Atomik Nitrous Forks Slow Rebound

[dynamicgs]

Hi All.. stocker forks on my atomik nitrous 160 midsize seem to have crapped themselves.. when you push them down they take almost 3 seconds to get back to the top...
I was thinking of replacing the oil, but a little hesitant cause I dont know what IM doing..
Has anyone done this or seen a tutorial on it? I know there are tutorials around, but they seem to be on aftermarket forks... so Im guessing the will be different... Want to know about china forks specifically...

Anyway, thought it is worth a shot, before going out and getting some good quality ones..
Note: noticed they were stuffed after a day thrashing in the mud... would/could this have damaged them?

Cheers!

 

[timeeh]

Hi Mate, done it on mine, and it deffinately made it alot better but they still have the same slow rebound... But if you want to do it just remove them from the bike. Then remove the big top nut on the forks. I then you can remove the springs if you wish, to do this you undo the top nut again but while gripping the underside of it. once youve done this tip it upside down and push and pull the little pole that runs down the middle just to pump out all the remaining oil. then fill it up again, i used 235ml of 5w (and i weigh in at 84kg) seemed fine to me, you might have to push/pull the pole again just to get some of the oil to sit at the bottom and not overflow out the tube. Then the tricky bit, you then need to put the spring back over the pole without the pole dissapearing back into the leg, i managed to pull this off by holding the leg on about a 45 degree angle, or just enough angle so the pole doesn't drop back in and the oil doesn't pour out. Then screw the top nut back onto the pole (with the spring in place) then pull the fork leg up and tighten the big nut back up. All Done Hope this helps, unfortunately i didn't take pics last time...

 

[dynamicgs]

OK, thanks. Recon I will give it a go...

What is it that controls the rebound in these forks?

 

[timeeh]

Not sure. maybe nothing LOL. P.S. sorry for the bad english in the last post bloody wireless keyboard at home is starting to die...

 

[dynamicgs]

ha ha.. no dramas.. From what I have read, I think rebound might be controlled by flow of oil through some kind of hole or valve.. thats what it feels like to me too...
Will try and take some pics when I do the job too...

 

[timeeh]

yea, the valve attached to the "pole" i refered to in the previous post. I couldn't get to there on my forks as i think you need to remove the bottom of the fork leg and try as i might, buggerd if i could get it off. I even resorted to ringing Atomik in melbourne and the tech told me that all i needed to do was put the bottom of the fork leg in the soft jaws and then spin the bottom of the leg off. but it just sat there and free-spun... so i never found out. Anyway good luck and if you can follow what i said above it should be a pretty simple task good luck.

 

[matty_77]

I had the same bike with the same problem, what i did was strip the forks down and where the pole sights in and out of the lowers i drilled the hour at the top slightly larger as i think it was a manufacturing problem. You have to pull them right down to do this worked straight away after this. I used 10w motul fork oil

 

[timeeh]

Pics matty? i reckon i need to do the missus one too.

 

[matty_77]

I dont but ill try to source some pictures

 

[timeeh]

Cheers mate More to the point what do you mean by "drilled the hour at the top"?

 

[matty_77]

Sorry i was on my phone and it decided to auto correct haha. I drilled out the top valve by around 1mm. I think I got rubbish stuck in the tub which there for was blocking that hole with rubbish and not letting the oil come out as it should

 

[timeeh]

ahhh, sweet. cheers mate, will give it a shot on hers, see if it makes a difference.

 

[dynamicgs]

sweet.. keen to hear how it goes... maybe this will work and help out cheap arse china riders everywhere! ha ha

 

[dynamicgs]

Had a crack....

OK, I did the forks today... Made a bloody mess with the fork oil too! Lucky I got a litre!

Matty, did you drill out the hole that the rod goes through, seen in pic 1?

See pic 2... the plastic spacers that are inside the spring ends, the one in the middle gave out.. had chunks of plastic floating around inside the fork.. guessing that may have been part of the slow rebound problem...

I spilled so much oil, and ended up just guessing what is the right amount.. if I put too much or too little oil, what can I expect? will some seals blow out or something? Or will the forks just be firmer or too soft?

forks feel pretty solid (used 10w) and rebound seems to be a bit better...

 

[dynamicgs]

Also, just put the springs back in without spacers.. had no option.. rang atomik and all they could do was sell me a new fork leg for $90!

 

[timeeh]

Mate i've got a set with about 2-3hrs on em (max), that i only just filled up. $70 for the pair if your keen?

 

[dynamicgs]

might be keen... will give these a run first, might just get a set of GPX on there.. if I can get it past the missus that is!

 

[rumble]

on the other end or the rod (pic 1) is a plunger. It has holes it it which lets the oil flow through.
Small holes = slow compression and rebound. Big holes = fast comp and rebound. Thin/thick oil does the same.
Cant remember exactly, but i think you hold the fork leg, chrome bit, in a soft jawed vice and undo the axle part........ Do a bit of research before you do that.
My forks broke the same, the plastic bit. Just threw it out.

 

[timeeh]

i your gonna try the drill the holes thing let me know how you go, cause i really wanna find out how the take the foot off the leg. Unfortunately for me it wasn't as easy as rumple said.... Maybe try the rattle gun first on the inside on the fork foot, maybe it might come off then... But i like your idea of the GPX Mine has now got the DNM's on and ready for it's first run this weekend...

 

[dynamicgs]

Yeah, theres an allen key in the bottom, but Ill be damned if I could get it loose...
Dont have a soft jawed vice either.. so , this will have to do...

Keen to hear how the new forks feel for you after riding on these china jobs!