[HardtailHack]

To be honest my 2010 Totem coil DH forks feel like poop, I am a fat prick and I am running a few clicks of rebound but I am running the heavy spring which is too light for my 210lb frame yet I run zero high or low speed compression as the fork feels rediculously laggy on high spped hits.

Is there anything I can do before the Avy cart is released? I have pulled the forks down as one of the stanchions started changing color as the fork was assembled without grease. I have also notice the bushing in the right leg has a sligt dogs ear which makes me wonder if my problem is just extra stiction?

 

[Muttely]

Have you pulled out the floodgate?

 

[IH8Rice]

Avy is making a cartridge for the Totem??

 

[rigidhack]

Sounds like a rebuild might be in order. You may also be running too light a spring and the "lag" you feel is due to the fact that the spring cant get back to a "neutral" point as quickly or as smoothly as you would like. I've got an 08 Totem Coil and I find every single click on every adjuster to make a huge difference in how it feels. I'm right round 200lbs and use an X-Firm spring.

 

[HardtailHack]

Sounds like a rebuild might be in order. You may also be running too light a spring and the "lag" you feel is due to the fact that the spring cant get back to a "neutral" point as quickly or as smoothly as you would like. I've got an 08 Totem Coil and I find every single click on every adjuster to make a huge difference in how it feels. I'm right round 200lbs and use an X-Firm spring.

I am using the firm spring which is only good for riders up to around 190Lb from memory, I know it is undersprung but shouldn't it make it feel even faster on the compression stroke?
If the fork had end of stroke rebound adjust I would have just whacked some 2.5wt oil in there and all would be sweet but the rebound feels pretty much spot on. Is there any way to change the factory set end of stroke rebound?

Muttley my fork has no Floodgate it has the DH damper, IH8rice, there is a chance Avy will be making an adaptor for the Totem. I shot Craig an email probably two months ago and he said it may happen in the future so I'm really hoping he does make a cart for the Totem

 

[kidwoo]

Throw an air cartridge in there. Seriously. The leg/air volume of those things is huge so you end up running lower pressures than most air forks so you don't have to get retarded with high PSI. I've had both and while I'm not as heavy as you, I and everyone I know who has a clue has preferred the air spring.

 

[IH8Rice]

IH8rice, there is a chance Avy will be making an adaptor for the Totem. I shot Craig an email probably two months ago and he said it may happen in the future so I'm really hoping he does make a cart for the Totem

nice! thatll get more exposure for his products and help them compete with Elka in the single crown market

 

[Rhubarb]

I changed the uppers on my Totem, from 1.25 to 1.5" and thought I geased the seals and lubed it up propperly. After some rides I was checking my sag and noticed the fork was pretty much locking up once it settled into its sag. I could literaly put all my weight onto it and it wouldnt budge. I posted about hydro lock and bushing issues and everyone pretty much said it needed to be rebuilt. Got around to removing lowers cleaning it up and really packing the seals. Bottom line is the fork needs serious loob to work smoothly. It fixed my problem.

Kidwoo, is the air version really on par with the coil? I need a new Totem for my Jedi and was thinking of trying the air version.

I seriously hope Avy releases a cart, that would be the nuts.

 

[kidwoo]

I changed the uppers on my Totem, from 1.25 to 1.5" and thought I geased the seals and lubed it up propperly. After some rides I was checking my sag and noticed the fork was pretty much locking up once it settled into its sag. I could literaly put all my weight onto it and it wouldnt budge. I posted about hydro lock and bushing issues and everyone pretty much said it needed to be rebuilt. Got around to removing lowers cleaning it up and really packing the seals. Bottom line is the fork needs serious loob to work smoothly. It fixed my problem.

That's actually something I've experienced with two RS forks: my totem and my newer boxxer. Isolate the problem. If yours is a coil, take the top cap off and 'release' the spring. Meaning when you press down on it the only thing active is the damper side. See if you get full travel. If not you know where the problem is. If you're in a parking lot waiting to ride, just take some oil out. If you're at home then replace the oil with the right volume. But I've had both forks functioning fine, end up doing this after some riding. It's almost like as the oil breaks down it takes up more volume or something. I have no idea what goes on but it does happen. It's not just off gassing either because I've tried burping them. But try that and see what you find out.

Kidwoo, is the air version really on par with the coil? I need a new Totem for my Jedi and was thinking of trying the air version.

I think it's better. It's 2010. The notion of "air springs aren't properly figured out yet" is a mental dinosaur. Let it die.

 

[BikeFan84]

^ ive got a 2010 totem 2step air dh up for grabs.

 

[bullcrew]

There is some stuff in the works from AVY.... Soon real soon if it keeps this pace...

 

[Raingauge]

There is some stuff in the works from AVY.... Soon real soon if it keeps this pace...

Please ask Craig to make a cartridge for the 66 SL ATA. It feels like sh!t no matter what i do.

 

[bullcrew]

Please ask Craig to make a cartridge for the 66 SL ATA. It feels like sh!t no matter what i do.

LOL its one of the chasis being looked at right now...

 

[HardtailHack]

There is some stuff in the works from AVY.... Soon real soon if it keeps this pace...

Is it ready yet?

 

[rockofullr]

Have you tried taking all of the internals out to see if your bushings are the problem. If your stanchions are changing color it may be because of too much friction at the bushing.

Take everything out of the fork and then just slide the uppers in and out of the lowers. If it doesn't feel smooth and relatively effortless then you need new bushings.

 

[Shepherdwong]

It's almost like as the oil breaks down it takes up more volume or something. I have no idea what goes on but it does happen. It's not just off gassing either because I've tried burping them. But try that and see what you find out.


.

HAd the same thing happen with my 2010 Boxxer. In my case it's oil from the lowers squeezing past that o-ring up into the damper. Mine was so bad that after a couple of runs it would go up a cm or two, and when you pulled it out you could clearly see the green oil of the lowers mixed in with the red of the damper as it would separate itself. Replaced the rebound assembly and it still did it, sent it to Sram and it's fine now and they said all they did was replaced the rebound assembly but I think they may have done more.

 

[HardtailHack]

Have you tried taking all of the internals out to see if your bushings are the problem. If your stanchions are changing color it may be because of too much friction at the bushing.

Take everything out of the fork and then just slide the uppers in and out of the lowers. If it doesn't feel smooth and relatively effortless then you need new bushings.

They changed color slightly after about five hours of riding when new and it was because of the lack of grease, small bump sensitivity was pretty good after greasing(much better than my Wotans) but I'm still not happy with the high speed damping.

I have the forks apart now and I can see the joins in the bushes are still sitting proud and the area either side of the join is still shiny meaning it's never been touched by the stanchion. I have some 800 and 1200 grit wet and dry to try and remove the high spots.
Also it seems a seal on the damper side is starting to fail as it seem to weep a bit when compressing and extending the damper by hand. I may have nicked a seal when I reassembled it last time so I'll have to have a look at that too.