Originally Posted by
eicca
So thread revival, interestingly my friend's Totem Coil and Domain Single Crown both do the same thing. Buttery when empty but choppy with the wheel. I wonder if there's something related to the fact that it's a coil fork causing this behavior
No, it's related to the overall precision of the parts involved. Smooth action depends on excellent alignment of the upper and lower struts. Unloaded that's not an issue, since each strut can float to the aligned condition. But when you tie the ends together at the bottom using the axle or QR, that can pull one or both off the aligned condition, and cause binding.
If nothing else, it should make you appreciate the skill involved in making trombones.