Mountain Biking - Rock Shox Dart 2 Problem - AKA: I broke it!

I finally got a chance to take this new fork for it's first spin last night.

The preload was so tight that the spring didn't even move, even when I hit some pretty big bumps.

I tried to loosen it, but the knob was very tight, and I barely got it to move a 1/4 turn.
I figured maybe it's just really tight because it's new and needs to break in a little.

Regardless of the reason it was WAY too tight.
So, I grabed a pair of pliers, gripped the knob, gave it the slightest turn and...
the knob snapped right off!

Is it supossed to be that stiff or did I get a defective fork?
I realize you don't want the adjustment knob spinning all over the place, but the damn thing wouldn't turn at all!

my dart 3's preload knob is very tight also, its not just yours. they have grooves in them for your index finger and thumb to fit to be able to turn it with comfort. changing the preload adjust isnt going to change the stiffness too much. it changes the sagging effect the fork as has when you sit on your bike. if your dart 2 has a rebound adjust, (would be on the bottom of the fork (turn your bike upside down) then you should adjust that if you want less stiffness and more bounce in your fork. your fork should have a 1 year warranty, id send it back if it cant be fixed.

my dart 3's preload knob is very tight also, its not just yours. they have grooves in them for your index finger and thumb to fit to be able to turn it with comfort. changing the preload adjust isnt going to change the stiffness too much. it changes the sagging effect the fork as has when you sit on your bike. if your dart 2 has a rebound adjust, (would be on the bottom of the fork (turn your bike upside down) then you should adjust that if you want less stiffness and more bounce in your fork. your fork should have a 1 year warranty, id send it back if it cant be fixed.

the rebound adjuster is used to change the rate at which the fork extends after compressing (IE, rebound). it has nothing to do with how stiff a fork feels, or how fast or slow the fork will compress.

changing the preload will actually change how stiff the fork's compression feels. what you're doing when you adjust the preload on a coil sprung fork, is basically compressing the spring by turning a plate attached to the end of a screw against the spring. if you have an air fork, you can adjust the preload by adding more air pressure. i'll concede the point that changing the preload won't change the stiffness too much, but the smallest amount of preload adjustment can make a world of difference in how a fork or shock feels. and you definitely don't want to add too much preload, because then the coil will bind and not compress at all. and with too little preload, the spring will rattle around.

either way, the original poster can get a new adjuster knob either through rock shox, or from an LBS. but it sounds like something else is amiss with the fork, so i'd recommend taking it to a shop and having them diagnose it. chances are, rock shox will send out a new fork, or a new part to replace whatever is broken on the inside.

Mine wasn't tight, though...it just didn't turn at all. If it was tight, it should have turned before the knob broke. The fork has no sag at all and doesn't budge, even on pretty big bumps. Only way it moves, is if I forcefully push down on the bars.

Looking at their site, though, I think I may need to order a lighter spring too...since I'm a little guy (right on the border of recommended weight for the med spring and the lightest?

Looking at the schematic, looks like a few parts may be defective...or it could have just not been assembled correctly.

I have the older sibling of the Dart, the Judy. Mine is very stiff too. the preload on mine works though. on the firmest setting it barely moves 2mm when i hit a huge bump. on the lightest setting its softer but i still have to hit a good size bump to get it to activate. the wierd thing is i weigh 200lbs. if the stock spring is for 160 to 180 it should activate much easier than that. i ordered the soft spring (140 to 160lbs) and a tuning kit (in case the soft spring is too soft, which is highly likely for me hehe) i figured it was either mess with the springs or save up for a new fork.

btw i thought mine was fine until i tried my wife's Reba. damn the better bikes!!