I have a set of X-Fusion Trace forks which to get 30% sag I need to run the the pressure as if I was 3 stone heavier and this results in terrible top out clunk.

Lots of the reviews seem to rave about how simple they are with they on or off setting but on is too soft and off is locked out.

Anyone have the same forks?
Anyone have any settings suggestions?
Anyone had their forks custom tuned?

Thanks

I had the Sweep forks for a couple of months before I got all ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ and bought some Rockshox for 3 times as much (they’re maybe 5% better).

Anyway, I’m not sure how close the Sweep and Trace forks are, but mine were pretty good, especially given the cost – mine had rebound adjust and a knob that was ladled Compression, but really had two settings – off and lock you could leave the lever half-way, but I never got the feeling it was a setting thing per-se and it would be just my luck for it to jump to lock half way down a rock garden or something.

My forks worked at very lower pressure compared to Fox and RS, I’m 16st but I seem to recall they were at 60psi at 30%

Once they were bedded in they were very plush and worked wonderfully most of the time, their only drawback being the lack of compression adjustment meant that in in extreme cases they would blow through travel – I they would be weight tuned they’d be perfect, I guess they’d be perfect for a lighter rider too.

I’d guess you’re are either not sagging right because they seals are new and sticking a bit, or it’s not well.

Fault? No fork should clunk on top-out regardless of the pressure.

Maybe not enough rebound damping.

their only drawback being the lack of compression adjustment meant that in in extreme cases they would blow through travel

Easily rectified with heavier oil.

Have they been extended more than they should? I bought some off CRC and was told I could extend travel to 160 from the 120 they came with. I did that and got top out clunk so phoned the importer and he said the model I had were only supposed to go to 140 despite the internal rod being able to go to 160.

Having just weighed my self for the first time in 6 years I’m quite a bit heavier than I thought so the air pressure is out but not as far as I thought.

I’m still getting terrible top out clunk and the forks still seem really soft.

I’ve tried running the lockout at halfway but its really just on and off.

As the forks are second hand I’m wondering if they maybe have been serviced to suit someone much lighter than me.

They are 110 / 140 forks, I think when I measured there was about 150mm between the seal and the crown so there is a chance they have been over extended but not many forks bottom out there so I doubt they have been.

xfusion.service@Upgradebikes.co.uk

Quite the opposite for my metrics. I have to run them at about 45psi for my considerable weight, about 1/2 what the sticker says.
I dont know where the trace fits in the lineup, or how old they are, but maybe the hsc is faulty, worth a service I recon.

Those forks should not clunk, there is something wrong with them I have had the Slants for 2 years and they have been ace, Just bought a set of sweeps neither have ever clunked.

Yeah I get that they shouldn’t clunk but when my only external options are:

Air – I’m running about 20% more than recommended
Rebound – About half way
Travel – 140mm setting
Lockout – off

There seems little more I can do without opening them up and that’s far more involved than I like.

My local suspension service guy has said he’ll have a look at them but he’s got little experience of these forks. I could send them off to someone else but I like the idea that I can pop round and chat to this guy and he knows his stuff when it comes to other brands.

My slants have been brilliant, and never had a top out clunk.

I wonder if the negative spring has gone wrong somehow- if they’ve been travel adjusted the pin might’ve been put back in the wrong place

Also have a set of Slants which are great, very little maintenance, no bad noises and run at lower pressure than recommended.

The compression should be either off or locked, don’t try to run them set in between.

They have an extra 10mm of stanchion showing, the ladder pin adjusts in 20mm increments, you can add an additional 10mm travel reducer spacer if you need this option, which removes the extra 10mm of leg showing.

All of the above is for the basic forks with the standard damper (RL2?) not sure how the DLA affects the workings.

Basically then mine are behaving vastly different to everyone else.

Off for a service they go, with an eye to perhaps some thicker oil.

The recommended oil for mine is an MX fork oil which is harder to get hold of, and a slightly different viscosity than the usual MTB oils. There’s a chance that someone has put the wrong oil in them and it’s too lightweight.

My understanding of suspension is limited but that is what I’m thinking too.

I used the Stendec 7.5w from CRC in mine and they are plush as a plush thing

OP – Have they been like this since you got them or has it started while you’ve been riding them?

Bought second hand about a month ago but was waiting for the superstar angle headsets to come back in stock so only recently built them up and ridden them once.

The top out sounded really bad and I have another bike so I’ve not used them again for fear of damage.

You could try changing the oil in the damper, Stendec is a good brand as above.
On one hand, at least you would then remove one unknown. On the other, if someone has put the wrong oil in them, you don’t know what has or has not been done to them, in regards of maintenance.

They are not complex, if the local guy knows what he’s doing then these won’t be rocket science in comparison.

I’ve also recently taken ownership of a Trace DLA and I’ve used this guide to help me get it dialed in:
Bike Rumor Suspension Set-up – PDF download

I’m 80kg and settled on 95psi, which is pretty close to the recommended and gave me ~25% sag. On the last few rides I’ve only used 80% travel but they’ve been XC with slow technical sections, no big or fast hits. I’m happy with that, means there’s a bit left to help out when I get something wrong.

I also started with rebound at half-way – it was ok on technical, slow riding but it packed down pretty quickly on the first high-speed rough section. Following the guide above, rebound should be much closer to “fast”, so I’ll be trying about 10 clicks from fast (out of 35) next time.

Their own chart would put 80kg on a little under 70psi so its in some way good to know you too are running higher than recommended.

I cant remember what my rebound is on but its towards the higher end.

I’ll see what Wharncliffe suspension say and take it from there.

Thanks for the help you lot

Are you pumping them up correctly?
“Velvet DLA
DLA FORKS MUST
BE UPSIDE
DOWN DURING
INFLATION”

I also think/thought I seen somewhere you cycle the forks a few times as you increase air pressure.

Yep, bike was upside down

xfusion.service@Upgradebikes.co.uk

Good luck with getting a response from them,1 phone call,3 emails and 3 weeks and I’m still waiting…….

The dla seal is leaking. Strip and clean an smother in rubber grease. I didn’t manage to get a reply. Mail me if you want to know more.

Boobs, I just dropped you an email.

Thanks