SKF is a Swedish company who began manufacturing ball bearings over a century ago, and has since expanded their product line to include seals and lubrication systems. Their seals are used as OE spec on high end motorcycle suspension from companies like Ohlins, Sachs, and WP, and on Fox and Marzocchi MTB forks.
This year, they’re making a push into the mountain bike market, by introducing aftermarket seals for almost every major fork manufacturer.
The seals have a dust sealing lip designed to prevent contaminates from entering the fork, while a secondary oil sealing lip prevents lubrication from escaping.The seals are designed to reduce wear and air suction, which provides more consistent performance, and extends service intervals.
For those with Fox and Marz forks that already utilize SKF seals, the difference between the OE and SKF kits is that SKF pre-impregntates their foam rings with a special lubricant that is similar to mold release fluid. This is done to ease seal installation and reduces friction during the break in period.
The seals will be available for Fox 32 forks from 2003 up, and most Rockshox models, including the Pike, Lyric, Boxxer, and assorted 32mm models.
When Fox originally introduced their SKF produced seals, I retrofitted several older forks, and the difference was immediately noticeable. Compared to the older Fox seals, the break in period was almost non existent, and the SKF product make forks feel noticeably more supple. Pricing has yet to be announced, but if it’s competitive, these aftermarket seals will be a great solution for those on older products.
Global distribution will be handled by Innteck, so stay tuned to their website to learn more.
