Fork oil weight
- dave04kdx
- Supporting Member II
- Posts: 256
- Joined: 01:01 pm Nov 09 2004
- Country:
- Location: Casa Grande, Arizona
Fork oil weight
Hey All
It's been a while but I'm getting the 04 KDX ready to ride when it's a bit cooler here. I'm going to service my stock forks tonight and planned on getting some oil on the way home from work. I can't remember what weight oil to use. Anyone know off the top of their head?
Thanks
David
It's been a while but I'm getting the 04 KDX ready to ride when it's a bit cooler here. I'm going to service my stock forks tonight and planned on getting some oil on the way home from work. I can't remember what weight oil to use. Anyone know off the top of their head?
Thanks
David
At age 4 success is . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . having friends.
At age 80 success is . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . having friends.
At age 80 success is . not peeing in your pants.
-
- Supporting Member III
- Posts: 1484
- Joined: 02:26 pm Jun 29 2005
- Country:
- Location: Alabama
I liked a 50/50 mix of 5 and 10 wght fork oil.
Fredette likes the Golden Spectro cartridge fork oil. I used it on one change and thought it was good, but hard to find.
Lots of people use ATF. My forks aren't an Automatic Transmission, so I always used Fork Oil
Fredette likes the Golden Spectro cartridge fork oil. I used it on one change and thought it was good, but hard to find.
Lots of people use ATF. My forks aren't an Automatic Transmission, so I always used Fork Oil
'08 KTM200xc
'99 CR/KDX Hybrid with that RB stuff done to it
KX100 for the boy
'99 CR/KDX Hybrid with that RB stuff done to it
KX100 for the boy
- dave04kdx
- Supporting Member II
- Posts: 256
- Joined: 01:01 pm Nov 09 2004
- Country:
- Location: Casa Grande, Arizona
Cool, thanks for the heads up Karl. I'll try the 50/50 mix and see how she feels.
At age 4 success is . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . having friends.
At age 80 success is . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . having friends.
At age 80 success is . not peeing in your pants.
- canyncarvr
- Gold Member
- Posts: 6943
- Joined: 01:07 pm Nov 05 2004
- Country: US
- Location: The Mythical State of Jefferson
Re: 'Anyone know off the top of their head?'
Sounds like you're set..but for a casual passer-by-reader...fork oil weight is going to be a matter of personal preference. In the case of OEM (RSU..meaing NOT USD) forks, rebound action can be effected by changing oil weight..OEM forks have no rebound control..no rebound adjustment.
While some (can you even IMAGINE!!) may guffaw at using ATF in RSUs or USDs, Jeremy Wilkey, MX-Tech, has recommended such (Mobil 1 ATF anyway) for fork at-home-service.
TRUE fork oil..meaning a bottle of stuff that experts might agree once in awhile on using once in awhile...is expensive. Meaning..$30 or more a quart.
I have used Mobil-1 ATF in my forks, both USD and RSU. Mobil rates it at 7.6cST, which I understand to be 'about' a 16-17W. The whole weight classification may well vary from one mfg. to another anyway. That shouldn't happen, of course, but it seems to anyway.
From Mobil:
Typical Properties
Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF
Viscosity, ASTM D 445
cSt @ 40º C 36.3
cSt @ 100º C 7.4
Brookfield Viscosity, ASTM D 5293
-cP @ -40º C 10,040
Viscosity Index, ASTM D 2270 176
Pour Point, ºC, ASTM D 97 -41C
Flash Point, ºC, ASTM D 92 200
Density @15º C kg/l, ASTM D 4052 0.846
An added advantage to using ATF in your forks is a smoother shifting transmission.
Bonus!!
**edit**
Picked this up from TT:
http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/lowspeed.htm
Take note:
Sounds like you're set..but for a casual passer-by-reader...fork oil weight is going to be a matter of personal preference. In the case of OEM (RSU..meaing NOT USD) forks, rebound action can be effected by changing oil weight..OEM forks have no rebound control..no rebound adjustment.
While some (can you even IMAGINE!!) may guffaw at using ATF in RSUs or USDs, Jeremy Wilkey, MX-Tech, has recommended such (Mobil 1 ATF anyway) for fork at-home-service.
TRUE fork oil..meaning a bottle of stuff that experts might agree once in awhile on using once in awhile...is expensive. Meaning..$30 or more a quart.
I have used Mobil-1 ATF in my forks, both USD and RSU. Mobil rates it at 7.6cST, which I understand to be 'about' a 16-17W. The whole weight classification may well vary from one mfg. to another anyway. That shouldn't happen, of course, but it seems to anyway.
From Mobil:
Typical Properties
Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF
Viscosity, ASTM D 445
cSt @ 40º C 36.3
cSt @ 100º C 7.4
Brookfield Viscosity, ASTM D 5293
-cP @ -40º C 10,040
Viscosity Index, ASTM D 2270 176
Pour Point, ºC, ASTM D 97 -41C
Flash Point, ºC, ASTM D 92 200
Density @15º C kg/l, ASTM D 4052 0.846
An added advantage to using ATF in your forks is a smoother shifting transmission.
Bonus!!
**edit**
Picked this up from TT:
http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/lowspeed.htm
Take note:
DO NOT GO BY LABLED OIL WEIGHT! Not only is this a poor way to decide which oil to use, but each manufacturer seems to be on a different scale. For example Maxima RSF 7wt is actually lighter than Spectro 5wt and Silkolene Pro RSF 7.5wt is actually heavier than Showa SS-8 10wt. This is not a judgment about the quality of these oils, just that the 'weight' label leads to a lot of trouble when trying to tune with suspension oils.
Consider the source
Using a perceived level of knowledge to boost my self worth.
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
bike profile: !clicky!
- OLHILLBILLY
- Supporting Member I
- Posts: 286
- Joined: 08:34 pm Feb 10 2009
- Country:
- Location: S. W. Missouri
I used 5wt Maxima in mine and it does seem to be a little light on rebound. Not bad enough to cause me any real problems but I can feel it. When I do them again I believe I'll use the 50-50 mix of 5wt and 10wt to try to get a little more rebound dampening.
And since the Maxima is on the parts store shelf I'll stick with it so I'll have some consistency in my changes.
And since the Maxima is on the parts store shelf I'll stick with it so I'll have some consistency in my changes.
2004 KDX 200.. Coupla mods
2009 KX250F.. Track Star
2007 Hayabusa.. Street Madness
2009 KX250F.. Track Star
2007 Hayabusa.. Street Madness
-
- Supporting Member III
- Posts: 1484
- Joined: 02:26 pm Jun 29 2005
- Country:
- Location: Alabama
"An added advantage to using ATF in your forks is a smoother shifting transmission."
I think the OP might find this confusing.
I don't because I don't use Automatic Transmission Fluid in my non-Automatic Transmission, either.
I think the OP might find this confusing.
I don't because I don't use Automatic Transmission Fluid in my non-Automatic Transmission, either.
'08 KTM200xc
'99 CR/KDX Hybrid with that RB stuff done to it
KX100 for the boy
'99 CR/KDX Hybrid with that RB stuff done to it
KX100 for the boy
- canyncarvr
- Gold Member
- Posts: 6943
- Joined: 01:07 pm Nov 05 2004
- Country: US
- Location: The Mythical State of Jefferson
You don't.....what? Find 'this' confusing?I dont....
Your non-use of ATF has led to exceedingly excellent clarity of thought?
My transmission is 'non-' a lot of things...my non-Automatic...
I don't use coffee beans in my non-bean-grinder transmission.
Dave's (OP) not confused. He knows what success is.
Consider the source
Using a perceived level of knowledge to boost my self worth.
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
bike profile: !clicky!
- Colorado Mike
- Gold Member
- Posts: 1921
- Joined: 11:42 am Feb 25 2005
- Country:
- Location: Colorado
- OLHILLBILLY
- Supporting Member I
- Posts: 286
- Joined: 08:34 pm Feb 10 2009
- Country:
- Location: S. W. Missouri
That ATF sure must be some good stuff. Seems folks is usin it fer everything these days. Gearbox, forks, even use the stuff in those new fangled car transmissions that you just put the lever in one place 'n it does everthing fer ya.
.
.
.
.
.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
.
.
.
.
.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
2004 KDX 200.. Coupla mods
2009 KX250F.. Track Star
2007 Hayabusa.. Street Madness
2009 KX250F.. Track Star
2007 Hayabusa.. Street Madness
- canyncarvr
- Gold Member
- Posts: 6943
- Joined: 01:07 pm Nov 05 2004
- Country: US
- Location: The Mythical State of Jefferson
Isn't that what you would expect from something called All Things Fluid?OLHILLBILLY wrote:That ATF sure must be some good stuff.
Seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Consider the source
Using a perceived level of knowledge to boost my self worth.
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
bike profile: !clicky!
- dave04kdx
- Supporting Member II
- Posts: 256
- Joined: 01:01 pm Nov 09 2004
- Country:
- Location: Casa Grande, Arizona
I got the oil but didn't get around to changing my fork oil. My son and I worked on his TTR-125L first. His bike had ATF in the forks from the factory. I might try some Mobil 1 ATF in my bike this time and see how it feels. I still have the stock forks with the .40kg Fredette springs.
I forgot how much fun it is to have Carvr answer one of your posts
Very, very informative and entertaining at the same time. Thanks Brad.
David
I forgot how much fun it is to have Carvr answer one of your posts
Very, very informative and entertaining at the same time. Thanks Brad.
David
At age 4 success is . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . having friends.
At age 80 success is . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . having friends.
At age 80 success is . not peeing in your pants.
- canyncarvr
- Gold Member
- Posts: 6943
- Joined: 01:07 pm Nov 05 2004
- Country: US
- Location: The Mythical State of Jefferson
Re: 'I forgot how much fun it is to have Carvr answer one of your posts..'
I was taking my meds on this one. That's a plus..........
How many riders have the slightest idea what a centistoke is, anyway?
Uh...that is what the 'cSt' stands for in case someone didn't look it up.
Or maybe it's a 100cc bike?
Not that it's the subject of discussion, but some manual transmissions in automobiles use ATF. Such might be referred to as a 'non-automatic' transmission.
So there!
I was taking my meds on this one. That's a plus..........
How many riders have the slightest idea what a centistoke is, anyway?
Uh...that is what the 'cSt' stands for in case someone didn't look it up.
Or maybe it's a 100cc bike?
Not that it's the subject of discussion, but some manual transmissions in automobiles use ATF. Such might be referred to as a 'non-automatic' transmission.
So there!
Consider the source
Using a perceived level of knowledge to boost my self worth.
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
bike profile: !clicky!
-
- Supporting Member III
- Posts: 1484
- Joined: 02:26 pm Jun 29 2005
- Country:
- Location: Alabama
I know what a centistoke is. It is the hundreth piece of wood or coal you put in a fire.
(ha-ha, made you look)
Years ago I'd use used motor oil on my foam air filter.
Now I use Foam Air Filter Oil on my foam air filter.
Maybe I'll try it in my forks?
(ha-ha, made you look)
Years ago I'd use used motor oil on my foam air filter.
Now I use Foam Air Filter Oil on my foam air filter.
Maybe I'll try it in my forks?
'08 KTM200xc
'99 CR/KDX Hybrid with that RB stuff done to it
KX100 for the boy
'99 CR/KDX Hybrid with that RB stuff done to it
KX100 for the boy
- canyncarvr
- Gold Member
- Posts: 6943
- Joined: 01:07 pm Nov 05 2004
- Country: US
- Location: The Mythical State of Jefferson
KarlP wrote:I know what a centistoke is. It is the hundreth piece of wood or coal you put in a fire.
(ha-ha, made you look)
Years ago I'd use used motor oil on my foam air filter.
Now I use Foam Air Filter Oil on my foam air filter.
Maybe I'll try it in my forks?
Wow. You got it ALL backwards.
You've heard, perhaps of the term 'Scientific Method'? Lest I be again convicted of mixing up medications, let us query Mr. Google:
Google wrote: Scientific method refers to bodies of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge...
Your experience with used motor oil having been found to be satisfactory for use on a foam filter tells us that it's used motor oil that is the choice for use as fork oil.
Good grief. I've not used 'foam air' IN/ON anything and am unfamiliar with its satisfactory use FOR anything. Seems at best it would render anything it was applied to...well...breathless. Besides, I'm willing to bet the container within which such is contained...in... rather expressly states the contents within to be used specifically for foam filters, NOT forks.
Find THAT caution ANYwhere on your used motor oil container (said container being specifically intended for use as a vessel for such fluid).
Besides, most foam filter oils indicate the proper application to include the instruction to 'remove excess...' by squeezing said excess from the air filter following a too generous application in the first place.
Squeezing your forks in the hope of removing excess oil I don't think will work.
Zen and the art of.... wrote: Add sufficient quantity of air foam fork oil to exceed the desired oil level measurement. Squeeze the lower fork tube to vacate the excess oil applied..to reach the desired oil level in the fork tube.
..I don't think so.
Whew! Another internet myth blasted to hell and gone..........
Consider the source
Using a perceived level of knowledge to boost my self worth.
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
bike profile: !clicky!
- canyncarvr
- Gold Member
- Posts: 6943
- Joined: 01:07 pm Nov 05 2004
- Country: US
- Location: The Mythical State of Jefferson
OH NO!!!....not the damping/dampening argument!!!
I'll bet Dave is sorry he started all this..................
Maybe the problem in the rebound is that it IS damp to start with. Maybe from using oil from a not-quite-well-sealed-enough container? We all know the hygroscopic tendencies of fork oil! Can you put one'a those little desiccant bags of 'WARNING!! Do Not Eat!' inside the fork tube to take care of that?
I'll bet Dave is sorry he started all this..................
Maybe the problem in the rebound is that it IS damp to start with. Maybe from using oil from a not-quite-well-sealed-enough container? We all know the hygroscopic tendencies of fork oil! Can you put one'a those little desiccant bags of 'WARNING!! Do Not Eat!' inside the fork tube to take care of that?
Consider the source
Using a perceived level of knowledge to boost my self worth.
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
bike profile: !clicky!
-
- Supporting Member III
- Posts: 1484
- Joined: 02:26 pm Jun 29 2005
- Country:
- Location: Alabama
No, no, no
The dampness comes from not wringing out the lower fork leg. Everybody knows that, don't confuse Dave any more.
Poor guy is already expecting a smoother shifting transmission on his KDX becauase he changed the fork oil in his boys TTR.
The dampness comes from not wringing out the lower fork leg. Everybody knows that, don't confuse Dave any more.
Poor guy is already expecting a smoother shifting transmission on his KDX becauase he changed the fork oil in his boys TTR.
'08 KTM200xc
'99 CR/KDX Hybrid with that RB stuff done to it
KX100 for the boy
'99 CR/KDX Hybrid with that RB stuff done to it
KX100 for the boy
- dave04kdx
- Supporting Member II
- Posts: 256
- Joined: 01:01 pm Nov 09 2004
- Country:
- Location: Casa Grande, Arizona
I'll bet Dave is sorry he started all this..................
I already knew the anwser to the fork oil question. It's just been too hot here to ride and I was bored...... My next posts will likely consist of some jetting questions, how many holes to drill in the air box questions, which graphics look best and lastly how the KDX compares to a KX 250 when jumping
Seriously, thanks to all for the info.
David
I already knew the anwser to the fork oil question. It's just been too hot here to ride and I was bored...... My next posts will likely consist of some jetting questions, how many holes to drill in the air box questions, which graphics look best and lastly how the KDX compares to a KX 250 when jumping
Seriously, thanks to all for the info.
David
At age 4 success is . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . having friends.
At age 80 success is . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . having friends.
At age 80 success is . not peeing in your pants.