Fox vs Rockshox servicing etc

Currently looking at buying/building a new bike, either way I’ll be getting new forks.

Having spents some time reading around various forums it seems that fox forks need much more maintenance inc fiddling with oil topups, cleaning and lubing dust seals every 20 hours to stop the stantion wear, inverting forks overnight etc. Most of my riding is done on the north yorkshire moors which consists of ACME grinding paste as soon as it rains.

I appreciate that all forks need stantion & dust seals cleaning but are the fox forks that bad?

Not trying to start a which is better debate, just wondering where I’d be best spending my hard earned cash.

Thanks Stuart

had my talas over 18 months now with no look after maintainence at all….but had to have them sent away yesterday for new uppers so a little care should last me till i break them. Also im a reg rider of the Peak district so they do take a hammering……

I’ve never used Fox forks, and obviously the self-selecting nature of rants/ raves means that we’re only going to hear about the most awful or amazing performance but…. I absolutely love my Revelations (’07, I think, Air U-Turn). They’re plush and just work, and given my generally ‘zero maintenance’ approach to anything beyond brakes mechs and chains, I’ve not had a problem with them.

I wont buy Fox again… 15 hour service interval or void warrenty is totally out-fookin-rageous.

Been a Fox user since 2004. My previous set of vanilla’s lasted 3 years, but the stanchions were incredibly worn away.

Had 3 x pair of floats and 1 x pair of vanillas. Use them for a bit then sell them before any problems come up. I’ve yet to service any of the floats (did the vanillas myself – fine)

Well despite what people hammer on about Fox, and their ‘excessive’ maintenance schedules at 15hours, I would like to refer you to RS manuals:

Every 10 hours – lubricate dust seals and wipers
Every 50 hours – remove lowers, inspect and clean bushes, oil change, clean and lube damping assembly and air assembly.

http://www.sram.com/_media/techdocs/95-4015-022-000%20print.pdf (page 9)
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VS
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Fox
Every 15 hours – clean and inspect dust wipers
Every 50 hours – clean and inspect bushings, oil change and float fluid.

http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/09/Eng/2009_OM_eng.htm (service intervals section)
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The process is simple:
http://www.mojo.co.uk/dustwiper.htm
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So, which needs more regular servicing?

good point made Matt 8)

Except I haven’t done anything to my revs & rebas in over two years other than the occasional bit of shock oil on the stanchions.Yet have mates with fox’s that are totally ****,that were used less too…

I’ve seen more worn out RS than fox. If you ride regularly, and don’t service them, any forks will wear out.

Servicing the foxes is marginally easier, as you don’t need to faff with air valves or rebound adjusters. But there’s not a lot in it. It’s a < 20 min job for either to clean and lube the lowers.

I’d rather do the lowers on my forks than I would clean a manky chain. It takes me less time and is easier to do!

Just adding further to Matt’s point above, I’ve almost completely destroyed the stanchion anodising on my RS Rebas, despite a regular (but basic) clean and lube regime
To be fair they’ve been ridden pretty much 3 times a week over 3 years, and actually still work fairly well at the moment!

and i’ve just replaced a set of dual air revs that had no attention at all apart from oil on top and a wipe when i remembered. the stanchions were pretty worn and they were starting to knock backwards and forwards a bit. can’t complain as they’ve probably done similar service to Tim’s, maybe a bit less. 3 years old and probably twice a week average use if not three times.
i’ll probably be dropping the lowers and changing the oil on the current kit now though, given the price of replacements. my old ones were only 200 quid new, so servicing seemed a bit pointless at that money!

Took apart my 2004 TALAS last month. stanchions were perfect, i repeat: PERFECT. they had never been serviced, i was their second owner. I took pics to prove it, any haters may email me for a pic (tim_lovelady@hotmail.com)

Everybody knows Fox make the the plushest forks – Any fork will go to sh*t if you don’t look after it. i just clean mine after muddy rides using soapy water then drop a bit of teflon dry lube on the seals, pump the fork and wipe away the excess.

Matt…

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&attid=0.1&thid=11f6a395b3b1e5ae&mt=application%2Fpdf&pli=1

That says strip and rebuild every 15 hours mate.

Lowey – that link does not work – 15 hours for Fox or RS?

My fox died after very light use at 6 months old. I had prob done a little over 15 hours but not that much as I had a problem with brakes that took a while to get sorted so the bike was only in use for a couple of months. Given that they were royaly shagged I cant believe they were ever right. I had no joy with warranty so have no faith in Mojo.
I have rockshox (3 sets) which I send to TFT and have no probs with.

Sorry Matt…

Try this one

http://www.mojo.co.uk/media%20pix/ForkFlyerWeb.pdf

15 hours for Fox before a full trip down and clean out and oil change. Ridiculous.

It’s a quick clean and lube every 15 hours as per the link.

I’ve had 36’s for 5 months without any problems. I’ve done the quick clean and lube a couple of time without any hassle. It takes about 25 minutes tops and I’m no jedi at bike maintenance either.

I’ve also ran a pair Revs for a couple of years without any hassles.

lowey, that is hardly a full strip down as you described. More like whipping the bottom of the forks off, cleaning a seal and topping oil.

Not difficult or a time consuming task. Forks feel like new afterwards and it is easier and cleaner than maintaining a fully clean and functional drivetrain.

fwiw my Magura Laurins had been used for ~12 months of twice-weekly night riding through Yorkshire gloop and grime before I serviced them.

The foam rings were almost spotless, lower leg oil was like new and the whole service (inc air and damper cartridges) took ~45mins. There are alternatives to RS and Fox you know 😉

I’ve found that Fox and RS need roughly the same amount of care, but over the long term I’ve found Fox last a lot, lot longer.

I don’t get this 15-hour thing at all. I’ve often done more riding than that over the course of a couple of days. What about folk doing C2C type routes, or these mega highland adventures?

we’ve all seen pictures of the riding you do Druidh 🙄

a bit of common sense is all that’s needed to keep either running, not a riding calender.

although I’d never buy Fox over RS – having recieved a brand new set of Boxxers because of a mo-co adjuster leak that could have been sorted for a few £ (but the parts weren’t in stock). Mojo would never do that.

ajf…. its as near as damit. Taking off the lowers, cleaning the foam seal and relubing, reassemble and then put new oil in…. every 15hrs riding ? and theres the clincher… your warranty is void if you dont do it!!!!

Dunno about you but that would involve me stripping the forks down EVERY week. The coast of the oil would involve me getting a second mortgage alone.

Sorry, but I think that is just outrageous. Prior to Fox I had a set of Marzocchi’s. They were bombproof and needed hardley any maintenance.

lowey – that link IS just a seal clean and check, oil n dab of Float Fluid. Its not an oil change.

Sorry, but I must be missing something. When you pull the uppers and lowers apart, you loose all the oil in the things anyway dont you ??

Well you do on my Vanilla’s.

second mortgage? you must live in a cardboard box!

lowey – not if they’re upside down you won’t 😉

even if you did do a complete oil change each week £5 a month on fork oil is hardly going to require a second mortgage now is it?

GW – Member

we’ve all seen pictures of the riding you do Druidh

Have you?

Side by side I’d chose Fox’s. Looking at their service intervals/invaldidation I wouldnt go near a Fox new with a rusty stick.

I’ve seen more worn out RS than fox. If you ride regularly, and don’t service them, any forks will wear out.

I ride between anything & 4-6 times a week & mostly off road all year round,Cannock’s pretty muddy most the time too.It’s rare I do less than a 100 mile a week.The one thing I don’t do is wash my bikes very much or even very well tbh.I let the mud dry & then brush it off with a soft bristled brush, a wipe with a clean cloth & then sometimes a lube of the stanchions.IMO people cause more damage washing their bikes with detergents & hosepipes(or jet washes !) than they realise….