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Anyone mess with front end fluid levels?

kzz1king

Member
Member
I read that a slight change in suspension fluid levels can improve front a little. A tad more perhaps? Anyone mess with theirs?
 
Yes on a C10. Should be similar though not the same for a C14 would think. I experimented with using oil amount in controlling brake dive. Will say this about procedure you are good on a C10 by adding 10cc at a time till suddenly you are too firm and you will have to draw some off to restore comfort. I took a pill bottle that had same inside diameter as fork tube and filled with 10cc/ml from a syringe and marked each 10cc/ml increment on bottle to keep up with what in inches was added. When you will feel it go too firm for comfort it will be different for a 150 lbs rider as opposed to a heavier rider like myself.

Now the disclaimer. I am a rank amateur at suspension tuning. Over the past year I have played around some. I have read even more. Seems there is some art to it. This as in any one recommendation does not fit all riders. Two up another factor. On this aspect of fluid levels, the above is my experience to date.

Also of note further the RaceTech manual states somewhere there in that oil level and amount controls the last third of suspension travel. Hence brake dive. My experimenting seems to reveal once you reach maximum dive control any more oil will stiffen fork quite noticeably and limit travel. That is your back off and time to remove some oil point. You may want to draw off more for comfort. It for me was a compromise between travel, firmness, and brake dive. I think this tuning was worth the effort in retrospect. Though it took a while and some experimenting to perfect the first paragraph's procedures. Next time for me would be so much easier. Hope this helps. Good luck!
 
Oh I used a syringe with a long brass tube to draw off oil. Easy to do without removing springs and such. I had also used two air caps to access both tubes via valve stem removal. This would not be doable on C14 of course. Another fork top procedure will be necessary.
 
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