Fork boots - on or off?

[stu76]

Just stripped a set of forks to service and wondering whether to put the boots back on when I re-build them.

I personally think they look better without, but they do a good job of protecting the stantions. However modern forks don't have them, so have they been proven useless? Or just lost to fashion?

 

[stewlewis]

I wonder if modern forks have a better and harder coating to the stantions, the gold looking stuff. Perhaps the boots are now deemed unnecessary.

 

[merckx]

firmly in the KEEP camp here. old fork seals are nothing like modern seals, and can use every bit of help they can get.

i saw lots of Judys BITD woth no boots, and horride gouge marks on the stauncions from grit cycling up and down.

besides, fork boots look period cool anyhow!

 

[Whatleymeister]

Well, to me its a bit of both.

However, fork boots, to the best of my knowledge, were to actually reduce the ingress of dirt and contaminants into the fork seals and causing damage to the internal workings. However, newer forks have better and improved seals thus negating the requirement for the fork boots. Enduro Seals can be bought to improve the seals on the older forks too.

If you are fussy about extra protection against dirt getting in the seals, then use them, or the Lizard Skin ones that you can take on and off as you feel like, ie in warm dry conditions when less mud and dirt is thrown about..

my two pence worth

 

[Barneyballbags]

If you do decide to keep them on, make sure that they're securely fastened, top and bottom.

If any grit/dirt DOES manage to get underneath them, then they could potentially cause more damage to the stanchions as it will take longer the the dirt/grit to get out again!

 

[stu76]

Thanks for the posts, I think I'll be keeping them on.

Good to know it's improvements in technology that have made them redundant, rather than just fashion!

 

[poweredbypies]

Probably a fashion thing aswell mind.

 

[bwhsh8r]

I've noticed a lot of blue rockshox sid that don't have boots, but mine do. I've always wondered if mine was just one of the few models with the boots, or if people just tended to remove them. (they are 1999 OEM on a Litespeed)

p.s. I could see why some people would want to remove them for the gold TiN coating to be exposed.... looks rather nice.... ish

 

[Groundoggy]

Riding without currently but I wash the bike after every ride and do plan on getting some boots on.

 

[t-stoff]

When I bought my 98 SID, I went through all sorts of threads about with or without boots, as they were rare to see. Cause I had them on my XC (got ruined anyways)

I eventually bought some a pair but never fitted.

To fit boots on a SID you have to get your hands dirty because of the open bath oil system, so when asking for tips on how to do it, a rock shox mechanic told me that fork boots (quoting) are the perfect incubators of dirt and humidity, and to avoid them at all costs...