Setting up Marz Z2 Atom 80s

[Geoff]

Right, I've had a pair of these forks on my Kona for about 7 years, they were set up pretty nice (although a bit firm) until I started playing with them (the devil finds work for idle hands). Not knowing which adjuster did what I've screwed them up nicely! Tried to decipher the manual on the Marzocchi website but since it seems to be inclusive of every 2000 fork and translated from Italian (and I've had most of a bottle of red) I can't work it out. So... who can tell me what does which?

The right leg has a thumb adjuster on it and a screw adjuster in the middle of that. The left leg has only a thumb adjuster. I assume one is for preload, one is for compression damping and one is for rebound damping, but I don't know what is what!

Suspension gurus I need your help...

 

[jango]

I think both large knobs are preload and the small screw thing on the right leg is damping, both compression and rebound.

Best bet, set everything fully anticlockwise, then set preload evenly on both sides for the sag/feel you want, then set the damping last.

Hope this helps.

 

[Huntso]

Got these Forks myself, the large ones on each leg are for sag and the smaller one on the right leg is for rebound only
See here for the manual
http://manualer.happymtb.org/marzocchi/2000 z2 atom bomb 80.pdf
Probably do with an oil change too after seven years

 

[Geoff]

Probably do with an oil change too after seven years

Yup, I was thinking about doing that. That said, they have been the most amazingly reliable forks. 7 years of abuse later and they still work bloody well! Superb.

Thanks for that manual, very helpful!

 

[andrewl]

Geoff,

The Z1, Z2 etc series of Bombers are pretty simple to set up, but I'd advise you to do an oil change (and new seals) to reap the benefits - I use Redline suspension fluids in mine and they are plush

The outer knobs on both legs are for the spring preload and the screw adjuster on the right leg is the rebound.

To set them up all you need to do is the following:

Unwind the preload on both legs and screw the rebound roughly to centre.

Check your sag by sitting on the bike and add preload until you get the desired sag. If you can't obtain it you'll need to change springs.

Then adjust the rebound depending on whether you'd like it faster or slower. If you are unsure test the rebound performance by riding the same track after big adjustments to feel the difference.

You should also note the following:

There is no compression adjustment, but you can change the compression rate by changing the oil weight and height fairly easily but it does get a bit messy and time consuming

Unlike some forks the rebound adjustment has a very wide range of adjustability from stupidly fast and undamped to incredibly overdamped. If you are running the fork at the extremes of rebound damping then a rebuild is in order.

If you get really stuck setting them up given the more favourable timezone PM me and I can talk you through the setup or rebuild/oil change.

Cheers

Andrew

 

[Geoff]

Thanks Andrew, for the moment I'll just set the preload and rebound damping, after my Christmas trip back to the UK I'll think about giving them a proper birthday. I have never rebuilt a fork so I'm a bit apprehensive, I was intending to get a shop to do it but if it's not too bad I might have a crack at it myself. Do you know what weight the stock oil is?

 

[andrewl]

Do you know what weight the stock oil is?

7.5, but some brands 7.5s are not the same as others...