Summary of Building a Suspension Fork Impact Tester for Science

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

This video demonstrates how to build a suspension fork impact tester in order to measure the maximum force a bike part can withstand before breaking. The tester is made from wood, with a concrete basin filled with sand to provide weight and support. The fork is attached to the frame with clamps, and the platform is raised so that the fork is at the same height as the smasher. The fork is then pulled up and down, and the impact is measured. The results show that the fork is not able to withstand the maximum force before it breaks.

• 00:00:00 This YouTube video demonstrates how to build a suspension fork impact tester using an air fork, a platform, clamps, and a smasher. The tester is used to measure the maximum force that a bike part can withstand before breaking. The base and frame of the tester is made from wood, and the concrete basin is filled with multipurpose sand to provide weight and support. The fork is attached to the frame with through-bolts and clamps, and the platform is raised so that the fork is at the same height as the smasher. The fork is then pulled up and down, and the impact is measured. The results show that the fork is not able to withstand the maximum force before it breaks, and the enclosure that is needed to keep the fork in place is built.
• 00:05:00 The smasher tests a $130 fork against a $1,000 fork, and the $130 fork deforms more than the $1,000 fork.
• 00:10:00 The tester found that both suspension forks can deflect weight and flex when hit, but the platform of the smasher limits how much they can bend. The fork will need to be modified before it can be tested on the trails.