Bicycle Mechanics - 99 specialized fsr mtb wrench questions...

i picked up a 99 specialized FSR

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa311/marleymission/fri017.jpg

(see specs in the link)

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...=FSR&Type=bike

this is new wrenching territory for me (i'm used to wrenching my old school ten speeds) so i want to get my bearings (no pun intended)

(btw - took this to the trails today and had a blast - i might like my rigid a little better in some respects but i think this has a place at the table)

main areas of question:

-front fork suspension -
1. how can i adjust the spring tension
2. what kind of maintenance should i do on this area - i.e. - degreaser / lubricants, leave it be?

-rear suspension -
1. also - how can i adjust the spring tension
2. maintenance - do i need to do anything in regards compression of the compentry - preride? regular basis?

-crank and BB -
1. crankset - its a hollowtech - remove the nut and use a standard puller?
2. bb - which splined tool will remove the BB? bbt1? bbt2?
3. bb overhaul - hey i'm used to the old stuff - these bearing systems are sealed correct? so a regrease shouldnt be my mission? but how about if the spindle is loose and has some play? i'm used to working with the lockring adjustment - what should i expect here?

thanks in advance folks

The FSR was a nice bike BITD, but would caution putting much mony into it now, the frame is dated, and finding spares for your parts may be difficult. for your specific questions.




-front fork suspension -
1. how can i adjust the spring tension
2. what kind of maintenance should i do on this area - i.e. - degreaser / lubricants, leave it be?

1 - Being a Rock Shox, you can still get some spares, I like Enduro Seals, they should easily to get, springs may be harder, but ebay will probably be a good source

2 - Get is serviced, by a LBS if you can't do it yourself, will probably end up being better than new, but you could also find issues like stantion wear which could write off the fork, those boots could be hiding a lot of wear.

A copy of the manual is here http://www.enduroforkseals.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/judy99.pdf


-rear suspension -
1. also - how can i adjust the spring tension
2. maintenance - do i need to do anything in regards compression of the compentry - preride? regular basis?

Would leave this alone if working, their maybe a dial at one end of the spring you can adjust for the tension, but this was a fairly basic bike when it came out, so don't expect too much in adjust-ability.


-crank and BB -
1. crankset - its a hollowtech - remove the nut and use a standard puller?
2. bb - which splined tool will remove the BB? bbt1? bbt2?
3. bb overhaul - hey i'm used to the old stuff - these bearing systems are sealed correct? so a regrease shouldnt be my mission? but how about if the spindle is loose and has some play? i'm used to working with the lockring adjustment - what should i expect here?


1/2- That looks like an Octalink LX M572, which isn't hollowtech (as in the BB system), Hollowtech didn't exist when that bike was made, you will need a Park CCP-44 to remove it http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/crank-removal-installation-isis-drive-or-octalink. You need to clarify the model of the crank, as it's not an original part. It just doesn't look like a HT2 crank, the M580 was the first gen of LX to go HT2, and that isn't what you have.

3- for either Octalink or HT2, just clean externally, and replace when wears out / seizes

For more info on bikes like this, the best places to look are MTBR in the retro forums, and Retrobike, these are good resources for older bikes and specfic quetion like you are asking http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=146268&highlight=

jim - thank you for the wealth of info / directions +1

Enjoy the bike, the only reason I caution putting much money into it, is from experience, I had a '99 GT I-drive, and scraped this recently due to parts wearing out and, and it not being cost effective to fix, also the lack of spares availability, but it was good while it lasted

thanks jim - as u can see in my sig - i dont shy from the old stuff - but i agree - some old bikes are worth your time and $, some arent - since the suspension mtb arena is new to me - i'm sure i'll learn my lessons as i go