GRIP as an upgrade to Fit 4 Float 34?

I have a 2016 27.5 FIT4 Factory Float. Flotec in Scotland reckon the GRIP 1 system offers better damping and is worth retrofitting as an upgrade. Any thoughts? Should I go for it?

I thought the Grip damper was the cheaper version of the FIT4. GRIP is usually on the performance range and FIT4 on dearer the factory forks.

As above, thought Grip were the cheaper open bath system?

It is… It was designed as a cheaper option for their performance model forks. It’s open damper, but it actually is more reliable than the Fit4 bladder, so it’s bizarrely a better system. Fox then repurposed it for the grip2.

I’d listen to the guys at Flotec, they know their stuff.

Do you use the high speed compression adjuster on the fit4 damper?

What is it that you don’t like? Other options are an E18 tune instead of the E16.

Vorsprung offer a new piston and shim stack that move all the adjustment into a zone more suitable for a particular rider weight.

Is there something wrong with the currently installed FIT4  damper, or is there a particular characteristic you want to change?

I’m kind of going on the advice of Tadge at Flotec – he’s worked with the Fox team, I understand.

Regarding what do /don’t I like about the FIT 4 – I’d like better performance over stutter bumps if possible, cut down the arm pump and fatigue. He reckons the FIT 4 oil path is pretty convoluted and it doesn’t flow as quickly, and you get a better transition between low speed and high speed compression with the GRIP.

He did also say that, comparing GRIP with the new GRIP 2, the difference is just more adjustability, whereas the original GRIP just seems to work right without too much faffing and fiddling. I like the sound of this too.

I can get the tech talk, it makes sense to me. Also, sometimes something simpler and well thought out can be better at least in some respects than something more complex (and therefore more expensive). It’s real life comparisons I’m short of!

Remember part of the difference will be to do with the bigger negative air chamber on newer fox forks. Might be cheaper just getting a new fork .

The 2018 fit 4 fox 34 (with the larger negative air bit) is a really excellent fork and easy to set up.

So I’d back up what ribena days above, should be a much cheaper upgrade.

Good point about the evol air spring. Only £40 for your old 34 I believe.

Is it not Taj? I wouldn’t have Tadge as a nickname personally, as accurate as it might be.

GRIP is not open bath, its a mechanically cheaper version of FIT4 and a pretty good damper, much better than the older Performance open bath.   There’s a good analysis/description here:

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/fox-34-float-grip-review-2016.html

I have a GRIP dampered fork on my Spark, and i can’t really tell what the fork is doing although it uses all the travel.  It doesn’t dive, have any weird traits and I don’t get beaten up, wrist ache, deflected off line etc vis a vis it all seems to work very well indeed.   I certainly wouldn’t pay for an upgrade.

I have two Fox Rhythm 34 GRIP forks in use right now (one 130 mm and one 150 mm).

They are fantastic.

As far as I understood from this forum: some new, high end Fox forks have now the GRIP 2 system. The more “simple” forks go on with “GRIP”.

Fox originally focused onto the high end mtb market, lets say bikes above 2.5 k.

Since one or two years they push into the “1.5 k” mtb market – therefore “GRIP” was developed?

But as it turned out: these forks are sooo gooood…

For us bikers: fantastic development.

Thanks very much everyone, that’s all very helpful.

Buying a new fork would still be a lot more expensive than improving the one I have, and getting a new damper fitted while having a service anyway will save about £50 since they won’t have to service the old damper.

It sounds like folk have had great experience of the GRIP damping, even though it’s fitted to a cheaper fork.

Have you seen the price now?! I paid £185 in March for my GRIP 34 Boost forks now they are over £500!