my BS steers like carp

[stinkbait]

howdy yall. long time lurker, first time poster. i could use some input on an issue "we're" having. just built a size med, '94 buckshaver that i have had for years, unbuilt. i have a 98 marzocchi atom bomb that i just put new enduro seals in. after assembling and riding a few times it has come to my attention that the steering is jacked. there is a king headset in there, adjusted properly. the steering flop is so bad it feels like i am compensating for a tight headset when i get just a couple of degrees off center. the fork sags about 1/4 way into it's travel. am i running about 68deg HT in this config b/c of non-corrected geometry? should i put an old mag21 on there? rather not, but have a few laying around... thanks for any and all help.

[IF52]

The Buck has corrected geo, but for a fork that is about 20mm shorter at least than that Marz. A Mag21 has a free A-C of maybe 415mm and a 70mm A-bomb has an A-C of around 435 to 440mm. So, what does that do, maybe slacked the angles by a degree?

[Butcher]

I'm not sure if that 94 BS is corrected for suspension or not - if you measured the head tube length perhaps someone could confirm. If not that would explain the flop since you're front end is jacked up and the effective head angle is way to relaxed. That Atom Bomb fork is also an 80mm travel fork so that is making it worse. Perhaps an old Manitou 1 or 2 since those had very little travel and tended to work best on non-corrected frames. I've heard that the early corrected frames were designed around a fork with 68mm travel.

A Tange Struts rigid fork would rock on that frame if your open to the idea.

[Butcher]

Originally Posted by IF52

The Buck has corrected geo, but for a fork that is about 20mm shorter at least than that Marz. A Mag21 has a free A-C of maybe 415mm and a 70mm A-bomb has an A-C of around 435 to 440mm. So, what does that do, maybe slacked the angles by a degree?

I was posting a reply without seeing IF52's first. That makes total sense if the A-C of that Atom bomb is that far off. It's going to effect the angles, but also the trail is going to be off, thus the flop... a chopper effect.

[stinkbait]

hey, i am interested in a struts. the bike is up at the shop, i can measure the HT on fri. i imagine it is no more than about 100mm tho.,.. any suggestions?

[stinkbait]

s/n - 167B4M, HT-85mm. anyone? anyone?

[IF52]

Read my earlier post. Your buck is suspension correct, as were all bucks. Per the 94 catalog:

"The Buck's modelled after our Yo Eddy! and offers similar suspension compatible geometry..."

But like I wrote before it is corrected to use a fork with ~415mm A2C, like a Mag21. What makes it even tougher is the fact that you need to find something with a 1 inch steerer. You can probably get away with an early Judy XC, which has and A2C closer to 430mm if I remember correctly. Or you can go rigid like Butcher suggested.

[DC]

Yeppers! Built my '95 Buck with a Bomber originally, handled like crap. Now have a correct length Vicious on it, handle like a FAT! Put a Manitou 4 on the wife's YO!(same geom.) and it handles like a FAT!
Happy new year!