FORK-English: the final countdown!

[lmannin8]

Hi justbackdated I've just posted asking for some help and have stumbled upon this thread! Are you still doing fork servicing or have you moved into retirement mode now?

 

[justbackdated]

Hi justbackdated I've just posted asking for some help and have stumbled upon this thread! Are you still doing fork servicing or have you moved into retirement mode now?

Hello, yes; still doing services and rebuilds at present

 

[justbackdated]

Another 4 done

 

[justbackdated]

And one more

 

[foxb13]

Tim, how do you restore/preserve over time the shininess of the carbon/kevlar legs?

 

[justbackdated]

Tim, how do you restore/preserve over time the shininess of the carbon/kevlar legs?

Good question:
first of all don’t use any of the chemical cleaning fluids (like Muc-Off) on the carbon as it removes the shine and seems to dry it out, if that is possible.
Clean with a bit of soap & water, car wash/wax is good.
It is possible to restore a bit of colour and lustre to a tired finish by rubbing an oil into the surface of the carbon, I have found Tri-Flow works fantastically but I don’t think it is available now, I am using an ages old spray can of it. It contains Teflon and is a bit thicker than WD40 or GT85 etc.


A car body wax might do well but I have not tried it.
Neither have I tried any applied finishes like spray varnish or clear-coat, and those that I have seen done always seem to be peeling.
Perhaps someone with a bit more knowledge of the structure and make up of carbon can explain why that is.

Hope that helps. Cheers.

 

[foxb13]

It did help, thanks. About carbon structure, maybe @yakboy and @My_Teenage_Self and their fantastic Lotus have this knowledge?

 

[yakboy]

I've had success restoring my Spinergies and HED wheels using 2k clear lacquer. You do need to sand the surface first (600 to 800 grit), to get good adhesion. Not done any Pace fork legs but I imagine they were made with pre-preg epoxy so 2k should be OK