Mountain Biking - Dust caps on shocks

Is it safe to take off the black rubber coverings over the top of a shock?
Thanks
-Mike

Usually if the shock has it (usually older forks) it is because it doesn't have a good seal system. I wouldn't remove them, but then again some people have and have had no problems.

Usually if the shock has it (usually older forks) it is because it doesn't have a good seal system. I wouldn't remove them, but then again some people have and have had no problems.
alright thanks a lot.
i was asking for a friend of mine.

(BTW i got the bigfoot :D )

Usually if the shock has it (usually older forks) it is because it doesn't have a good seal system. I wouldn't remove them, but then again some people have and have had no problems.

Ditto,

and it always comes down to whether you want your fork to last an extra 5 years or look cool.

For me, I would rather keep the boots and have my fork last longer.

I would say the boots often do more to trap dirt and scratch the stanchions than to seal anything out.

My friend doesn't like the look of them. he has them on a SR Suntour XC-60 fork, if that helps.

In that case leave them on. They are on there because that is the seal. Without it and you will do lots of damage.

I won't run dust boots on my Jeep. They fill with mud and goop and end up keeping dirt IN instead of out. My bike is different, however. I have a Headshok with lots of intricate roller bearings which are easily contaminated. If I had a regular stanchion fork though, I wouldn't run them.

In that case leave them on. They are on there because that is the seal. Without it and you will do lots of damage.
is that becuase of the fork?

Yes!!!

is that because of the fork?
Yes it's a cheap piece of crap and will defiantly have garbage for seals.

alright i'll tell him to keep them on. my Marzocchi MZ-Race fork never came with them. should they have?

No Marz are well sealed and don't need them.

so you're saying the SR Suntour XC-60's are ****?

so you're saying the SR Suntour XC-60's are ****?

hes been trying to tell you that the whole time...haahaha

so you're saying the SR Suntour XC-60's are ****?
Hello? McFly? Knock knock anybody home? It's a $60 fork (http://www.mtbstore.com/showitem.php?ref=bestwebbuys&itemid=FS00092). It's only one tiny step above the crap they put on Wal-Mart bikes, so any delusions your buddy might have about it being anything more than that are completly unfounded. Heck tell him to yank the boots off it'll be cheaper to replace the thing than to have a shop fix it.



calm...... settle..... people don't listen......not their fault....http://img1.imageshack.us/img1/4291/greenchainsaw.gif

he thinks cause it came on his norco...

Hello? McFly? Knock knock anybody home? It's a $60 fork (http://www.mtbstore.com/showitem.php?ref=bestwebbuys&itemid=FS00092). It's only one tiny step above the crap they put on Wal-Mart bikes, so any delusions your buddy might have about it being anything more than that are completly unfounded. Heck tell him to yank the boots off it'll be cheaper to replace the thing than to have a shop fix it.



calm...... settle..... people don't listen......not their fault....http://img1.imageshack.us/img1/4291/greenchainsaw.gif


where do you get those smileys? i want some!