Welcome to the world of hybrid biking, where the best of both worlds meet! Hybrid bikes are known for their versatility, allowing riders to easily conquer various terrains. One essential component that greatly influences the performance and comfort of hybrid bikes is the front suspension. Suntour forks are the most common brand front suspension found on hybrid ikes.
Suntour is a renowned brand known for producing reliable entry-level and mid-range suspension systems. By understanding how to rebuild and optimize your budget Suntour front suspension, you’ll be able to unlock the full potential of your hybrid bike and enjoy a smoother, more controlled ride.
In this article, we will delve into the realm of the Suntour brand entry-level front suspension rebuild. Throughout this guide, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step process, ensuring that you have the knowledge and confidence to tackle the front suspension rebuild on your own. We’ll cover everything from dismantling and inspecting the components to reassembling the fork.
Whether you’re cruising through city streets, tackling gravel paths, or venturing off-road, a well-maintained front suspension can make all the difference in your riding experience.
The importance of suntour forks in hybrid bikes
There are many advantages of having front suspension on your hybrid bike.
Firstly, it helps to smooth out rough terrain by absorbing impacts and vibrations caused by bumps, cracks, and uneven surfaces. This ensures a more comfortable and enjoyable ride for cyclists.
Not only that, but front suspension also makes a big difference when it comes to handling and keeping you in control. It helps your tyres stay in contact with the ground, especially when you’re taking sharp turns or going over obstacles. So, you can ride with confidence and not worry about losing your balance.
Moreover, the front suspension plays a crucial role in reducing fatigue and minimising the impact on the rider’s body. By absorbing shocks and vibrations, it alleviates strain on the arms, shoulders, and wrists, enabling you to ride for longer periods without discomfort.
Entry-level suntour forks key components and their functions
To understand the rebuild process of the Suntour forks on hybrid bikes, it’s essential to familiarise yourself with the key components and their functions. Let’s explore them in detail:
Upper assembly. This is the upper part of the front suspension. It consists of:
- steerer tube
- crown
- stanchions
Bottom case (also known as “lower legs”). The lower legs are the lower portion of the suspension fork that connects to the wheel axle and houses the lower part of the suspension system.
Slider sleeves assembly. The slider sleeves are cylindrical tubes that sit inside the lower legs. They provide a low-friction interface, allowing the fork to compress and rebound smoothly during suspension movement.
Dust seals with springs. Dust seals in Suntour front suspensions play a crucial role in protecting the internal components of the suspension fork from contaminants such as dust, dirt, mud, and moisture. They are designed to create a barrier and prevent these external elements from entering the fork’s internals.
Preload adjuster. You can adjust the fork to match your weight and how you like to ride by tweaking the spring preload. Rather than adjusting the coil spring hardness, the preload adjuster allows you to find the right amount of preload. This helps reduce the “SAG” when you sit on the bike.
Coil spring. The coil spring plays a vital role in providing the primary cushioning and absorbing impacts during the compression of the suspension fork.
Tools required
- 5 mm allen key – used to remove and reattach the brake cable from the brake caliper.
- 30cm long 5mm alen key. This tool is required to hold
- 15mm spanner. Might be useful to remove and tighten the front wheel with wheel nuts.
- Suspension fork top caps spanner. A necessary tool to remove and refit a castellated top cap and a preload adjuster.
- 10mm socket spanner. Required to remove and refit fixing nuts
- Teflon grease.
- Butter grease.
- Rags or a paper towel. Used to clean different suspension parts from grease and debris
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Degreaser
Preparation
- Put the bike on a stand
- If you have rim brakes then release the calipers at the front. If you’re not sure hot to do this check out our article on how to release and reattach v-brakes.
- Remove the front wheel. Read our article on how to remove the front bike wheel if you struggle with this task.
- If the brake levers on flat bars are connected with a brake cable then remove the cable from the front brake lever.
- For hydraulic disc brakes remove the caliper and the hose (if required) from the lower legs.
Rebuilding the front suspension
Rebuilding Suntour forks on hybrid bikes is a process that can seem daunting without proper guidance. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Let me guide you through the process of disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling the key components of your front suspension.
Removing the lower legs
- Use a fork top caps spanner to undo and remove the top cap on the non-drive side in an anticlockwise direction.
- Insert a long Allen key into the stanchion, aligning it with the head of the fixing bolt.
- Hold the Allen key with one hand and unscrew the fixing nut on the non-drive side in an anticlockwise direction.
- Now undo and remove the fixing nut on the other side.
- Remove the lower legs from the suspension.
Servicing the non-drive side of the hybrid suntour forks
- Hold the Allen key with one hand and, using a 10mm spanner, remove the nut plate from the fixing bolt on the non-drive side.
- Remove the fixing bolt.
- Clean the bolt and the rebound rubber, then apply fresh grease to the rebound rubber.
- Insert the long Allen key into the fixing bolt and slide it back into the non-drive side stanchion.
- Apply grease to the thread on the fixing bolt.
- Hold the Allen key with one hand and, with the other hand, refit the nut plate.
Servicing the drive side of the hybrid suntour forks
- Unscrew the preload adjuster in an anticlockwise direction to remove it.
- Remove the coil spring, noting that the top spring guide is white and the bottom guide is black.
- Clean the spring and apply fresh grease to it.
- Insert the long Allen key into the stanchion on the non-drive side, aligning it with the head of the fixing bolt.
- Hold the Allen key with one hand and, using a 10mm spanner, remove the nut plate from the fixing bolt.
- Remove the bottom stopper and the damper, then clean them.
- Remove the fixing bolt.
- Clean the bolt and the rebound rubber, grease the rubber, and then slide the fixing bolt back into the drive side stanchion.
- Refit the damper and the bottom stopper.
- Apply grease to the thread on the fixing bolt.
- Hold the Allen key with one hand and, with the other hand, refit the nut plate.
- Reinstall the coil spring in the correct orientation.
- Clean and grease the threads inside the drive side stanchion.
- Clean the preload adjuster and the top cap.
- Screw the preload adjuster back in clockwise to refit it.
Lower legs overhaul
- Remove the dust seal springs from the dust seals and, using a 15mm spanner, remove the dust seals from the lower legs.
- Clean the sleeves mounted in the lower legs.
- Clean the dust seals and then refit them along with the dust seal springs.
- Apply butter grease inside the seals.
- Clean the stanchions.
Refitting the lower legs
- Slide the lower legs.
- Refit the fixing nut on the drive side, ensuring that it is tightened securely.
- Insert the long Allen key into the stanchion on the non-drive side, aligning it with the head of the fixing bolt.
- Hold the Allen key with one hand and tighten the fixing nut with the other hand, ensuring it is tight.
- Grease the threads in the non-drive side stanchion.
- Refit the top cap.
- Reinstall the wheel. We have written a great article on how to refit the front wheel on a bike.
- If you have a cable brake, reattach the brake cable to the brake lever.
- If necessary, reattach the V-brake.
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