Word from the coalface (ie LBS) contradicts.Ongoing problems with stanchions and coating coming off.Now they have sent out a glossy leaflet with some care instructions.Apparently this is to be given to all new purchasers.It states that as the U.K. has the harshest riding conditions in the world this 10 to 15 minute job should be carried out every 15 HOURS of riding!!!!Drain oil take forks apart clean piece of foam -sorry seal put back together and refill with new oil.I repeat every 15 HOURS of riding.And apparently this 10 to 15 minute job is anything but.Not sure what you are supposed to do if you are doing a 24 hour solo though!Yet most reviews say they are a fit and forget option.At your peril.Good job they aren't that expensive though.
No (suspension) forks are fit and forget, but doing that every 15hrs sounds like a right PITA.
They'll be of no use to 24hr soloists then...
Why do all the mags rate Fox forks
Because RS have been great for a while so it's Fox's turn ? Or is that a bit cynical ?
It seems a shame that they just cant improve the manufacturing process to the same level of the competition. While I personally have never had a problem with my old vanillas (03/04?) Ive seen enough worn stancions on some of the air forks.
I think it's disingenuous to push the problem into the area of maintenance which at the same time pushes the problem outside of warranty cover which when coupled with their premium price is a double whammy. However, as long as the brand has sufficient cache to comand the price despite the above then that is how they will probably continue, afterall UK is hardly the biggest market in the world.
One day PACE will make a freeride DH fork and we can all be happy. I'd kill for a PACE built Totem-esque fork.
Marzocchi, RockShox and Manitou all seem to manage without fettling every 15 hours and without losing the ano from the stanchions. Fox service requirements are a joke.
what johnners said, service every 15hrs to prevent ruining your forks? thats gotta be joke hasn't it? yes clean/oil them but stripping them down?!? get a grip Fox!
and yes, if Pace made a 170-180mm fork I'd be in that queue!!
The problem with fox is they don't use a proper oil seal to keep the lubricant in. This helps reduce stiction but means they can't keep the dirt/oil separate.
heh heh
I wonder how long until we see fox riders breaking out the gators again? 😆
Both my Foxes, Vanilla and Float wore through the stancion anodising within 9 months. Marzochhi seem to go on forever with no maintainance, although it is a less sophisticated fork which ain't quite so plush - but i know which i'd rather have!
One day PACE will make a freeride DH fork and we can all be happy. I'd kill for a PACE built Totem-esque fork.
and yes, if Pace made a 170-180mm fork I'd be in that queue!!
Didn't think Pace made forks anymore- and I don't think that their reliability was being praised to the heavens when they did.
If there was a significant advantage to running Fox forks that compensated for the extra cost and TLC required, I'd spend out and use Fox forks but I can't see that there is so I use RS forks.
I got some Fox forks cheap from the states a few years ago. I sold them within three months because I was paranoid about the servicing requirements. I've mostly been on Marzocchis ever since - easy riding assured.
Is the UK really the harshest riding conditions in the world? maybe maybe not. I never had any problems with fox forks in the past although Ive been running some revs for the last 18 months which are excellent.
The answer to your question is because Fox buy so much advertising space. The mags aren't going to bite the hand that feeds them.
probably because they are the plushest fork on the market, and everywhere outside the UK they last forever.
Remember Fox fork are produced in california and most of the production is sold in california too. Why should they spend money for UK market when from a commercial point of view it's not worth it.
RS are a definite no no to me as I have seen far too many psylo dying after a week of use and I have tryed a commencal meta6 a month ago which 6 month old RS add more wobble then anything else.
New zocchi have been crap too. The AM SL on my hoss never worked well. And the new one need taking appart to have the lubrification oil removed before even being used.
So there is no such thing as "perfect fork".
Maybe I've been lucky, but my Van 36s have been good so far after a year of riding in wet and gritty Calderdale. I've paid my LBS about £30 to have two micro services (cleaning the seals and re-lubing). Yes, there are a couple of very faint marks on the stsnchions, but certainly no problem so far, and the forks feel absolutely amazing. Marzocchi have lost it right now in terms of quality control, Totems seem to be ok but they're too big for my hardtail and super expensive. As for Pace - I wouldn't have a Pace fork if it was free, going on stuff I've heard about their reliability. One explanation is that the bigger forks (36s) suffer far less flex, and therefore less stanchion abrasion caused by flex.
probably because they are the plushest fork on the market,
perhaps in advertising spend eh Foxy?
07 Fox 36 Floats here with zero love and lots of miles. No wear, super plush, stiff blah, blah, blah...
Must admit I have never seen a problem and i am damn sure that veryone I know rides the things. Can't see how they are better or worse than anything else although obviosly things like Lyriks were doddgy in some forms.
probably because they are the plushest fork on the market,
Well, having now got both RS and Fox coil forks in the garage I can tell you without any doubt that there's bugger all difference. Nil. Nada. Nowt. Diddly-squat.
The only thing that, IMO, Fox do better than RS is to provide preload adjustment. I'm sort of 'between springs' on RS Forks, and preload would sort most of that out.
In use my 140mm Vanillas and 140mm Pikes are virtually indestinguishable apart from the extra stifness of the Maxle equipped RS....
I only paid £147 for the Vans, brand new, so I'm not to fussed if they don't last but I've had them on since June and not touched them yet.....
Maybe I should?
🙂
I cant understand you guys...You pay £600 for a set of forks and 10mins service every 15 hours riding is not alot of effort!
And RS forks should have the same love!
Guess thats the price you pay over marzocchi for light weight.
I've had my Float 32's for a year, no problems, no wear, just changed the lowers to QR15 and when I drained the oil it looked fine for a years worth of wet riding in the glorious British sunshine 😉
QR15 certainly adds some stiffness without much weight, loving it.
Ive run 32 and 36 Talas forks and have not had any problems at all yet!
I clean them after every ride and service them every couple of months. It's a simple case of what you put in you get out. All parts wear out, how quickly is down to the TLC!
Quality of materials and design obviously do play a part though!
Juan
I use fox forks 36's on my hire bikes (only because they come with them)
And on 2 of them the stanchions are worn....is it because it was too dusty?
and 10mins service every 15 hours riding is not alot of effort!
I think that's the whole point of the OP
It's NOT just 10 mins.
Maybe a Fox pro can do it in 10, but it's virtually a complete strip and clean which will take the rest of us an hour, if we're lucky, and have the right tools.....and oil.....
And RS & Marzocchi forks don't need it at all, yet they are significant;y cheaper....
🙂
I spoke to some Fox people on their stand at the Crankworks a few years ago. As soon as they realised I came from England they just said "Oh you have that strange mud that wear things out"
Well, having now got both RS and Fox coil forks in the garage I can tell you without any doubt that there's bugger all difference. Nil. Nada. Nowt. Diddly-squat.
Not when you are barely 61 kg...
Nasher; alain & françois have no problem with vanilla and float at all...
Juan, it's a metal spring, some oil and a few seals inside both forks and very similar construction otherwise too. There's not a lot you can actually do to make any difference with something so simple.
🙂
Juan, more pies! now!
But I like my Foxes for the reasons I've already stated - The spring rate just suits me better, basically.
If I was buying coil forks again, I'd probably have another pair of Vanillas. If it was air I was after, then RS.
And you KNOW your comments about rubbishy Dukes and Psylos are well past their sell-by date now, you've been told enough times! 🙂
Similarly, the Fox thing with the worn stanchions seems to be less common than it was a couple of years ago. I really reckon the only real differences between Fox and RS are just down to personal preference by now.
😀
PeterPoddy,
Ok 10 mins is optimistic...I can do it in about 15-20mins (and im no pro mechanic) but maybe thats because i do it often enought...no special tools needed 😉
Marzocchi you dont need to because they're open bath. RS are essenially the same as fox but with an oil seal instead of a foam ring. RS and Fox forks both use very little oil in the lowers (hence the light weight) but because of this they need more servicing.
You you makes your choice, you pays your money!
One day PACE will make a freeride DH fork and we can all be happy. I'd kill for a PACE built Totem-esque fork.and yes, if Pace made a 170-180mm fork I'd be in that queue!!
Didn't think Pace made forks anymore- and I don't think that their reliability was being praised to the heavens when they did.
Many moons ago, Pace made the DH specific RC 150 Monster fork.
It was shit, you would spend more time servicing it than riding on it.
I used to work at a Pace status one dealer. We used to call Pace forks "homing forks" as we were always sending forks back to Pace for problems that Pace had, apparently, never encountered before, even though we were constantly sending forks back every week with the same issues!
Ok 10 mins is optimistic...I can do it in about 15-20mins (and im no pro mechanic) but maybe thats because i do it often enought...no special tools needed
There's plenty of people who can't even fit new brake pads though, and don't own any tools. For them it's virtually impossible. And how long did it take you to do it first time?
🙂
BTW, You're talking to someone who can completely strip and service RS forks and Fox shocks here, and has a chest-high roller cabinet full of tools....
😉
There's plenty of people who can't even fit new brake pads though, and don't own any tools. For them it's virtually impossible. And how long did it take you to do it first time?
Thats a fair point. It prob took me a good hour or so. But i quite like faffing about with the bike so the time didnt really bother me...
ever ride i have to read the magura manual just to make sure ive read it correctly and i realy dont have to top up the oil in the lowers.
No idea how a semi-bath fork can go an whole year withour an oil top up, but not encountered undue stiction yet.
Manitou used to recomend 8 hours IIRC? Never had any wear issues, but the forks were rubbish so the stanchions probably weren't moving fast enough to wear out.
got 3 foxs,the most wk done is seals&oil on 1
Im with Ed-O fox 07 float 36 14 months no service no problems
Its quite reasonable to assume UK conditions to be some of the worst suspension can experience. After all most of bike all year regardless of weather and ground conditions right??
For all but the technically inept, i would have thought taking a couple of nuts off the fork lowers, taking them off and wiping down the seals is manageable!
You certainly don't have to change the oil EVERY time! Thats bull! I just rebuilt my 32 Vanilla R forks with the new 15QR lowers. It was easy. However, the stanchions were beyond saving. These were second hand and therefore had unknown history regarding maintenance. So new lowers and new upper leg assemblies and some oil for less than £300, thats not bad.
I check the seals every 15 hrs of riding and thats it. Yes need cleaning but guess what so does the rest of the bike. This isn't California (wish it was though).
i've got a second hand '04 talas off here that i've been riding for a year and the stanchions are still perfect. one thing i try and do regularly (apart from keep them clean of course) is squirt some teflon dry lube on the seals and pump the fork a few times to lift the dirt out the seals. If you do this after every ride i can't see the need for a regular strip and re-lube.
The other thing Fox recommend is to occasionly store the bike upside down in order to allow the oil to run down to the foam rings below the main seals.
This keeps them saturated in oil and further prevents dust etc getting past and wearing out the stanchions.
BTW - those that claim theyve been "running their fox forks for x months with no service and no problems", you're kidding yourselves! All that time the annodizing has been abraiding - it wont be noticeable since you'll still be showing coloured ano/nitride whatever, but soon enough it will go through and you will have the tell-tale silver streaks on the stancions.
soon enough it will go through and you will have the tell-tale silver streaks on the stancions.
erm i think that stanchion wear happens to all forks. RS have silver stanchions anyway so you still get the same wear but you just don't notice it happening.
