Spinner GRIND service?

[Richard Favinger, Jr.]

Did a little digging though the group and seen not too many people mess with them. But I will ask again, it's 2017!

Has any one disassembled the Spinner GRIND suspension fork and or, what lubes or how do you lube it? Our Pino is 2014... I like to be proactive since we have put almost 5000 miles on since we got the bike... I have seen some videos on service for "low end shocks" and was just wondering if that would apply to the Spinner GRIND. ???

Rich

Pennsylvania, USA

[Anthill]

Hi Richard,

The Spinner GRIND is pretty simple - I haven't done the overhaul myself but the shop mechanics had no problem working on it.  Their suggestion was: 1) take it apart 2) pour out the rusty water that's accumulated since the last service 3) clean and pack everything with grease, 4) cross fingers.

A few years back I replaced our Spinner GRIND with a (still cheap but better-made) MEKS/Mekkem Carbon fork.  It requires a tall-stack headset to be sure the fork crown doesn't crater into the stoker boom.  Aside from having to extend the feet on the front kickstand, we have no regrets.  Rides much better than the GRIND without the $1000 price tag of the White Bros. fork. Album here:

http://imgur.com/a/UNOQ2

-Antony

[Richard Favinger, Jr.]

Antony,

Your post was the one I was reading... LOL

Any way, I disassembled the lower fork today... Not hard, two bolts and the bottom of the dropouts and pulled them off (after removing the wheel, fender and brake caliper)... cleaned and lubed well with PolyLube 1000 (Park Tool Grease). I could have done the springs and uppers too, but it was a littler more disassembly then what I had time for today. - In all very easy.

If I remove the top (steering) cap and steering rod, would the fork slide out for better access or does it need to be pulled with any kind of tool? I don't want to mess up bearings....

Rich

Pennsylvania, USA

[Anthill]

Hi Rich,

If I recall right (don't quote me) the steering rod on mine was just a wedge-bolt into one of the fork stanchions.  It popped out easily just like a threaded headset.

The default 2008-era Pino headset (as shown in my photos) was a 1" threaded headset with some really beefy cylindrical bearings.  Nothing exotic, though setting the top locking rings was a bit finicky.  None of our mechanics could ever get the headset tensioned perfect, it always creaked a bit, and I'm much happier with the replacement 1.5" lower 1-1/8" upper threadless setup I have now.

Good luck with the wrenching!

-Antony