3 Warning Signs Your Fork Lowers Need Servicing

I see it in the workshop all the time: forks that would've been fine with a quick lower-leg service six weeks ago, now needing a full rebuild because someone ignored the warning signs.

The good news? Your fork actually tells you when it needs attention. You just need to know what to look and feel for. Here are the three big warning signs I see most often, and what to do about them before a cheap service turns into an expensive repair.

Sign 1: Feeling stiction and loss of small-bump suppleness

When your fork is healthy and happy, it should feel smooth when you compress it – almost effortless. It rebounds quickly and glides through its travel without any sticky spots or hesitation. A properly lubricated lower leg leaves a very thin, almost invisible sheen on the stanchions. You shouldn't see oil dripping down, but after a ride you might notice a light oily ring at the wiper seal. That's normal and actually a good sign.

If your fork feels like it's sticking at the start of its travel, or it won't extend smoothly after you compress it, your bath oil might be getting low or your foam rings have dried out. You won't necessarily see obviously "dry" stanchions – there's always a microscopic film of oil present – but you'll definitely feel that increased friction when you push down on the bars.

This is one of those things that creeps up on you gradually, so you might not notice it day to day. But that extra stiction is silently accelerating wear on the bushings and hard-anodised stanchion coating, and it's killing your small-bump sensitivity. A lot of riders first notice this on technical climbs or through rough braking sections when the fork just packs down instead of tracking the ground like it should.

Why it happens

Your fork lowers contain foam rings that soak up bath oil and wipe it onto the stanchions with every stroke. Over time, that oil depletes or gets contaminated, and dust and water gradually work their way past the wiper seals. On Sydney's sandy trails, this can happen surprisingly fast – sometimes in as little as 50 hours of riding. When those foam rings dry out or the bath oil gets contaminated with grit, friction between the stanchions and bushings goes through the roof, and that's when you start feeling stiction.

What to do

If you're noticing stiction or your fork just feels harsh through small bumps, it's probably time for a lower-leg service. This typically involves pulling the lowers off, refreshing the foam rings and wiper seals, replacing the bath oil, and re-greasing the bushings. It's not a massive job, and catching it early saves you money.

In the meantime, get in the habit of wiping down your stanchions after dusty rides so that grit doesn't work past the seals. And please, avoid pressure-washing around the fork seals – I know it's tempting, but you're just forcing water and dirt past the seals.

Sign 2: Harsh chatter and brake chatter

Another early warning sign is a fork that feels progressively harsher the faster you go. You might hear harsh vibrations buzzing through the bars on rough sections, or feel the fork packing down on long descents. When there's increased friction in there, it takes more force to get the fork moving – if you're having to push harder on the bars to compress the fork, that's internal friction building up.

Brake chatter explained

You know that annoying feeling when your front tyre skips and chatters as you're braking into a corner? That's brake chatter, and it happens when the fork can't rebound quickly enough to keep the tyre tracking the ground properly.

Usually it's caused by dry or contaminated bushings creating stiction, depleted oil losing its lubricating properties, or worn and dirty wiper seals letting grit in. Add in tired foam rings that aren't distributing oil evenly across the stanchions anymore, and you end up with a fork that chatters under braking and feels completely dead over small bumps.

I'll be honest – this one's frustrating to ride with. You're working harder to go slower, and that front tyre skipping around doesn't exactly inspire confidence when you're committed to a corner.

What to do

Time for a lower-leg service, and I'd suggest asking your suspension tech to have a good look at the bushings for wear while they're in there. After particularly harsh, dusty descents, make it a habit to clean your stanchions and check for those oil rings.

If your fork still feels harsh after a proper service, you might have some internal wear that needs a full damper and spring service to sort out.

Sign 3: Oil weeping from seals

This is the one that's hardest to ignore (though some people still try). If you're seeing a dark oil ring around your dust wiper seals, or there are oil spots on the floor under your bike after it's been sitting overnight, you've got seal issues.

Now, a faint oil ring after a really hard ride can be pretty normal – especially on hot days when everything's working overtime. But oil that shows up after every single ride, or worse, drips onto the floor? That's telling you the seals are compromised. And once oil starts weeping out, dust starts working its way in, acting like grinding paste on your bushings and stanchion coating.

This is the one where I always tell people: don't wait. Oil contamination turns what could be a minor seal replacement into expensive bushing and stanchion damage real fast.

Why it happens

Common culprits include worn foam rings that can't hold oil anymore, damaged wiper seals, over-pressurised air springs forcing oil past the seals, or dirt that's gotten lodged under the wipers. Any of these reduces the seal's ability to keep oil in and dirt out – which is literally its only job.

Severe symptoms requiring immediate attention

Right, if you notice any of these, stop riding and book a service straight away:

Uncontrollable rebound: The fork rebounds way too fast or way too slow, regardless of how much you fiddle with the adjustments.

Squelching sounds during compression: That's oil contamination or air mixing with damper oil. Not good.

Complete loss of air pressure: Your fork won't hold pressure overnight or loses air during rides.

These aren't "I'll get to it eventually" issues. These are "stop riding now before you turn a service into a complete rebuild" issues.

What to do next

Follow manufacturer service intervals

Fox recommends full fork and shock service every 125 hours or annually (whichever comes first). RockShox recommends fork servicing from 50-200 hours depending on the service type and fork model. Both manufacturers recommend more frequent lower-leg services in dusty or wet conditions. In dusty conditions like ours, I usually recommend getting your lower-legs serviced more often – around every 50–75 hours is a good target.

Understand the different service types

A lower-leg service replaces bath oil, cleans and lubricates foam rings and wiper seals, and checks the bushings for wear. It's relatively quick and affordable.

A full suspension service includes a damper overhaul, internal component inspection, and replacing all the wear items. This is more involved and takes longer, but it's what keeps everything running smoothly long-term.

Your riding frequency and trail conditions determine when you need what. If you're not sure, just ask – I'm happy to have a look and give you an honest assessment.

Once your fork is sorted, learn how to dial your shock rebound for Northern Beaches trails to get the most out of your suspension setup.

Work with someone who knows what they're doing

An experienced suspension tech will properly size bushings, use the correct oil spec and volume, inspect seals under magnification, check stanchion coating wear and air-spring pressures, and spot potential issues before they become irreversible.

I'm not just saying this because it's my job – I've seen too many DIY attempts that ended up costing way more to fix than if someone had just brought it in from the start.

Practice preventive care

A little bit of regular care goes a long way:

• Wipe down your stanchions after dusty rides
• Avoid pressure-washing anywhere near the seals
• Run proper sag (15–20% on your fork, 25–30% on your shock)
• Equalise positive and negative air chambers after adjusting pressure
• Set a calendar reminder for your annual service (seriously, do this – we all forget otherwise)

Final thought

Your fork is genuinely trying to tell you something. Stiction, harsh chatter, oil weeping – these aren't things to ignore or "just ride through." I know it's easy to put off servicing, especially when the riding's good and you just want to get out there. But catching these warning signs early will save you money, keep your fork feeling plush and supple, and make sure you're enjoying our Northern Beaches trails the way they're meant to be ridden – smooth, confident and in control.

If you're not sure whether your fork needs attention, bring it in and I'll have a look. No pressure, just an honest assessment. Sometimes it's fine and just needs a quick clean, sometimes it needs a proper service. Either way, at least you'll know.