Front shocks won't take air

Hi, I have an 82 maxim. I bought a bicycle pump and connect it to the air valve. When I tried to pump air in the air would not go into the shocks. Any idea what the problem could be ? Thanks

 

fakeplay-I tried the bicycle pump routine on my Seca & found it didnt have enough pressure. Is your bike on the centerstand when you try this? I use a small air compressor with a secondary regulator set to 20 PSI or so (depending on riding conditions) as to not blow the fork seals. Please dont ask how I learned this one-ha ha. I'm sure the others will weigh in with better advice but this is what I know. Use great caution when adding air to them fork tubes, & be sure to get the exact amount of air in both.

 

Theres only one air inlet and the air is recomended at 5.7 lbs to 12 lbs max.
Can't understand why a bicycle pump won't work. Thanks

 

Sorry there guy, our specs and setups are probably not the same. Maybe check your air inlet for obstructions. Is it leaking out right away or wont accept air at all? Hopefully more knowledgeable folks will have better answers on this soon. I'm pretty sure that riding on zero PSI may wreck something tho-good luck.

 

First I would check the valve stem. There are also o rings on the fork tube caps, air inlets, and of course the fork seals need to be good.

spray anything you think may be leaking with soapy water then pump some air into the forks and look for bubbles. It may be harder to find at the lower pressures but it can be done.

 

Bike has brand new fork seals. I've been riding it and there seems to be no problems. Book say's air assisted forks. but they work good without air. 5.7 lbs ain't that much of an assist. But I don't want them to fail. I'm wondering if it's the wrong attachment on the pump. It fills my bicycle tires real good.
Is there a special adapter I'm spose to be using ? Thanks

 

No special adapter needed. Did you check the valve stem and where the piping goes into the forks for leaks. I would pull the guts out of a different valve stem and switch them. If that doesn't help it is most likely one of the seals where the hoses attach or at the air unions. start soapy water testing every joint involved in the air system.

 

Maximum Pressure in the Forks is: 17.1 psi.

Atmosphere is: 14.7 psi @ Sea Level.

Having the extra air in the forks will do you NO Good, ... UNLESS you have NEW Fork Springs and Fork Oil "On-the-mark"

Adding Air to Front Forks with worn-out Fork Springs is likely to cause you to blow a Fork Seal.
(Over pressurization will Blow the Seal right out.)

You are better off having somebody press-down on the back of the bike and lifting the front-end of the floor, ... and opening the Air Valve to equalize pressure within the cavity.

The air isn't an aid to suspension.
It just keeps the Fork Oil from splashing too high.

 

Got it. I didn't have the pump nozzle all the way on. I put 6 lbs air. Shocks pushed right up. Thanks

 

i'am sorry Rick but most of that is just plain wrong

 

OK Polock what is your thoughts on the situation then?

 

for one I've never seen anyone use a pressure gage where the gage itself was held in a vacuum during use. If that were the plan then you'd need a different (or adjustable) gage for various altitudes. common, readily available gages always measure pressure relative to ambient. There is air inside the tire or in this case forks pushing out against the guts of the gage and there is air in and around the guts of the gage pushing in to counter it. It is only the bias between these two that is measured by spring force inside the gage. Do your tire's recommended pressure ratings say "at sea level" on them?

The air IS an aid to suspension. as in the phrase "air assisted spring forks" or some such used here and there throughout the literature. The air pressure is a means of adding force without turning a screw to push further/harder on the springs as one would do with "true" pre-load adjustment. It adds an additional "spring" in the form of compressed air.

If you were to take a jar half full of water or oil or anything and void it of air, pull as much vacuum as can be on it and seal it. Take another jar and seal it with the same liquid plus 100psi of air... shake them both and the difference in sloshing of the liquid will be imperceptible to the naked eye.

don't get me wrong, Rick knows his wrenching top to bottom. just his science is off on this one.

 

Well, ... OK ... Polock.

What's the story?

Don't say Air helps-out if you have old, tired, weak springs.
Because I've heard that one before.
It don't help.

 

17.1 psi is really 17.1 psig, 14.7 psi is 14.7 psia two different things and is 14.7 with a high pressure weather system or low ?
weather you've heard it or not, air in a sealed vessel is a nonlinear spring.
if the forks bottom the same pressure exists on the seals weather the springs are new or old.
equalizing the pressure in each fork is great but realize that they are at 0 psig, not 14.7
air is a aid to suspension, thats why they call those things that hold up the hatchback on cars air springs
don't even talk about splashing oil that's just silly

 

I tried adding air to my Front Forks to see is they would rise and I couldnt even get the Air Chuck onto the Valve opening.

I don't understand "Non-linear" Spring.
I'll do some reading on that to better understand it.

The only thing ever explained to me about the reason to add air to a Front Fork was it insured that the Fork Oil stayed under control to make the Damper work more effectively; but too much Air ruined the Seals.

 

Non-linear spring, kind of like a progressive wound spring. a regular spring might take 10 lbs to compress it 1 inch, 20 lbs to compress it 2 inches and so on but a sealed tube like our forks or a bicycle pump might only take a few oz the first inch the second inch might take 1lb
but the third inch might take 10 lbs, the 4th might take 50lbs.
a mechanical engineer would know the formula, not me for sure
maybe the extra air pressure would help keep the oil from foaming?. that's just a guess
some of those valve extenders might help get the top up where you could get a air chuck on it, then take it off when your done...?

 

I'm just thinking off the top of my head... Do you think the air pressure would change the "offset" of the force required to compress the whole fork?

Example:

No air in fork, required force to compress:
1"=1 lbs
2"=10 lbs
3"=20 lbs
4"=40 lbs

WITH say 6psi in the fork:
1"=10lbs
2"=20lbs
3"=30lbs
4"=50lbs

Just a thought

 

Don't know. Krs14 That looks xactly like my bike, same color too!cept I have the small sissy bar in back. Nice