O W N E R S MA N UA L F O R DT 1.2 580 N. Westgate Dr. Grand Junction, CO 81505 USA 1.800.999.8277 www.whitebrotherscycling.com A division of PAGE 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS SAFETY.......................................................PAGE 2 INTRODUCTION........................................PAGE 2 FORK INSTALLATION..............................PAGE 3 TUNING.......................................................PAGE 4 MAINTENANCE........................................PAGE 5 TROUBLE SHOOTING..............................PAGE 6 EXPLODED VIEWS................................PAGE 7 WARRANTY...............................................PAGE 8 IMPORTANT CONSUMER SAFETY INFORMATION WARNING: RIDING A BIKE IS DANGEROUS. NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINING OR INSPECTING YOUR BIKE AND IT'S COMPONENTS IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS. IT IS ALSO DANGEROUS TO NOT READ AND FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS. 1. NEVER REMOVE STEERER TUBE FROM CROWN. THIS IS A PRESSED IN PART. REMOVING IT WILL RENDER BOTH THE CROWN AND STEERER TUBE INOPERABLE.* MAKE SURE THE FORK CAPS AND ALL FORK HARDWARE (brake studs, pinch bolts, etc.) ARE TIGHT BEFORE EACH RIDE. 2. DO NOT PERFORM ANY MODIFICATIONS OR ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE NOT OUTLINED IN THIS MANUAL. SEE THE TUNING SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS. 3. INSPECT YOUR FORK BEFORE EVERY RIDE. INSPECT THE CROWN, TUBES, AND AXLE SEAT AREAS FOR ANY SIGNS OF FATIGUE, BENDING, CRACKING OR OTHER DAMAGE. IF YOU NOTICE ANY TYPE OF DAMAGE, DO NOT RIDE IT. RETURN IT TO YOUR DEALER OR TO WHITE BROTHERS FOR A COMPLETE INSPECTION AND NECESSARY REPAIR. 4. THIS WHITE BROTHERS FORK IS DESIGNED WITH A LOCKOUT THA TURNS OFF THE FORK'S T SUSPENSION. THE LOCKOUT IS ONLY DESIGNED TO BE USED ON SMOOTH TERRAIN. USING THE LOCKOUT ON ROUGH TERRAIN, BUMPS OR DROP-OFFS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE FORK AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH. 5. PERFORM ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE SECTION OF THIS MANUAL. FAILURE TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE COULD DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE FORK'S LIFE, PERFORMANCE AND CAUSE YOUR FORK TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. 6. WHITE BROTHERS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU WEAR PROPER SAFETY EQUIPMENT EVERY TIME YOU RIDE, INCLUDING APPROVED BICYCLE HELMET. NEVER RIDE AT NIGHT WITHOUT LIGHTS. 7. ALWAYS USE GENUINE WHITE BROTHERS PARTS. USE OF AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT PARTS AND UPGRADES VOIDS THE WARRANTY AND COULD CAUSE STRUCTURAL FAILURE. 8.WHITE BROTHERS FORKS ARE DESIGNED FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY. THEY ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH REFLECTORS FOR ROAD USE. IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE YOUR FORK ON THE ROAD, HA A DEALER VE OR MECHANIC INSTALL REFLECTORS THAT MEET THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION'S REQUIREMENTS. *IF SERVICE BECOMES NECESSARY OR REMOVAL OCCURS, PLEASE CALL WHITE BROTHERS CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR PRODUCT EVALUATION AND DIAGNOSIS. INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing your new White Brothers fork. Our forks are designed to help you perform at your absolute peak. Your new White Brothers fork has oil damping and is coil sprung for light weight performance. The coil spring and damper is set stock to satisfy a wide range of rider weights and riding styles. Fine tuning can be easily accomplished by changing preload and external damper settings. See the tuning section for details. For very heavy or very light riders, replacement springs are available. Steering accuracy is improved over conventional MTB forks by utilizing superior materials and design. These include oversized 32mm fork tubes, a torsion box design steering crown with pressed in tubes, a one piece billet brake arch and extra thick drop-outs. The WB bootless design allows a considerable amount more slider/stanchion overlap than competitor forks which increases fork steering accuracy. The travel on your fork is externally adjustable, allowing you to adjust the travel to your bikes geometry and the terrain that you are riding. Every effort has been made to make White Brothers forks very light and perform at a level superior to other forks on the market. To ensure peak performance, proper installation and periodic maintenance is required. When riding on public land, please respect the rights of others and stay on established paths and trails. By riding responsibly, you are helping ensure the future of our sport. PAGE 2 FORK INSTALLATION White Brothers forks feature a 1-1/8" threadless steer tube. If you have a threaded type fork on your bicycle, consult your dealer for the appropriate upgrade parts necessary to convert to a 1-1/8" threadless steerer tube. 1. Remove your old fork from the bicycle. Measure the diameter and length of your old forks steerer tube to ensure that the White Brothers steerer tube is the correct diameter and sufficient length for the installation. 2. Remove the crown race from your old fork. 3. Press the crown race onto your new White Brothers fork.(see Figure #1) 4. Preassemble the headset by sliding the fork steerer tube through the bearings. Then install the headset upper race, headset spacer (optional), and stem onto the fork steerer tube. Adjust with optional spacers to your preferred height. (See Figure #2) Refer to the headset owners manual if there is any questions about the pre-assembly. 5. Mark the steerer tube at the top of the stem. The steerer tube will now need to be cut to the correct length. Disassemble and cut 3mm (1/8") below the mark. Consult your dealer or mechanic if you don't have the proper tools to cut the steerer tube. 6. The star fangled nut must now be installed into the steerer tube. If you don't have the set tool, we recommend dealer installation of this part. (See Figure #3) 7. Clean and grease all headset bearings and races to prepare them for assembly. Note: Replace the bearings if there is any sign of wear or corrosion. 8. Now loosely assemble the headset, stem and handle bars as done in step four. 9. Install the headset top cap into the star fangled nut. Tighten until there is no play in the steering. The fork should rotate freely in the head tube. Straighten the stem in relation to the front tire and tighten the pinch bolts on the stem. If there are any questions consult your dealer or mechanic. 10. Install your front brake and adjust according to the manufacture instructions. 11. Install and tighten the wheel in the front fork. Tighten the 20 mm thru axle nut and the pinch bolts. 12. Check to see that the brakes are adjusted and properly working. Make sure that the brake cable does not interfere with any part of the bike when the fork is compressed and released. Warning: When installing the wheel or a new tire, check for minimum clearance. Measure from the highest point on the tire to the under side of the crown. There must be 1/8" or 3mm more clearance than the fork travel to ensure adequate clearance in all riding conditions. Any less clearance can result in the tire hitting the crown resulting in serious injury or death. Steering Stem Optional Headset Spacer Headset Upper Race Star Fangled Nut Steerer Tube Frame with Headset Cups Headset Lower Race Fork Crown Figure #1 Figure #2 Figure #3 PAGE 3 TUNING To get the most out of your White Brothers fork, it is important that you tune the fork to fit your weight, riding style and the terrain you ride. INITIAL BREAK-IN PERIOD: Your new fork is designed to break-in over a period of 10 hours or more of riding. As all the parts bed into each other, the stiction (friction) of the fork decreases and the sensitivity increases. After the initial brake-in period, fine tuning the spring pre-load or rate and damping adjustments may be beneficial to achieve the best possible performance. Pre-load Adjustment Compression Adjustment TOOLS NEEDED: 15/16" socket with ratchet. 4mm Allen wrench 6mm Allen wrench COIL SPRING / OIL DAMPER Your new White Brothers fork is designed with a coil spring and oil damping. The following guidelines for adjusting and maintaining your fork will enable you to enjoy maximum performance and longevity from your fork. 1. First, test ride the fork over easy terrain. If after riding the fork over varied terrain you decide that more tuning is necessary, continue to the next step. 2. The compression or spring of the fork can be changed four ways: 1) by adjusting the travel 2)by adjusting the pre-load 3)by adjusting the settings of the damper and 4) by changing the spring for a spring with a different rate. 3. To adjust the travel remove the lower assembly from the stanchions. Remove the spring side stanchion plug (left leg) and remove the control rod. Remove the control rod top using a 15mm wrench and a 3mm allen or tiny screw driver slipped through the hole in the control rod. Travel changes by flipping the control rod top upside down and re-installing. With the adjustable top covering part of the rod (shorter assembly), you get 100mm of travel and with the adjustable top not covering part of the rod (longer assembly), you get 120mm travel. 4. To change the pre-load, remove the dust cap and turn the allen fitting on the top of the left fork leg. Turn to the right to add pre-load to the spring. Turn to the left to reduce spring preload. You should always have some pre-load on the spring to keep it from rattling inside the fork leg. 5. Compression adjustment is done by adding or removing air at the top of the right leg. Pressures can range from 50 to 150 lbs. Higher air pressure will provide more compression damping while lower air pressure will provide less compression damping. Less compression damping will increase the fork dive but will feel smoother over small bumps. More compression damping will feel stiffer over small bumps but will be more resistant to bottoming. DO NOT COMPRESS FORK WITHOUT AIR IN DAMPER! 6. Rebound adjustment is done by turning the knob on the bottom of the right leg. Turn the knob clockwise for slower rebound. To speed up rebound, turn the knob counter-clockwise. Start with a middle setting and fine tune the rebound from there. Proper rebound will allow the tire to track the ground over consecutive bumps. Too slow of rebound will pack-up (feel stiff over consecutive bumps) while rebound set too fast will cause the fork to top out harshly. Adjustment range is 6 turns. 7. If after adjusting as outlined in steps 3-5 you feel the fork is too soft or too firm, you may need to replace the spring with a spring with a lighter or stiffer spring rate. (See Figure #4) Contact White Brothers to replace the spring. To replace the spring, remove all pre-load by backing the pre-load adjuster out then remove the top cap using a 15/16" socket to expose the spring. Pull the spring out and replace with the new spring. (Reference exploded view for part #) Reinstall the pre-load adjuster and top cap, threaded tightly into the crown. Rebound Adjustment Figure #4 PAGE 4 MAINTENANCE Your White Brothers fork requires periodic maintenance to ensure peak performance and long life. Neglecting proper maintenance will reduce the fork's life. Internal build up of water and dirt or a lack of lubrication will cause excessive wear and void the warranty. BEFORE EVERY RIDE: Visually inspect your fork for bent or broken parts, loss of oil, abnormal sounds or other indications of possible fork failure. Compress you fork to verify proper function. Check all other bicycle components to ensure proper working order. AFTER EVERY RIDE: Clean and dry the exterior of your fork. When cleaning the fork, do not direct the water spray at the seals. Visually inspect your fork for damage. *EVERY 30 HOURS OF RIDING: Your fork should be disassembled, inspect, cleaned and re-grease. If the fork appears to be relatively clean, you can go 40 hours between servicing. If the fork appears excessively dirty you should service it every 20 hours. The three things that will effect the service interval and performance of your fork are water, mud and dust. How much you use your fork in those conditions will determine how much service it requires. *EVERY 100 HOURS OF RIDING: Complete service should include removing the lower fork legs cleaning and regreasing all shafts, bushings and seals. Check top cap assembly's, damper cartridge, stanchion plug, brake post bolts and shaft bolts for proper torque. At this time, the fork should be carefully inspected for wear and damage before reassembly. Contact White Brothers for replacement parts and service. We recommend that this service be performed by a certified White Brothers service center or by the factory. *White Brothers recommends that you consult with a qualified technician before performing: Basic Fork Disassembly and Inspection 1. Disconnect the front brake and remove the wheel as outlined in you bicycle owners manual. 2. Pop out the damping adjuster knob from the bottom of the right dropout. Loosen the allen bolts at the bottom of the fork legs(See figure #5) on either QR and 20mm dropouts. A light tap may be needed to free the control rod from the lower assembly. Finish removing the compression screws. 3. Simply slide the fork legs off the end of the inner sta ...