SR Suntour XCR, the most popular suspension fork ever are seen on MTB price labeled from 15000 to 35000 NTD. These bikes are the most acceptable by novice and mature road bike riders as an alternative. Not only popular on market, but as well XCR itself performs on XC or street riding. If you serve it properly, with robust coil spring and high-pressure-nitride damper and platform type lockout, it lasts like a workhorse.

 

Oil leaking and wooden feels are quite common from user’s experience. However, it is easy to return it back to peak condition. Thus, a proper care will be:

1.      Spot on the periodic maintenance

2.      Always keep dust wiper clean.

3.      Add 5ml of 15 wt. Fork fluid into each leg and keep fork (bike) upside down at nights. Your bike will always be ready for the next ride.

4.      Adding foam plate between bushings will keep riding smooth between periodic maintenance, especially under hard off-road riding and bad weather conditions.

Here’s how XCR will like to be treated.

SR officially declares the Maintenance Schedule as below

 

 There is an official video tutor to show how to disassemble and assemble XCR. Please check the video before you do. My article will focus on lubrication only.

http://www.srsuntour-tuning-base.com/index.php?screen=ho.home&postingID=108# 

 

[Tool Preparation]

5 mm Hex wrench, plastic or wood mallet, small flat blade screwdriver, degreaser (IPA, official favorite), torque wrench, rag, tape, draft(modified as a bushing-puller, see picture below), foam plate.

 

[Lubrication]
Lithium-free grease (Rockshox’s manual recommends, ex. Shell Stamina), 15wt. fork fluid.

[Dust wiper quick service]

1.      Clean up the exterior with soapy water, especially the interface between upper tube and dust wiper.

2.      Wrap flat blade screwdriver with tape. Cover upper tube with tape, too.

3.      Carefully pick up the dust wiper by screwdriver.

4.      Drip 2 ml of 15wt fork fluid under dust wiper.

5.      Apply thin-filmed fork fluid onto upper tube. Gentle pinch and rotate dust wiper when moving down to let fluid go inside of dust wiper.

6.   Push dust wiper back to its position. Gently tap the outer ring evenly. Do not damage the spring. Make sure there is no gap between dust wiper and lower leg.

FOX does great introduction over this topic. Refer to the official site here: 

http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/010/eng/Content/seal_clean.html

 

[Cleaning and Re-lubricating Service]

1.      Make sure you have done the steps 1,2 above.

2.      Release the lower leg by following the video.

3.      Pull out the lower leg set. Do not hit brace while trying pulling out lower leg. Swing lower leg back and forth instead. Use puller to pull out bushing. It is fragile. Leave bushing along or to professional for the best. Take out dust wiper by a picker. 

 

4.      Clean upper tube, dust wiper, lower leg set and bushing with degreaser thoroughly. Then apply thin grease and fork fluid to the inside groove of dust wiper.

 

5.      Push dust wiper onto upper leg and place them around 2 cm under the brace. Be aware not to damage the spring.

6.      Apply a thin lithium-free grease film on lower leg inside, brushing, upper tube.

7.      Insert upper tube set into lower leg and lock bottom bolts to the specific torque. Do not damage the damper by applying too much torque. See the chart below.

8.      Drip 5 ml 15 wt. fork fluid into the gap between upper tube and bushing. Wear a goggle to protect your eyes before you gently push fork down and up several times until the fluid is soaked.

9.      Push dust wiper back to its position. Gently tap the outer ring evenly, little by little. Do not damage the spring. Make sure there is no gap between dust wiper and lower leg.

 

 

Some manual declares Teflon oil instead of only fork fluid for lubrication. In my experience, fork fluid wt. is everything you need to consider. At least on XCR, RST F1RST, Rockshox JUDY XC, those expensive Teflon things do not lengthen the period of demanding maintenance or make riding any smoother. I added some over-priced pure Teflon liquid into the fork fluid by an even higher percentage to take this lesson. The price of a 200ml bottle will buy two pairs of good-quality brake pads and leave change for coke.

 

I commute regularly 20 km/day, 5 day/week. Road condition is a mixture of grass and on-road. Sometimes I do free ride in parks and LT training after work. On weekends, long ride of on/off-road are my favorites whenever time is available. Therefore, I realize how important PM is.

 

Anyway, it's time to put on gears and enjoy the smooth ride.