SKF wiper seals claimed to offer fork performance upgrade

Upgraded seal kits for a wide range of forks

Published: February 14, 2018 at 3:00 pm

SKF produces seals for many high-end suspension forks and now has an extensive catalogue of aftermarket wiper seals to help get your fork working as well — or maybe better — than the day it left the factory.

They’re available to fit a wide range of forks from Fox, RockShox, DT Swiss, Marzocchi and more, and will cost in the region of £25 / €25 / $29 a set.

Seal replacement is a necessary part of a regular servicing, but these are claimed to offer a performance upgrade (for some forks) too.

They use a “self-lubricating compound”, and are built to minimise friction while offering good sealing. The kits contain wiper seals, pre-impregnated foam o-rings, and crush washers. You’ll also need the required oil and sockets for your fork to complete a lower-leg service

Interestingly, RockShox’s high-end Lyrik and Pike forks use SKF seals as stock, while the Yari and Revelation do not. So these seals could offer an upgrade for a Yari or Revelation.

Now, I’ve not had chance to test a Yari or Revelation with these seals installed, so cannot comment on how much (if at all) they might improve performance relative to the stock unit, but if your fork needs a service anyway, it’s nice to know it’s getting higher-quality seals at the same time.

Don’t expect these seals to make your Yari perform like a Lyrik though; the main difference is in the damper. To find out more, visit SKF.