2022 Zeb Ultimate not at all plush.. how to fix?

[RobG]

I bought a closeout 2022 Zeb Ultimate Boost 29... either 160 or 170mm, I don't remember. it's for my Turbo Levo Alloy. I wouldn't have thought anything about it, but then I got a Stumpjumper EVO which has a Fox 36. And that thing is nice and plush. I"ve turned the damping to full soft both compression and rebound (high and low), but it's done no good. I use the sag ring to check and it IS using its full travel.. it just isn't plus.

What can I do to fix this short of spending money on a new fork, like a Fox 38? Volume reducers? Thicker oil?

 

[Dax]

Get it serviced

 

[Menelaos]

Maybe less psi than the recommended. I am 70 kg and i run the zeb around 48-49 psi

 

[RustyIron]

I"ve turned the damping to full soft both compression and rebound

Going to extremes, especially with the rebound, might not be giving the results you expect. You might want to go back to basics, setting everything up according to the manual, and go from there. When dialing everything in, be deliberate. Only make adjustments if you have a good reason for doing so. Make only one adjustment at a time, and be conservative with your adjustments. Give adequate ride-time to each adjustment. Achieving perfection might take days... or weeks... or months. You won't make it perfect in a day.

 

[Mikerb]

Firstly check how many tokens are in the air spring. If you are a light rider try 1 or 2 to start with.
Reinstate the air spring compressing the fork 20% of its travel every 15 psi. Then with all compression and rebound settings fully open/ fast aim to set sag at 30% travel. Then set rebound only at its mid point setting and do a test ride. Adjust rebound plus 2 from there and test....adjust rebound minus 2 from the midpoint and test. In that way find the best rebound setting. Then repeat that process with the compression setting.
If the fork is still lacking plushness it needs a service.

 

[mustclime]

Interesting video

 

[John_likes_bikes]

There could be a few things:

- Binding in the bushings. To avoid knocking in the lowers the tolerances are tight, if too tight it won't be smooth. Best for a tuner to fix this.

- 2022 means it's been sitting in a box for a while. Not likely to leak oils but anything is possible. Performing the steps of a 50 hour service will ensure all oil levels are correct and it's properly lubricated. Maybe add the step of pulling out the air spring if you feel up to it. I think easy for anyone do to, SRAM provides great resources for this.

- Did you set up the air pressure correctly? You need to properly fill the negative chamber while adding air as instructed. That's compressing travel to/past about 50% and you can hear air exchange into the negative chamber. Fill in 50lbs increments and do this each time up to your max.

Non of these things mentioned are setup specific. It's unlikely rebound or compression setting cause any of your issues, outside of a defective damper/spring that would be a warranty. The adjustment range just doesn't make that much of a difference.

This would likely address 80% of any problem cases. Beyond that it could be many things that are beyond my expertise.

 

[Peaky Rider]

Maybe less psi than the recommended. I am 70 kg and i run the zeb around 48-49 psi

Like you, I run way less pressure than the set up guides suggest, about 55 psi, for a compliant ride.

 

[Plummet]

I bought a closeout 2022 Zeb Ultimate Boost 29... either 160 or 170mm, I don't remember. it's for my Turbo Levo Alloy. I wouldn't have thought anything about it, but then I got a Stumpjumper EVO which has a Fox 36. And that thing is nice and plush. I"ve turned the damping to full soft both compression and rebound (high and low), but it's done no good. I use the sag ring to check and it IS using its full travel.. it just isn't plus.

What can I do to fix this short of spending money on a new fork, like a Fox 38? Volume reducers? Thicker oil?

You don't tell us your weight or riding style or sag or at what point it bottoms, so to be honest there isn't enough information to make informed recommendations.

With that said. If you bottom out on your hardest hit am set up in the 25% sag range and still aren't plush that points to the fact that you need a volume spacer or two. Volume spacers increase the progression of the fork. If its too linear then you will get what is happening now. The fork is too harsh and bottoms out too soon. Volume spacers will allow you to run lower pressures, have a plusher fork in the initial stroke while still ramping up enough to give you mid range support and soft bottom on your hardest hit.

From this I deduce you are a heavier guy not a lighter guy. The heavier or harder you ride the more volume spacers you will need.

Add a volume spacer, reduce the air pressure 5psi or so and test.

 

[timpuparts]

I have both a Fox Factory 36 and Fox Factory 38. The 36 is a FIT 4 and the 38 is a GRIP 2. Night and day difference. I ended up wanting the lighter dampening of the 36 for my 38 and ended up going with a lighter oil in the dampening cartridge to help. As others have mentioned, you may need to have it serviced as there is often grease blocking the bleed holes on the air side and setting up the air like the one person wrote of compressing the fork every 15-20 psi gets the air equalized in the air spring side. Good luck in getting it set as you like!

 

[High Rock Ruti]

I bought a closeout 2022 Zeb Ultimate Boost 29... either 160 or 170mm, I don't remember. it's for my Turbo Levo Alloy. I wouldn't have thought anything about it, but then I got a Stumpjumper EVO which has a Fox 36. And that thing is nice and plush. I"ve turned the damping to full soft both compression and rebound (high and low), but it's done no good. I use the sag ring to check and it IS using its full travel.. it just isn't plus.

What can I do to fix this short of spending money on a new fork, like a Fox 38? Volume reducers? Thicker oil?

High Rock Ruti

I've only been able to get the Rockshox "close" to the Fox plushness. How? Pressure is the biggest way not sure but I think in the 60's pound range, no air volume spacers, no compression and rebound, observing how fast it returns by pushing through the pedals track standing. Pretty good forks though.

I've watched several shoot outs where the rockshox came out the winner.

I'd really like ride the new buttercup fork and vivid shock!

Warm Regards Ruti

 

[mustclime]

You don't tell us your weight or riding style or sag or at what point it bottoms, so to be honest there isn't enough information to make informed recommendations.

With that said. If you bottom out on your hardest hit am set up in the 25% sag range and still aren't plush that points to the fact that you need a volume spacer or two. Volume spacers increase the progression of the fork. If its too linear then you will get what is happening now. The fork is too harsh and bottoms out too soon. Volume spacers will allow you to run lower pressures, have a plusher fork in the initial stroke while still ramping up enough to give you mid range support and soft bottom on your hardest hit.

From this I deduce you are a heavier guy not a lighter guy. The heavier or harder you ride the more volume spacers you will need.

Add a volume spacer, reduce the air pressure 5psi or so and test.

I find the Zeb doesn’t need volume spacers. The new air spring is very progressive right out of the box. I finally gave up and went with vorsprung…

 

[Cb750stu]

I find the Zeb doesn’t need volume spacers. The new air spring is very progressive right out of the box. I finally gave up and went with vorsprung… View attachment 145430

Best upgrade to any fork

 

[gapago]

I bought a closeout 2022 Zeb Ultimate Boost 29... either 160 or 170mm, I don't remember. it's for my Turbo Levo Alloy. I wouldn't have thought anything about it, but then I got a Stumpjumper EVO which has a Fox 36. And that thing is nice and plush. I"ve turned the damping to full soft both compression and rebound (high and low), but it's done no good. I use the sag ring to check and it IS using its full travel.. it just isn't plus.

What can I do to fix this short of spending money on a new fork, like a Fox 38? Volume reducers? Thicker oil?

Burp it from the bottom bolts and bring it up to pressure 20 lbs at a time pumping through its stroke 5 times after that then let 5lbs out and repeat the process until you reach your desired sag. It WILL be plush and stay that way for a good amount of rides.

 

[AlumiPro]

Vorsprung SECUS makes my rides super plush.
I also purchased the $75 3.1 up grade kit for my 3.0 ZEB.

 

[Pedec]

I have both a Fox Factory 36 and Fox Factory 38. The 36 is a FIT 4 and the 38 is a GRIP 2. Night and day difference. I ended up wanting the lighter dampening of the 36 for my 38 and ended up going with a lighter oil in the dampening cartridge to help. As others have mentioned, you may need to have it serviced as there is often grease blocking the bleed holes on the air side and setting up the air like the one person wrote of compressing the fork every 15-20 psi gets the air equalized in the air spring side. Good luck in getting it set as you like!

So you liked your fox 36 fit 4 better than your 38 grip ?

 

[Rod B.]

I bought a closeout 2022 Zeb Ultimate Boost 29... either 160 or 170mm, I don't remember. it's for my Turbo Levo Alloy. I wouldn't have thought anything about it, but then I got a Stumpjumper EVO which has a Fox 36. And that thing is nice and plush. I"ve turned the damping to full soft both compression and rebound (high and low), but it's done no good. I use the sag ring to check and it IS using its full travel.. it just isn't plus.

What can I do to fix this short of spending money on a new fork, like a Fox 38? Volume reducers? Thicker oil?

RobG,

I hope this response will help you and any otherswho are on this forum and are dealing with ZEB plushness issues. Your question doesn't detail how many hours you have on the fork? I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you have some hours of riding on the fork. My response below will detail restoring plushness in a ZEB fork that has been ridden for a while and suddenly begins to feel harsh and less plush.

I also have a 2022 Rockshox Zeb Ultimate, 170mm, with buttercups. I've put a little over 3,000 miles on the fork in the last 16 months.

The Zeb Ultimate is a really good fork, however to be good, it requires frequent maintenance. To maintain plushness, the ZEB requires a wiper seal service every 50 hours of riding. Maintaining the wiper seals on the ZEB significantly impact the fork's plushness. I suspect that this is the reason why Rockshox requires the service every 50 hours and not 120 hours which Fox requires.

When you consider the 50 hour incremant, it really isn't all that much. If you were to ride three days a week with each ride averaging two hours, you'd hit the 50 hour mark in a short time.

You know how the ZEB when new feels super plush???? However, a few months later and for reasons unknown, the fork doesn't feel plush anymore, your fork feels overly harsh and your hands begin to hurt. THe loss of plushness is caused by "Stiction" in the upper stancions. The wiper seals are dry and grabbing onto the upper fork stancions as they oscilate up and down. This in turn causes a harsh fork feeling and loss of plashness when encountering rough trail. When your hands begin to hurt and your fork feels harsh it's the ZEB's way of telling you that the your fork needs a wiper seal service.

The wiper seal on a Rockshox ZEB consists of the rubber wiper seal. The rubber wiper seal prevents trail dirt from migrating down into the fork lowers and eventually destroy the bushings in your fork lowers. In order for the wiper seal to function properly, it requires a secondary foam ring which is situated directly below the rubber wiper seal. The foam ring lubricates the stancion and wiper seal and prevents stiction from occurring. The foam ring also absorbs any dust particles that make it past the wiper seal. If the foam ring runs dry of lubrication, the rubber wiper seal is no longer lubricated and it will begin grabbinig and latching on to your upper fork stancions, thus causing stiction and harshness.

When a 50 hour basic fork service is performed, a small amount of oil is inserted into each of the fork lower tubes. The fork lower oil serves two purposes, the oil lubricates the fork bushings and also the wiper seal foam ring. Note, all forks whether Fox or Rockshox have this same design.

Even the best wiper seal is not one hundred percent effective in removing all dirt from a fork stancion as it oscilates up and down. Some dust will eventually make it's way past the rubber wiper seal. Therefore, the foam ring beneath the wiper seal, serves as a secondary defense against dirt making its way into and contaminating the lower fork oil. The downside to all of this is that the foam ring will begin to accumulate dirt and become encrusted with grime. The foam ring will loose its oil soaking sponge like properties and no longer lubricate the rubber wiper seal and stancions.

In extreme cases where a fork is not properly maintained and the foam ring becomes severely encrusted, it will begin scouring the upper fork stancions like sandpaper.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I've found that to maintain ZEB plushness, one of the most important things you can do is to turn your bike upside down. Leave it that way overnight if possible. You want to do this on a routine basis. By turning your bike over, you are allowing the lower fork oil to flow down and re-hydrate the wiper seal foam ring with oil. It takes a while for the oil to flow the fork bushings and soak the foam ring. Note that turning your bike over for only a few mintures does not allow sufficient time for the oil to work its way into the foam rings. You want the rings to be totally saturated, therefore give the oil time to work its way into the foam rings.

Fox requires that at 120 hours, the wiper seal and the foam ring be replaced. Rockshox with it's 50 hour service, requires only that the wiper seal and foam ring to be cleaned. At 200 hours Rockshox requires that the wiperseal and foam ring be replaced. As for me, I like the silky plushness of a new wiper seal service. Everytime I service my ZEB I replace the wiper seal and foam ring. If money is an issue, you can get by with just cleaning the wiper seal and foam ring.

Performing a 50 hour lower service on the ZEB is not difficult and can be easily done by anyone with a hint of mechanical ability. Performing a wiper service as a first timer will take you an hour or so to complete the process. Once you've done it a few times, it can be done in under 15 minutes. While it's nice to have specialized tools, you can mostly get by without them. I would suggest purchasing a wiper seal installer/driver. They are fairly cheap and will make installing the wiper seal easier and there is less chance of damaging the wiper seal during installation. You will also need the recommended oil. Rockshox wiper seal kits can be costly, i.e. $30. As stated, Rockshox requires that for the 50 hour service, the wiper seal and foam ring need only be cleaned and relubricated. Personally....if I'm going to go throught the trouble of servicing the lower, I'll replace the wiper seal and foam ring.

There are numerous videos on YouTube which detail how to perform a 50 hour Rockshox lower fork service.

Here one such video:

 

[timpuparts]

So you liked your fox 36 fit 4 better than your 38 grip ?

Not really. I wasn’t saying I liked it better or that it was “better” than the 38. It is more “plush”. I was told by Chappy at Intense Cycles that Fox made the 38 Grip 2 to be a stiffer, more dampened fork for the guys riding Enduro more downhill that didn’t want a dual crown fork. If I ride hard & all out, the fork performs flawlessly. If I’m just out trail riding with friends, it’s pretty harsh and I used to run the high and low speed dampening as soft as possible along with the rebound really fast. The 36 Fit 4 is as plush as they come in my opinion. I’m saving it for another bike in the future .

 

[Arethustra]

Vorsprung SECUS makes my rides super plush.
I also purchased the $75 3.1 up grade kit for my 3.0 ZEB.

View attachment 145459

@AlumiPro Weren’t you thinking about adding a Runt into the mix along with the Secus? Am I remembering that wrong? I just saw that they consider them compatible and was thinking “hmm, I haven’t blown enough money on tweaking my fork yet, wonder if this would work…”. I love the Runt but always wonder if it could be just that little bit more plush.

 

[AlumiPro]

@AlumiPro Weren’t you thinking about adding a Runt into the mix along with the Secus? Am I remembering that wrong? I just saw that they consider them compatible and was thinking “hmm, I haven’t blown enough money on tweaking my fork yet, wonder if this would work…”. I love the Runt but always wonder if it could be just that little bit more plush.

Why yes I was, and I did. The Fox 38 on my Tracer 279 now has a Secus AND Runt installed. I’ve got a few rides on it with them both being installed. They do work together, but the runt requires fine tuning unlike the Secus. So I’m still playing with Hi and Low pressures.
My 190mm ZEB Ultimate (Secus & MRP Ramp Control) still feels plusher than my 180mm FOX 38 (Secus & Runt), but I’m sure the extra weight of the Crestline makes for a plusher fork compared to a non emtb. Both forks have fresh service/seals.

 

[AlumiPro]

I also apply one of these to my fork stations, shock, and dropper before every ride. Keeping thing silky smooth.

 

[Downhillr]

Not really. I wasn’t saying I liked it better or that it was “better” than the 38. It is more “plush”. I was told by Chappy at Intense Cycles that Fox made the 38 Grip 2 to be a stiffer, more dampened fork for the guys riding Enduro more downhill that didn’t want a dual crown fork. If I ride hard & all out, the fork performs flawlessly. If I’m just out trail riding with friends, it’s pretty harsh and I used to run the high and low speed dampening as soft as possible along with the rebound really fast. The 36 Fit 4 is as plush as they come in my opinion. I’m saving it for another bike in the future .

Both my son (who runs Fox 38 on two bikes) and I have recently updated to the Fox 38 2025 Grip X2 damper upgrade.
The new damper is noticeably more plush in initial stroke and also holds bike up better in the mid-stroke (hard/fast cornering, steep, rooty sections), providing better traction and less brake dive.
Although its not cheap, it updates your fork for a lot less than buying a new fork!

 

[Downhillr]

Not really. I wasn’t saying I liked it better or that it was “better” than the 38. It is more “plush”. I was told by Chappy at Intense Cycles that Fox made the 38 Grip 2 to be a stiffer, more dampened fork for the guys riding Enduro more downhill that didn’t want a dual crown fork. If I ride hard & all out, the fork performs flawlessly. If I’m just out trail riding with friends, it’s pretty harsh and I used to run the high and low speed dampening as soft as possible along with the rebound really fast. The 36 Fit 4 is as plush as they come in my opinion. I’m saving it for another bike in the future .

Upgrading to Fox GRIP X or X2 Damper

The Fox GRIP X2 Damper is famous for its tunability and performance, and is compatible with the Fox 38, Fox 36, Fox 34, and Bomber Z1 Forks. Installing this damper in any of these forks is a huge upgrade to the forks performance, and will help keep you in control on rough terrain.

thelostco.com

Here’s a link to that 2025 Grip X2 damper if you're interested,
(I recommend the X2 because it’s got more tuning choices)

 

[Plummet]

I find the Zeb doesn’t need volume spacers. The new air spring is very progressive right out of the box. I finally gave up and went with vorsprung… View attachment 145430

Volume spacer all depend on your weight, riding style and fork travel.
I have just upgraded my 170mm ultimate to 180mm and also have a 190mm ultimate. I run a a volume spacer because i do huck off some big hits and also chase the rooty off camber tech.

I have my zebs working buttery af.

With that said, the more travel a zeb has the better it works. 180mm airshaft is noticably better than the 170 airshaft in the exact same fork.

 

[weiran]

I had to clean out excess grease from my factory fresh Zebs because a tiny bleed port was blocked by grease. Same symptoms as yours.

Basically a lower leg service but I didn’t replace anything.

 

[mustclime]

Volume spacer all depend on your weight, riding style and fork travel.
I have just upgraded my 170mm ultimate to 180mm and also have a 190mm ultimate. I run a a volume spacer because i do huck off some big hits and also chase the rooty off camber tech.

I have my zebs working buttery af.

With that said, the more travel a zeb has the better it works. 180mm airshaft is noticably better than the 170 airshaft in the exact same fork.

I weigh 100kg and I never needed volume spacers on my 180-190mm travel Zeb with 30-35% sag. The ramp up on the air spring is crazy. The 38’s need volume spacers but not the Zeb’s I have. The 3.1 Zeb’s may be different because I have not been on them yet.

 

[weiran]

I weigh 100kg and I never needed volume spacers on my 180-190mm travel Zeb with 30-35% sag. The ramp up on the air spring is crazy. The 38’s need volume spacers but not the Zeb’s I have. The 3.1 Zeb’s may be different because I have not been on them yet.

Someone said you’re more likely to need spacers if you’re a lighter rider, because the air spring ramps up faster at higher pressures.

 

[Rod B.]

For anybody interested, I wrote up a three part series for the Orbea Forum on suspension basics. My thought was to write a series of suspension articles so that the newest of riders could get a basic grasp of suspension basics, i.e. the knobs actually do something. In the articles, I discuss suspension, spring curves, air spring and damper function and tuning via damper shims and volume spacers. Here are links to the articles if you wish to view any of them.

Technical Article, Part # 1: Suspension, The Ups, The Downs, The Hacks

Hello, It's been a while since I've posted anything for the Orbea Forum. This will be a three part series on basic suspension and simple to perform suspension hacks that you might find interesting and helpful. If you have a "Simple" to perform suspension hack, post it to this thread so others...

www.emtbforums.com

Technical Article, Part # 2: Suspension, The Ups, The Downs, The Hacks

This is Part Two in a three part series on suspension, tuning, hacks and tips. I've always enjoyed the people on the Orbea forum and I've met a lot of good people and many new ride partners through this forum. If you're looking for new ride partners, I encourage you to reach out to other members...

www.emtbforums.com

Technical Article, Part # 3: Suspension, The Ups, The Downs, The Hacks

Greetings, This will be the third installment in a three part series on suspension. This third installment will cover hacking a Fox Float X Performance shock and other small performance tips that you can do to improve your suspension. You can find read the first two installments via the...

www.emtbforums.com

Volume spacers and tuning are a such a personal thing, no two riders are alike. Weight, technical nature of the terrain, and general rider ability all play a role in tuning. I weigh 200 pounds, plus fanny pack. I tend to hit fairly technical trail features. In regards to the tuning on my ZEB, I've removed all volume spacers from the fork. My basic tune for most conditions is 64 PSI, 5 clicks rebound, low speed compression set at 4 clicks from full open and high speed compression set at 2 clicks from full open. I will often ride with my high speed compression set wide open.

Big Chief, Truckee California

Captain Ahab, Moab Utah

 

[Plummet]

I weigh 100kg and I never needed volume spacers on my 180-190mm travel Zeb with 30-35% sag. The ramp up on the air spring is crazy. The 38’s need volume spacers but not the Zeb’s I have. The 3.1 Zeb’s may be different because I have not been on them yet.

I am 77kg run 27% sag and most definitely need a volume spacer (im on 2023 zebs)to get the the plushness on the initial stroke that i want and the bottom out performance that i also want. I do bottom my forks out and have them set up to to get approximately 80% travel during "normal" riding, get to 90% when its getting roudy and bottom out on my hardest reasonable hit.

I have a mate who is 67kg and needs to run no volume spacer to be able bottom his fork.

Here's my bottom out drop. I set my forks up to soft bottom if i run a bit long and run to 95% if i land this smooth.
Its about a 12 foot drop onto a not very steep landing. So it is fairly harsh and a good test to set up a fork at the upper limits.

I find it amazing that people can have wildly different experiences around the world on the exact same fork...
All I can conclude is that the riding styles are wildly different and the fork is more optimized for one style than the other.

As an example I think the zebs are god damn amazing. I can get them plush as and also ramp up to take the big hits. For lighter or less aggressive riders maybe they are sub optimal as they are more optimized around aggressive riding?

 

[Mcharza]

RobG,

I hope this response will help you and any otherswho are on this forum and are dealing with ZEB plushness issues. Your question doesn't detail how many hours you have on the fork? I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you have some hours of riding on the fork. My response below will detail restoring plushness in a ZEB fork that has been ridden for a while and suddenly begins to feel harsh and less plush.

I also have a 2022 Rockshox Zeb Ultimate, 170mm, with buttercups. I've put a little over 3,000 miles on the fork in the last 16 months.

View attachment 145507

The Zeb Ultimate is a really good fork, however to be good, it requires frequent maintenance. To maintain plushness, the ZEB requires a wiper seal service every 50 hours of riding. Maintaining the wiper seals on the ZEB significantly impact the fork's plushness. I suspect that this is the reason why Rockshox requires the service every 50 hours and not 120 hours which Fox requires.

When you consider the 50 hour incremant, it really isn't all that much. If you were to ride three days a week with each ride averaging two hours, you'd hit the 50 hour mark in a short time.

You know how the ZEB when new feels super plush???? However, a few months later and for reasons unknown, the fork doesn't feel plush anymore, your fork feels overly harsh and your hands begin to hurt. THe loss of plushness is caused by "Stiction" in the upper stancions. The wiper seals are dry and grabbing onto the upper fork stancions as they oscilate up and down. This in turn causes a harsh fork feeling and loss of plashness when encountering rough trail. When your hands begin to hurt and your fork feels harsh it's the ZEB's way of telling you that the your fork needs a wiper seal service.

The wiper seal on a Rockshox ZEB consists of the rubber wiper seal. The rubber wiper seal prevents trail dirt from migrating down into the fork lowers and eventually destroy the bushings in your fork lowers. In order for the wiper seal to function properly, it requires a secondary foam ring which is situated directly below the rubber wiper seal. The foam ring lubricates the stancion and wiper seal and prevents stiction from occurring. The foam ring also absorbs any dust particles that make it past the wiper seal. If the foam ring runs dry of lubrication, the rubber wiper seal is no longer lubricated and it will begin grabbinig and latching on to your upper fork stancions, thus causing stiction and harshness.

View attachment 145511


When a 50 hour basic fork service is performed, a small amount of oil is inserted into each of the fork lower tubes. The fork lower oil serves two purposes, the oil lubricates the fork bushings and also the wiper seal foam ring. Note, all forks whether Fox or Rockshox have this same design.

View attachment 145512

View attachment 145513

Even the best wiper seal is not one hundred percent effective in removing all dirt from a fork stancion as it oscilates up and down. Some dust will eventually make it's way past the rubber wiper seal. Therefore, the foam ring beneath the wiper seal, serves as a secondary defense against dirt making its way into and contaminating the lower fork oil. The downside to all of this is that the foam ring will begin to accumulate dirt and become encrusted with grime. The foam ring will loose its oil soaking sponge like properties and no longer lubricate the rubber wiper seal and stancions.

In extreme cases where a fork is not properly maintained and the foam ring becomes severely encrusted, it will begin scouring the upper fork stancions like sandpaper.

View attachment 145514



IMPORTANT NOTE: I've found that to maintain ZEB plushness, one of the most important things you can do is to turn your bike upside down. Leave it that way overnight if possible. You want to do this on a routine basis. By turning your bike over, you are allowing the lower fork oil to flow down and re-hydrate the wiper seal foam ring with oil. It takes a while for the oil to flow the fork bushings and soak the foam ring. Note that turning your bike over for only a few mintures does not allow sufficient time for the oil to work its way into the foam rings. You want the rings to be totally saturated, therefore give the oil time to work its way into the foam rings.

Fox requires that at 120 hours, the wiper seal and the foam ring be replaced. Rockshox with it's 50 hour service, requires only that the wiper seal and foam ring to be cleaned. At 200 hours Rockshox requires that the wiperseal and foam ring be replaced. As for me, I like the silky plushness of a new wiper seal service. Everytime I service my ZEB I replace the wiper seal and foam ring. If money is an issue, you can get by with just cleaning the wiper seal and foam ring.

Performing a 50 hour lower service on the ZEB is not difficult and can be easily done by anyone with a hint of mechanical ability. Performing a wiper service as a first timer will take you an hour or so to complete the process. Once you've done it a few times, it can be done in under 15 minutes. While it's nice to have specialized tools, you can mostly get by without them. I would suggest purchasing a wiper seal installer/driver. They are fairly cheap and will make installing the wiper seal easier and there is less chance of damaging the wiper seal during installation. You will also need the recommended oil. Rockshox wiper seal kits can be costly, i.e. $30. As stated, Rockshox requires that for the 50 hour service, the wiper seal and foam ring need only be cleaned and relubricated. Personally....if I'm going to go throught the trouble of servicing the lower, I'll replace the wiper seal and foam ring.

There are numerous videos on YouTube which detail how to perform a 50 hour Rockshox lower fork service.

Here one such video:

Thanks for really good info.

Also, at least my Zeb Ultimate 2023 does the following.

When I slowly let the air out, it sucks itself in. After that, you have to forcefully pull it to its full length, letting the air out of the negative side.
I do this from time to time and sometimes it's really tight.

After this, when you add air to the desired pressure, the fork works sensitively again.