i_r_beej

Hey all,

The Headshok in my 2001 F700 has developed a noise that sounds like a squeaky matress box-spring-- just like a coil-spring rubbing against metal. I get the noise by working the fork in the shop. Out on the trail i can hear "ee-eee ee-eee" with every little bump.

No other noises-- no thunks, or rattles. No play.

The weird thing? I raced this bike last winter. Fork worked great-- no noises at all. When the rains came i started riding my road bike. So the F700 sat idle (and clean) for about 6 months. In prepping the bike for riding i checked the action of the fork and got the "spring noise".

Anyone have lots and lots of experience with Headshoks? Is this a normal wear sound?

I'm going to take this to the shop, but i'm curious about other rider's experiences.

Jeepers H Crackers! I wish the Headshok wasn't such a closed, "sekrit" system.

broomhandle

have you taken it in to a cannondale dealer? it might just be a noise and nothing more.

OneTinSloth

there are 4 races of needle bearings in the headshok that allow it to move up and down smoothly. the grease dries out and the bearings will squeak. after 5 years of riding, it's probably time for a rebuild. the fork might have to go back to C-dale if the bearings and races need replacing, but everything else should be servicable by your friendly local cannondale dealer. the only reason why the fork would have to go back for bearings and races, BTW, is because C-dale makes about 4 different thicknesses of bearing races, and the only way to fit the correct size is through trial and error, something most shops can't really afford to do. everything else can pretty much be done by the LBS.

you can check out the full schematics of the inner workings of the headshok on cannondale's website. it's not such a big hush hush secret. it's an oil damper, an air (coil, or elastomer) spring, and bearings, in one "leg." easily the simplest system to work on, period.

i_r_beej

Yeah. In 04 i took it to my local Cannondale dealer and they bunged up my fork. Brought it home and discovered an inch of unsprung vertical play-- like they left something out when reassembling the shock. Took it back and they sent it off to Canondale HQ. Six weeks later i get my bike back. By that time i had converted to a roadie!

I cut a zip tie and pulled the boot down. All races were nice and shiny with a good film of clear lube. No traces of oil leakage or rust spots. Everything was clean as a whistle.

Anyway. Back to the shop we go. But this is irritating as all get out-- i'm missing getting my butt kicked in a race this weekend because i don't really trust a noisy fork to take a pounding on the mountain. Feh.