Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine

• Overview
• Bike Forum
• Chat Forum
• For Sale
• Wanted
• Forum Help
• Classified Rules

Bike Forum

1. Drillski - Member

   http://www.singletrackworld.com/2010/02/fox-forks-gain-shiny-coats

   Hi,
   Seems according to the recent press release
   on the front page of STW that Fox are revising the maufacturing process on their stanchions to deal with wear issues. At Last. This surely is an admission that there was a problem before, despite fox's previous repeatedly blaming any wear issues on poor maintainance and denying any reponsibililty to warranty?
   Perhaps we now have ammunition we need to get some consumer power going?

   Please could you email me with your stories, copied here too if you like with the following info:

   Model / year
   Date / place of purchase or are they OEM?
   Did you follow the service guidelines?
   Problem, costs associated, and fox's response to any warranty issues.
   send to peternadin@btinternet.com

   I will try and collate the responses and publish the results. Together we m ay actually be able to get fox/mojo to beahve reposnsibly towards their obligations on an allegedly premium quality product.
   Peter

   Posted 1 year ago #
2. yossarian - Member

   Fox Talas RLC 2006

   Bought from LBS early 06 and used on cove hustler, then swapped to cotic soul

   Didn't do anything to them other than keep them fairly clean

   No problems whatsoever, no stanchion wear. Flawless performance

   Posted 1 year ago #
3. boxfish - Member

   2008 Fox F120 RLC bought direct from Noah's Ark in early 2008.
   Flawless performance for 2 years despite the lack of servicing.

   Posted 1 year ago #
4. auricgoldfinger - Member

   Fox TALAS 36 '09: maintained as per instructions, flawless performance
   Fox F120 '09: Ditto
   Fox 32 Vanilla '09: Ditto
   Fox 32 140 Float RLC '10: too early to tell, but I'll maintain it and I'm sure it will continue to display the excellent performance I've had from it so far.

   F120 will be up for sale soon if anyone wants to share my enjoyment of it.

   Now, where is the Rockshox failure thread?

   2008 Revelation: travel loss, stanchion wear (continued even after service from reputable UK suspension service outfit looked at it)

   2008 Lyrik 2 Step Air - repeated failure of 2 Step TA. Finally got a replacement and ebayed it straight off.

   Posted 1 year ago #
5. cynic-al - Member

   Erm isn't the stated purpose of the coating to reduce friction rather than increase durability?

   And it's not getting done to all models either.

   I don't see how it's an admission myself, but good luck with the campaign. Has no one tested this through trading standards or in the courts?

   Posted 1 year ago #
6. MRanger156 - Member

   2007 FLoat R, 140mm - OEM

   Serviced once a year by LBS, kept clean by me

   No problems at all

   Posted 1 year ago #
7. stuartanicholson - Member

   Haha, this thread is an awesome fail!

   2006 F100 - maintained well, flawless!
   2009 36 Talas - maintained well, flawless!

   Though i should add friends fox too...
   07 40 - Very little maintenance, no problems.
   08 40 - Maintaned well, no problems.
   07 32 - Pretty much zero maintenance, no problems.

   Posted 1 year ago #
8. jonk - Member

   2005 Float R OEM
   serviced every 6 months
   No problems what so ever.

   Posted 1 year ago #
9. peakmonster - Member

   Several sets over lots of years never had a problem.!!
   I think the only problem is some of the customers who buy em
   then never even show there bike an oily rag.

   Posted 1 year ago #
10. LoCo - Member

    Talas 36 150mm (talas 1 air adjust)
    Talas 36 160mm Rc2 (Talas 2 air adjust)
    Vanilla 36 Rc2
    Float R 130mm
    Vanilla 125mm
    Vanilla 130mm
    Vanilla 140mm

    All fine, stuck fairly closely to maintenance guidelines, apart from the one 140mm vanilla which I'm seeing how long they'll last with nothing done, seals just starting to weep after 16 months or so of fairly hard riding in south Wales.
    The issues seem to arise as a result of use of proprietary caustic cleaners (despite what the manufacturers call them) and overly vigorous use of jet washes/hoses on to seals. Causing a dirt ingress and forcing water dispersing/degreasing cleaners into the forks. The type of soil in your area will effect it to e.g Thetford sandiness would be like grinding paste!
    Any problems that are manufacturing issues e.g if the coating had gone through in the first month would be sorted without question in my experience. Mojo are pretty good on warranty.
    Some of the fox forks will be more prone to wear due to having less lubricating oil in the legs to 'soak up' any solid that get in the closed cartridge (FIT) forks run a fair bit less, so that may have a bearing on it too.

    Posted 1 year ago #
11. nonk - Member

    2008 f100 rlc
    do the seal service when i recon its time.
    no bother so far.

    Posted 1 year ago #
12. Blazin-saddles - Member

    2005 Float RLC, never serviced, quick clean when needed. no problems
    2006 Float RLC, as above
    2008 Talas, No problems to speak of.
    2009 F120, no problems
    2009 F100, no problems.

    Sorry.

    Posted 1 year ago #
13. PeterPoddy - Member

    It has to be said my Vanillas have been faultless for 20 months or so now. Never been serviced, just some lube under the seals now and then.

    I do know someone who had the stanchion wear problems a few years ago, but to be fair he's not one for looking after bikes all that well, and I know a lot of people with Fox forks with no issues at all. I know of one old pair of 125mm Vanillas that must be 5 years or more old, still in perfect nick, still in very regular use.

    Posted 1 year ago #
14. nickc - Member

    Fox changing their coating on stanchions is not necessarily an admission that they were bad before.

    Perhaps we now have ammunition we need to get some consumer power going?

    I doubt it

    Posted 1 year ago #
15. auricgoldfinger - Member

    Peakmonster - that is right.

    End of the day the issue is this, IMO. Fox are moving more or all of the forks to FIT dampers. Already, those that didn't have FIT dampers (e.g. my '09 F120) had low oil volumes in the left lower, with a sealed air spring having it's own lubricant internally (and hence the need for less oil in the spring side). In the damper side the oil bath in the lower has a larger volume (~4.5 x the volume of the spring side in the case of the F120). Added benefit of this of course is that there is plenty of oil to lubricate the upper and the bushes in the lower. This is why some report wear occurring preferentially on the left side and have, IMO, erroneousnly associated it with braking forces in some way.

    Now, with the FIT dampers, the free oil volume in the lowers on both sides is less - a function of moving to said dampers, which I have to say perform excellently if the 2010 Float 32 is anything to go by. It does mean that care and attention may be needed to ensure the small oil volume in the lower is sufficient to keep the bushes lubed. A compromise perhaps but one I can live with as doing this service in no big deal.

    End of the day, if you don't like the service schedule, don't buy them.

    Posted 1 year ago #
16. Wiredchops - Member

    Oh dear, hasn't gone well.
    Don't own any myself (too poor) but if it's any consolation everyone I know that's owned a 36 vanilla has had big problems. Same problem on all, damping cartridge blown. But the stanction wear has only happened in one case and he was riding in Whistler (happened after six weeks though). He has no good things to say about em.

    Posted 1 year ago #
17. KINGTUT - Member

    My 2004 TALAS had stanchion wear and I did as instructed by Fox.

    Posted 1 year ago #
18. maxlite - Member

    2005 FLoat 80RL, 80mm - OEM

    Never been serviced, turn bike upside down to keep seals moist, kept clean by me

    No problems at all

    Posted 1 year ago #
19. tree-magnet - Member

    My 2004 TALAS had stanchion wear and I did as instructed by Fox.

    Which is what? My 2004 floats are wearing through the anodizing as well.

    Posted 1 year ago #
20. stuartanicholson - Member

    IMO all fox have wrong is the seals they use...they let oil out and crap in (hence the short service intervals). If they got a better quality sealing system then this problem (for folk who dont like oil ) would be dramatically reduced.

    Posted 1 year ago #
21. KINGTUT - Member

    Which is what? My 2004 floats are wearing through the anodizing as well.

    Lift the seals add lube, turn bike upside down, eat a virgins spleen under a blue moon, that sort of thing.

    I should add mine started to wear within 12 months.

    Posted 1 year ago #
22. stuartanicholson - Member

    Lift the seals add lube,

    
    For me thats not the proper way...crap in the seal stays in the seal. Only proper way is to remove lowers compleatly and clean.

    Posted 1 year ago #
23. KINGTUT - Member

    For me thats not the proper way

    Quite possibly, but at the time those were the instructions given by Fox or Mojo, can't remember which.

    Posted 1 year ago #
24. GaryLake - Member

    2008 32 Floats, no issues.
    2009 32 Vanillas, no issues.

    I probably do about 50-75km a week spread over the two bikes. Always wipe the stanchions clean and once a month I put some finish line wet lube on, pump the forks round the car park and wipe clean.

    It probably gets the occasional over night storage upside down.

    Posted 1 year ago #
25. stuartanicholson - Member

    Quite possibly, but at the time those were the instructions given by Fox or Mojo, can't remember which.

    
    Should have pointed out that mojo have changed their reccommended quick lube procedure from lifting seals to removing lowers. Bad early practice from mojo?

    Posted 1 year ago #
26. scaredypants - Member

    I don't have any fox forks but, if I had 2, I reckon one would be expensive and the other absolutely the same

    maybe I could go down as a don't know ?

    Posted 1 year ago #
27. tops 5 - Member

    2005 Vanilla R 130 never touched them - seals just started to leak but stantions fine.

    2009 Float 32 RLC second hand off here too early to tell but will try to look after these better!

    Posted 1 year ago #
28. hora - Member

    2006 Rockshox Pike- Like a pogo stick (something replaced- cant remember)
    2009 Rockshox Pike- blown moco
    2009 Rockshox Lyrik- siezed compression Cartridge replaced

    All these forks were brand new/bought new by me.

    Especially on the Pikes- they are supposed to have very simple and bombproof internals.

    I honestly think the stanchion wear on Foxs (especially in the nook of the brace is users not cleaning after every ride.

    Posted 1 year ago #
29. brant - Member

    Which is what? My 2004 floats are wearing through the anodizing as well.
    

    But it is 2010.

    Posted 1 year ago #
30. matthewlhome - Member

    My 2004 TALAS had stanchion wear and I did as instructed by Fox.

    Which is what? My 2004 floats are wearing through the anodizing as well
    

    i wouldnt be unhappy about having anodizing wearing off a 6 year old set of forks (as long as they have been used a reasonable amount).

    How long do you expect it to last?

    Posted 1 year ago #
31. Joxster - Member

    Some Mazzi 55ATA, Warrantied by Windwave, they sent me some Talas instead

    Posted 1 year ago #
32. cynic-al - Member

    The complaints re Rockshox et al: WTF do you think Fox iwll do about that? LOL111

    Posted 1 year ago #
33. RepacK - Member

    Not one single problem with any of the Fox forks (5) Ive used or rear shocks (3). I dont really understand what the issue here is?

    Posted 1 year ago #
34. woodsman - Member

    I've had three pairs of vanilla's - they are the best fork I've owned. The first two did wear out, stantion anodising and bushes, three and a half years. I serviced them myself - new seals and oil, once IRC. I have a pair of 07 on my 5spot, it doesn't get used that much, haven't even changed the oil on them. I tip the fork upside down when I remember and keep the seals clean, I've also lifted the seals for a clean once.

    They are a great fork, but something could be done on bush/stantion wear IMO. I think they put the bare minimum oil in them, to keep weight down - maybe an issue.

    I've got some coil revs, a year old TF tuned as well, and I've noticed some scores/wear on the anodising there!

    Posted 1 year ago #
35. TandemJeremy - Member

    I have a set of fox vanillas I bought a few years ago from a mate knowing they were goosed. Wore out stanchions and bushes in a years use but I have no idea how he serviced them - probably not at all.

    There are a lot of tales of foxes of this generation wearing out the stanchions on one side - simply because there is only a couple of teaspoonfuls of oil in that side so unless you invert the fork every ride the bushes run dry and wear quickly on the one side.

    I pout 150 ml of oil in them rather than 15 ml and the wear stopped as splash lubrication now works.

    anything with a 15 hr service interval is unacceptable IMo. Its a consequence of the design of these forks that they are like that. either invert after every ride and follow the service schedule, add a lot more oil to the empty side or put up with a shot life - or buy open bath marzocchis where this cannot happen 'cos the splash lubrication works due to having large oil volumes

    Posted 1 year ago #
36. MidlandTrailquestsGraham - Member

    32mm Talas bought second hand. Slight scoring on one stanchion and tiny oil leak when I bought them which gradually got a bit worse. Sent them for repair via my LBS and they came back with new sliders, stanchions, crown and steerer for £180 (ie. just the old internals reused)

    32mm Talas Terralogic bought second hand. Tiny leak from one seal. Asked about replacement seals at the Fox distributor stand at Mountain Mayhem last year. They stripped the forks and fitted new seals free of charge while I waited. No problems since.

    Posted 1 year ago #
37. hopster - Member

    Float RLC 03 Regularly removed seals and added float fluid to foam rings. Stanchions show a little wear but are fine. Seals keep blowing though which is annoying.

    Posted 1 year ago #
38. khani - Member

    04 to date vanilla rl's=flawless
    05 to date talas rlc's=flawless
    06 to date talas 36 rc2's=flawless
    09 to date (6 months) talas rlc's= flawless
    09 to date (5 months) talas 36 rc2's=flawless
    all serviced infrequently with a quick oil change and float fluid on foam rings and the 05 talas pushed in 08 by tf
    EDIT i also run some paper between the seal and stantion to pull any dirt/grit out when the seals are lifted

    Posted 1 year ago #
39. yossarian - Member

    lol, so who's going to mail a link to this thread to fox?

    Posted 1 year ago #
40. auricgoldfinger - Member

    Like I said, regarding the service intervals, like it or lump it. If you think it unacceptable buy something else.

    Anyway, doesn't look like there are too many takers for the consumer crusade.

    Posted 1 year ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Topic Closed

This topic has been closed to new replies.