Levo Gen 3 2023 Zeb Ultimate potential issues?
- Thread starter Renton
- Start date
Alexbn921
Well-known member
I always ride a fork several times and then service it. This gives any slag time to break free and allows IFP dampers to stabilize. They ingest/expel oil depending on how full they are from the factory. Fox Grip/Grip2 dampers tend to suck the leg dry as they fill up.
Friction is your enemy. Lubing the fork seals, air spring and bushing with Slickoleum grease can have a very noticeable reduction in friction. During this sevice I like to cycle the damper and check for friction and binding. It should move freely and the adjusters should change it's feel. I also cycle each leg individually to check for binding. Lastly I make sure that the leg spacing doesn't interfere with free movement.
Sag is only an indication of ballpark setup.
Air springs should top out on air. Depending on the version you are running it may or may not. Loosing a couple mm is normal if it does. It should then sag under the weight of the bike. This is a good thing IMO as it doesn't transfer any harshness when you wheel comes off the ground. This happens a lot more than people realize. If you feel that this is too much, add a +10mm air spring and you will be in your happy zone.
Not using full travel is a ramp up, friction or compression damper problem. It can be too many air spacers, or too much oil in the lowers on the air spring side. At bottom out the air spring side has a tiny volume. The Vorsprung Secus increases both the negative spring volume and the lower leg volume. It also reduces the negative spring volume during mid stroke to flatted the air spring curve.
Too little compression damping will feel harsher than too much(within reason). Lack of LSC lets the fork sink too far into it's travel increasing the spring rate.
Too slow of rebound will also feel harsher than too little as it hold the fork down in the stiffer spring rate.
Friction just makes a fork suck everywhere. Service it!
Anyway:
Your fork needs serviced, even if it's new.
Your derailleur hanger is bent, even if it's new.
Your wheels need trued and tensioned, especially if they are new. (preferably after a couple rides for them to settle)
Shimano SP41 cable housing and optislick cables have no equal. Nothing comes close to the smooth feel.
Never store your battery fully charged.
Blah blah blah now get off my lawn.
Friction is your enemy. Lubing the fork seals, air spring and bushing with Slickoleum grease can have a very noticeable reduction in friction. During this sevice I like to cycle the damper and check for friction and binding. It should move freely and the adjusters should change it's feel. I also cycle each leg individually to check for binding. Lastly I make sure that the leg spacing doesn't interfere with free movement.
Sag is only an indication of ballpark setup.
Air springs should top out on air. Depending on the version you are running it may or may not. Loosing a couple mm is normal if it does. It should then sag under the weight of the bike. This is a good thing IMO as it doesn't transfer any harshness when you wheel comes off the ground. This happens a lot more than people realize. If you feel that this is too much, add a +10mm air spring and you will be in your happy zone.
Not using full travel is a ramp up, friction or compression damper problem. It can be too many air spacers, or too much oil in the lowers on the air spring side. At bottom out the air spring side has a tiny volume. The Vorsprung Secus increases both the negative spring volume and the lower leg volume. It also reduces the negative spring volume during mid stroke to flatted the air spring curve.
Too little compression damping will feel harsher than too much(within reason). Lack of LSC lets the fork sink too far into it's travel increasing the spring rate.
Too slow of rebound will also feel harsher than too little as it hold the fork down in the stiffer spring rate.
Friction just makes a fork suck everywhere. Service it!
Anyway:
Your fork needs serviced, even if it's new.
Your derailleur hanger is bent, even if it's new.
Your wheels need trued and tensioned, especially if they are new. (preferably after a couple rides for them to settle)
Shimano SP41 cable housing and optislick cables have no equal. Nothing comes close to the smooth feel.
Never store your battery fully charged.
Blah blah blah now get off my lawn.
- Thread starter
- #33
Cheers all,
Yesterday I did a ride around the woods as normal, about 19 miles over all sorts of trails and managed to get a good feel of what is going on with the fork.
It seems to be sinking into its travel quite often, I can feel this in the amount of weight I am putting through my wrists becomes more as the front of the bike sinks down. However if I pull up on the bars it sits up higher in its travel for a bit then and then the cycle repeats.
Sag is set at 40mm which is just under 25% of the travel.
One thing I did do is decrease the rebound on the fork so its a bit quicker and this has helped with the feel of the fork a bit.
A friend has lent me a shockwiz so going to have a play with that.
Yesterday I did a ride around the woods as normal, about 19 miles over all sorts of trails and managed to get a good feel of what is going on with the fork.
It seems to be sinking into its travel quite often, I can feel this in the amount of weight I am putting through my wrists becomes more as the front of the bike sinks down. However if I pull up on the bars it sits up higher in its travel for a bit then and then the cycle repeats.
Sag is set at 40mm which is just under 25% of the travel.
One thing I did do is decrease the rebound on the fork so its a bit quicker and this has helped with the feel of the fork a bit.
A friend has lent me a shockwiz so going to have a play with that.
- Thread starter
- #34
Hi all
Sorry for any confusion. the fork is meant to be 170mm travel. With the air pressure set for my weight and to get the correct sag there is around 160-163mm of stanchion showing with the weight of the bike on it. Unweighted there is about 170mm so I guess that is right. However with all the air out of the fork and compressed all the way in the o ring doesn't hit the crown of the fork and there is about 5-6mm of travel left.
Ive been to Cwmcarn today and done the two red trails, had a horrendous time and had to stop on some of the descents as my hand and arms were getting battered. I tried lowering the air pressure and even put the hsc and lsc to minimum and the fork still felt really harsh and just crap. After the first Red I went back to the car and let all the air out of the fork. when there was nothing left in it I pressed both bleed valves on the back of the fork, Right one did nothing but when I pressed the left one it let a load or air out and sucked the fork right in.
Something definitely not right, it just doesn't feel composed at all.
Bike isn't new, I've had it since March but the fork has only been on for about 4 months. My previous bike was the carbon version of my current bike fitted with a fox 38 170mm travel. It felt completely different to this.
Sorry for any confusion. the fork is meant to be 170mm travel. With the air pressure set for my weight and to get the correct sag there is around 160-163mm of stanchion showing with the weight of the bike on it. Unweighted there is about 170mm so I guess that is right. However with all the air out of the fork and compressed all the way in the o ring doesn't hit the crown of the fork and there is about 5-6mm of travel left.
Ive been to Cwmcarn today and done the two red trails, had a horrendous time and had to stop on some of the descents as my hand and arms were getting battered. I tried lowering the air pressure and even put the hsc and lsc to minimum and the fork still felt really harsh and just crap. After the first Red I went back to the car and let all the air out of the fork. when there was nothing left in it I pressed both bleed valves on the back of the fork, Right one did nothing but when I pressed the left one it let a load or air out and sucked the fork right in.
Something definitely not right, it just doesn't feel composed at all.
Bike isn't new, I've had it since March but the fork has only been on for about 4 months. My previous bike was the carbon version of my current bike fitted with a fox 38 170mm travel. It felt completely different to this.
What's the pressure? what's your weight? how many tokens you have inside? (ah, I see 0... maybe too much grease on a piston? it happened before - a lot of grease - decreasing neg chamber volume)
New Lyrik/Zeb have reviews saying they are a bit more damped - sit a bit higher in travel - thus also a bit worse small bump sensitivity.
You could try pressing the bleed valves and simultaneously pushing the fork lowers down as if to extend them, ie get the pressure in the lowers equal with atmospheric pressure at full fork extension,then close the bleed valve.
Or it might just be that there is a fault with the fork,maybe time to send them back to rockshox?
no one is going to apply that much "grease" to the piston so looks like it has gathered all of that "grease from the leg.........in fact is it actually grease or congealed oil?
I think grease, the Zeb is quite new.
In factory i think they just dunk the piston in grease.
Spangoolies
Active member
When I updated to the c1 air shaft and foot nut on my lyriks, the sram instructions said to use the dynamic seal grease for rear shocks. You use a lot less than the sram butter. Even using sram butter you don’t use that much
- Thread starter
- #42
Soooo..... The fork was sent off for warranty and RS have come back saying it needs a new CSU and air spring.... Delivery forecast on them is 22/12/22 !!!!!
Not the bike shops fault at all (big shout out to Race co for helping me out !!) but a bit peeved that my £1120 fork is toast after less than 150miles.
You'd think that RS would just replace them.
Not the bike shops fault at all (big shout out to Race co for helping me out !!) but a bit peeved that my £1120 fork is toast after less than 150miles.
You'd think that RS would just replace them.
- Thread starter
- #43
Just to update......
Fork was sent back under warranty and the whole fork apart from the lowers was replaced.
First ride today and initially it felt ok but by the end of the ride is was pretty solid and just rattling me to bits.
I had a shockwiz fitted and after every session it was telling me to take off more HSC, I had wound it right off after the first trail.
I even got Paul who I was riding with to have a go and he agreed its pretty rubbish. He has the 2022 Zeb ultimate and its amazing how supple and plush his is compared.
What are my options here now. I bought it in June and its been back once for warranty which doesn’t seem to have fixed the issues?
Fork was sent back under warranty and the whole fork apart from the lowers was replaced.
First ride today and initially it felt ok but by the end of the ride is was pretty solid and just rattling me to bits.
I had a shockwiz fitted and after every session it was telling me to take off more HSC, I had wound it right off after the first trail.
I even got Paul who I was riding with to have a go and he agreed its pretty rubbish. He has the 2022 Zeb ultimate and its amazing how supple and plush his is compared.
What are my options here now. I bought it in June and its been back once for warranty which doesn’t seem to have fixed the issues?
Sounds like the problem i have with mine zeb
2WheelsNot4
E*POWAH Master
If you are still within the warranty time frame I'd have my hand out looking for a full refund or a brand new fork, and not something as before thats been 'fixed' a brand new in box fork.
Wonder if there's a bad batch? Will get my LBS to strip my new ZEB A2 160mm to check it out before fitting it ...
Since you have quoted me I think I should post the below update of what I did with my Zeb A2's.
Fox Factory 38 - missing travel
Morning folks, I wonder if any of you Fox 38 owners have noticed this on your fork… I have treated myself to a Fox 38 factory 160 at a bargain price as wiggle are selling some OE stuff off cheap. (Very cheap…be quick) I am 101kg fully kitted and have found I need 100psi to give me between 25...
www.emtbforums.com
Cristy7610
New Member
Hi
I just replaced my Fox 38 Elite Performance 160mm with Zeb Ultimate RC3 170mm and for me looks like a little to harsh, not at all plush as everyone said...
Basically, the fork is brand new, just got 20km in the town, but I can feel it its not as it should be, played with the adjustments but not to much difference. Could anyone post their setup with LSC-HSC and Rebound?
Also, my wight is 70kg, and the PSI fork is around 84...Should I lower the PSI?
I just replaced my Fox 38 Elite Performance 160mm with Zeb Ultimate RC3 170mm and for me looks like a little to harsh, not at all plush as everyone said...
Basically, the fork is brand new, just got 20km in the town, but I can feel it its not as it should be, played with the adjustments but not to much difference. Could anyone post their setup with LSC-HSC and Rebound?
Also, my wight is 70kg, and the PSI fork is around 84...Should I lower the PSI?
Last edited:
My 2021 Zeb select with upgraded airshaft and charger 3 feels great. i'm around 85kg fully kitted and im running the fork at 63psi (Rockshox reccomended 85psi) and the HSC-LSC is in the middle setting and I’m 6 clicks out from slowest on rebound. That’s how much travel I used on my last ride.
Mcharza
E*POWAH BOSS
I weight almost the same, couple of kilos heavier and I have much lower psi.
RS Zeb 2023 Ultimate 170 mm
57 psi
Rebound 11
LSC 6
HSC 3
But note that this is on a normal mtb and the ebike is heavier. You may have to increase the pressure, but remember to keep the rebound fast enough.
Some of the Zebes have had too tight bushings, so without opening them, those adjustments have no meaning.
I weigh the same as you mate on a charger 3 zeb ultimate I’m running 52 psi, hsc full open and mid way for lsc and tbh I love it doesn’t seem harsh at all might be worth along out some psi as that’s a lot for your weight really, your probably at about 15% sag. I’m also running it on a heavy ebike
Cristy7610
New Member
Thank you guys for all replies, I'll lower the PSI, around 65 and come back here with updates.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #55
I ended up getting a full new fork under warranty which I sold on and bought a fox 38 performance elite instead
Similar threads
EMTB Forums
Latest articles
-
2025 M1 Sporttechnik EN 8.0 review
The M1 EN is one of four M1 models built on the same frame. Well, it’s... -
Bosch-powered Merida is here – the eOne-Sixty SL and eOne-Eighty intro and test
Merida has used Bosch-motors for years, but not on the emtbs. The full...- Knut Nes
- 10 min read
- Views: 6K
- Reaction score: 5
- Comments: 9