Marzocchi Drop Off Issues

Since 2001, over 90,000 cyclist's have joined Cycling Forums to discuss topics from general cycling to equipment, training, racing and travel or vacation destinations (especially in europe during the tour de france). We also feature an great deals in our online store, 100's of articles, classifieds and product reviews.

I just purchased a new Norco Atomik and it has a Marzocchi Drop Off triple fork. When test riding around the shop before purchasing it, it didn't make the noise, but maybe I just didn't notice. But now after I try and setup the fork with the appropriate air pressure (R-50psi/L-5psi), I get some noises at top-out. Almost like it's sticktion, but the sound is more of a clank sound. While off the bike, if I just pickup the front and drop it, it makes the sound just as bad as if I was riding and bunny-hop it. If I bleed the air back out, then the noise isn't there doing the drop test. I can't tell if it's there during the bunny-hop test since it will bottom without air in it. Has anyone had this trouble and is there something that I'm doing wrong. Maybe after break-in it'll be better, but I can't imagine riding it this way. If anyone has this fork, please let me know what setting you are using to see what I'm doing wrong.

I just purchased a new Norco Atomik and it has a Marzocchi Drop Off triple fork. When test riding around the shop before purchasing it, it didn't make the noise, but maybe I just didn't notice. But now after I try and setup the fork with the appropriate air pressure (R-50psi/L-5psi), I get some noises at top-out. Almost like it's sticktion, but the sound is more of a clank sound. While off the bike, if I just pickup the front and drop it, it makes the sound just as bad as if I was riding and bunny-hop it. If I bleed the air back out, then the noise isn't there doing the drop test. I can't tell if it's there during the bunny-hop test since it will bottom without air in it. Has anyone had this trouble and is there something that I'm doing wrong. Maybe after break-in it'll be better, but I can't imagine riding it this way. If anyone has this fork, please let me know what setting you are using to see what I'm doing wrong.

The Drop Off's and some other Marz models are famous for doing this. Are you able to lower your psi a bit without bottoming the fork? (R =40psi, L=2.5psi)
If that doesn't help - go back to your shop and get a thicker weight oil put in (comes stock with 7.5 wt, maybe try a 10wt or even a 15wt) this should slow down the compression and rebound a bit and make the fork more manageable/tolerable for you

The Drop Off's and some other Marz models are famous for doing this. Are you able to lower your psi a bit without bottoming the fork? (R =40psi, L=2.5psi)
If that doesn't help - go back to your shop and get a thicker weight oil put in (comes stock with 7.5 wt, maybe try a 10wt or even a 15wt) this should slow down the compression and rebound a bit and make the fork more manageable/tolerable for you

This is a good suggestion. I've lowered the pressure to a resonable level, near your example, and have ridden it for a few months and it's fine now... But it will never be a 888 no matter how much I play with the settings!

This is a good suggestion. I've lowered the pressure to a resonable level, near your example, and have ridden it for a few months and it's fine now... But it will never be a 888 no matter how much I play with the settings!

hey i also had the clanking problem with my drop off 4 on a kona coiler if you let the air out of both fork legs and remove the top of the right leg you can compress the fork all of the way remove the spring and use a 12mm ''L'' type allen wrench to adjust the rebound. The adjuster is of course all the way at the bottom of the upper leg but my 12mm allen from the hardware store works fine. any way i am about 190 and ride hard big drops ect. i turned the rebound all the way counter clock-wise untill it stoped closing it. now the more air you put in the shock the more dampining you will need (less turns in the clock-wise direction) 1 full turn clock-wise is where i would start then work your way back to close (counter clock-wise) my set up is 1/4 turn open (clockwise from closed) with 50 in the right and 9 in the left. good luck. P.S. I am thinking about a heavier oil in mine later ill let you know

ive got the same problem too, just bought a 04 coiler dee-lux myself and heard rattles :eek:

im a bit of a suspension virgin hehe, so ill try these things and see what happens, but im pretty sure the z1 freeride doesnt have oil but it just air sprung... or am i totally misinformed.

glad it wasnt just my fork that did that, scared the bejesus outta me when i got it :(

ive got the same problem too, just bought a 04 coiler dee-lux myself and heard rattles :eek:

im a bit of a suspension virgin hehe, so ill try these things and see what happens, but im pretty sure the z1 freeride doesnt have oil but it just air sprung... or am i totally misinformed.

glad it wasnt just my fork that did that, scared the bejesus outta me when i got it :(

I dont know about the 04 coiler mine is a 06 but i did go to the 15 weight oil and i is awsome now but since i just ordered the drop off triple i guess i will do the same thing to it good luck

this forks a bugger, i downloaded the manuals of the marzocchi site, and its really vague at times, not detailed like the older ones.

i tried messing about with the air pressures, when i remove all the air from the right leg it doesnt rattle, but it utterly useless as a fork hehe, and any pressure i put in brings back the rattle.

the weird thing is, i can only find the air valve in the right leg (positive one i beleive), tried unscrewing the eta cap on the left leg and found no air valve, and apparently there is a second valve on the right leg too, but ill be buggered if i can find it :mad: