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I've bought some second hand forks online, rockshox recon gold (2012 I believe) to be precise, and when they arrived there's a bit of oil on the right leg, looks as though it's come from the lock out switch (if you'd call it a switch, maybe a lever but you get what I'm saying). Is this normal as it's been posted or should I be asking for a refund? Any light you can shine on this would be greatly appreciated!!!

3 Answers 3

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I would return the fork for a refund.

The other responses are correct - a basic rebuild will likely solve any problem. That's easy enough to do yourself. And also cost effective.

But, this fork is used, you don't know it's history, and you aren't experienced with servicing forks. There could be damaged internal components; replacing parts that are not included in a basic rebuild kit can get costly.

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It's likely suspension oil is getting outside of the seal.

It could be a number of issues:

  • failed seal
  • scratched stanchion
  • too much oil after service

I'd run them past your LBS for an opinion on what the cause may be.

If it's a scratched stanchion I'd ask for a refund. Otherwise I'd lean towards sending them back also unless they were so cheap that they'd still be a cheap fork after a service.

I wouldn't use them as is. Oil outside of seals attracts dust and then combines to turn into grinding paste which quickly removes the anodized coating from the stanchions.

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  • The person I bought them off is saying they think a cap may not have been on tight and that it's nothing big, could this be the case or is it unlikely? I know it's probably hard to say without seeing them
    – guy keeble
    May 18, 2015 at 20:28
  • Also I paid £130 for the recon gold r's (with no visible scratches to stanchions) which I thought was a good deal but with a service cost on top it'll soon be closer to £230 and that seems steep for a second hand fork... Can you recommend anything better in the price range? I've mostly ridden rigid bikes up until now.
    – guy keeble
    May 18, 2015 at 21:10
  • If it has come through the lockout switch it is realistically possible if the forks were hung upside down and the cap hadn't been put on tightly. But I just don't think the cap should leak under normal circumstances and it's not really anything someone who didn't know what they were doing would leave loose.
    – DWGKNZ
    May 19, 2015 at 19:37
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If you like these things you can rebuild the suspension. You have detailed, easy to follow instructions from Rock Shox here and you can buy a rebuild kit also from Rock Shox, here (please confirm these two match your suspension).

You won't spend too much on tools (some you can borrow maybe?), or at least you won't spend much more than your local shop will charge you. The tools you buy you can reuse on the next service, you will end up saving a lot of money by doing it yourself, and it goes for a nice afternoon with beers and friends if you're into that.

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  • A small comment: the likeliest cause is poor maintenance and a rebuild will make it work like new (I've seen this soooo many times). However there is the chance an important part is damaged/cracked. Since you bought it second hand I don't know how to advice you about that, but Rock Shox support might help you.
    – super
    May 19, 2015 at 21:30

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