replacement is not so easy, you may not need them.

anyways i'll leave it at that and say the instructions are all in the archive.

I've rebuilt a few of these forks in my time, it is pretty straightforward to get them apart, the tricky part is if you need to refill the damper with fluid (depending in the damper), if it will indeed take/hold new fluid. The bushings are also tricky, but luckily I've not had to change any. I believe you need special tools for this job, or at least they are easier to change if you have them.

No on to the fork disassembly.

Undo the allen bolts at the bottom of the fork legs a few turns.

Knock with a mallet/hammer to release the damper shaft from the inside of the fork outer (you may need to repeat the above, loosening the fork bolt a few turns, then a gently tap with the mallet until the bolt moves)

You should now be able to pull the uppers from the lowers

Clean the inside of the lowers with a rag, then lube up the bushings inside them with some fork of suspension grease/judy butter

Clean the stantion outers and slide back together. Tighten up the bolts (not too much i.e. don't lean on a breaker bar) and that is that done.

If when you have got the forks apart you want to take out the damper, you'll need some circlip pliers. One leg contains a dummy rod, the other the damper. Once you have the circlip off, you may need to use something long down the stantion to tap the damper out.

I can't advise you on the damper refilling as I've not done it, but if you have a plastic bodied damper, and it has no oil, I believe it can be refilled, but you can't open the body of this one up, so a faff. Alu bodied dampers can be refilled more easily I believe.

The elastomers/springs are easy enough to sort out. Undo the crown bolts, then the plastic bolys/bits on the top of the crown (the black bits, not the adjusters), and tip the fork upside down - whatever inside should fall out unless it has perished in there (elastomers), and if so, use whatever you can to get it all out. Depending on the age, you could have elastomers on a skewer, or on the plastic 'jax' spacers. Or if you are lucky, they have been replaced with springs (solid one piece, or two piece affairs).

I think that's pretty much it in a nutshell, aside from when you stick the stantions bck in the lowers, grease the gap between the lowers and the seals (oh, and seals come off pretty easily using a screwdriver, or by hand if you are lucky).

Nearly forgot, no experience in repainting, but I've read powder coating not such a good idea on teh magnesium lowers, but in saying that, others have countered this and had it done without issue, others have ruined ther lowers. I'd go for paint to be safe.

If you need help Steve I have experience in taking these beauties apart, removing / fitting bushings etc. Also have access to Rock Shox workshop tools.

Thanks for that fella,

One more question - at the bottom of the legs there's only one bolt on the driveside leg, the other side cotains no bolt, is that correct.

Should be bolts on both sides

righty ho, I'll have a scrounge around for another bolt for the bottom of the forks.

And as for the legs - colour change to black, any recommendations.

Stay local
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/M ... x+Archive/


Yes you certainly should have two bolt, one has a hole through the middle to adjust the rebound damping on them with an allen key.

I'd be wondering why there isn't both bolt in them. It sort of hold the lower on too the upper and keeps the dummy/damper stationary and not destroying you legs.