What kind of Oil will i need for My Manitou Sherman Forks?

Ok, i am gonna service my bikes suspension fork because the local bike shop wont. These Forks are a 04 version, with adjustable travel 110mm to 150mm.
Apart from this Concern

"Failure to follow WARNING instructions could result in severe injury or death to theperson inspecting or repairing the suspension fork or the user."

The only Other is what Oil will i need for it, and where can i get it. Dont post crap answers, this if you read the warning is a serious matter.

I have got the manitou Sherman PDF, Just something i will add, it is impossible to ride this cross country, the bike it being on a single speed Norco 250, I live in Australia, and country wide there is one service centre, and its interstate. Weight 5 is what has been suggested, if anyone can confirm this, it is greatly appreciated.

Hey Mic,

I use Synthetic Motorcycle fork oil in all of my forks. I would recommend either 2.5 or 5 weight fork oil. I use Golden Spectro, but there are all types of great Synthetic fork oils out there. Don't go over the recommended weight or you might blow out a seal or internals. Just my 2 cents.

Kimber

Yes, make sure you fully understand how to service the fork before attempting. There is a spring in compression inside the fork. AT least run your search engine and see if Manitou has a site with a PDF with service directions. Buying the correct oil is a minor issue, compared to knowing what you are doing.

McG is right. Servicing suspension is serious business and is usually intended for professionals. For the best results, i suggest sending it in to the closest Answer/Manitou manufacturer to get it serviced. They provide full service jobs for their suspension.

If you still want to service it yourself, you will need to pick a suspension oil based on a. your riding style, and b. the conditions in which you ride (eg the climate of the area you live in). For colder areas you will want a thinnner oil so that when it thickens up due to to low temperatures, you will still get a good supple ride. Conversely, you will want a thicker oil if you ride in hot conditions.

If you ride cross-country, you will want a fork that is more pedal-efficient (it doesn't bob as much). This calls for thicker oil. If you ride gravity (eg freeride, downhill, etc.) you want a thinner oil that makes your fork more supple and keeps you moving forward, not up and down.

Your weight is also a factor. If you are on the heavy side, you want to go with thicker oil and if you are lighter you want a thinner oil.

Combine these three factors to choose your ideal suspion oil. Finish line makes some really good suspension oil. This link will take you directly to one of their products: http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/sh...

(by the way: some manufacturers use the terms 'weight' and 'viscosity' when referring to oil types; these terms are just other ways of referring to thickness.)

Good Luck!

The fact that your local shop won't touch the fork should be your first clue. I used to to all my own fork service, but now a days the internals are so complex it's nearly impossible. I took apart my Fox Shox and ended up having to spend it back to the factory ($250 later). Most shops just send the forks back to the factory. Shoot an e-mail to Manitou and see what they recommend. Those guys are pretty cool over there.

First unload all springs and air assists. The manual calls for 5 weight oil. If you think you need a little more compression dampening then you can step it up to 7-10wt. oil. Have fun. I would not worry about taking it apart. Manitou's are pretty straight forward. Just remember to put a smear of grease on all your seals. If you have any problems you can print up the service manual off of Manitou's website, email Manitou, or even call and talk to the service department at Manitou.