Author Topic: Fork Oils  (Read 1726 times)

Offline Piet

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  • Caroline Springs, Victoria.
Fork Oils
« on: September 04, 2014, 09:56:59 PM »
Found some very interesting data on the wide variety of fork oils and I think many might find it interesting.
What really sticks out ... is that the 5, 7.5, 10, 15 wt system just sucks. 
For example take Castrol a brand we should not have too much trouble obtaining,  I am going to list these in order of low to higher viscosity using cst at 40 degrees as forks wont get much hotter than 40 degrees except on 40+ degree days.

Castrol fork oil (10wt)                    15 cst
Castrol Synthetic fork oil (5wt)       28 cst
Castrol Synthetic fork oil (10wt)     42 cst
Castrol fork oil (15wt)                   46.5 cst
Castrol fork oil (20wt)                    68 cst

As you can see the weight just does not make sense.  Then if you want to make a decision based on cst perhaps a more reliable approach, go to the web sites and try to find out what the cst really is of your brand of choice. They dont say.  Some companies like Red Line in the USA do and thats great except you cant buy it here.  When you do contact the one international supplier for Australia based in NSW, he wont give you a firm price, and expects you to sign a form that says you will pay the freight regardless of what it costs.  The Richard Cranium said he would not charge freight if he included it with his stock order, then chucked a hissy fit when I crossed out the line about me paying the freight.  Go figure.

This website is no longer kept updated but some very good information.
http://www.peterverdone.com/archive/suspension.htm

He now supports this Wiki
http://www.peterverdone.com/wiki/index.php?title=Suspension_Fluid


« Last Edit: December 22, 2014, 06:15:15 PM by Piet »
Rides:
ST1100P 2004 Darkside
VTX1800C 2008 V&H pipes (sold)
 

Offline Piet

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  • Caroline Springs, Victoria.
Re: Fork Oils
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2014, 02:19:44 PM »
Castrol marketing finds it hard to understand the technical reality.
In the attached photo it shows both the front and back labels of some recently purchased 10wt fork oil.

In the LH blurb about half way down under the heading "Specifications ISO 32"
Castrol admits the SAE system using wt numbers is poor with "quite different viscosity's" for the same given weight.
The ISO system is much better ... and the 40 degree measure is not a bad measure for fork oils.

DID you notice that Castrol technical blurb says the viscosity rating is "indicated"?   Where?
The weight is there, but nowhere do you see the ISO rating ...  and thats the number that means something.


« Last Edit: December 22, 2014, 06:13:14 PM by Piet »
Rides:
ST1100P 2004 Darkside
VTX1800C 2008 V&H pipes (sold)