Shiver….888 or boxxers…..

Right have the choice of a set of shivers 04 in good cond. Some 888 2006 rcv or some 2011 boxxer rc all the same price and same good cond. Im a big lad and all i care about is pure reliablity… Not weight or trends just how bombproof they are and im stuck… Anyone owned any or all?

Owned all

Shivers don’t steer. not as strong as you might think and constantly need burped to maintain small bump sensitivity.
old 888 rcv’s were divey with a basic damper. – there were workarounds for this.
Boxxers a good race fork probably as strong as the others TBH. More broke because there were far more being ridden.

How big/heavy are you?

Do you want a 2002 Monster T? as indestructable as forks got, decent but old skool damping (if you can find a stiff enough spring after all these years)

04 Shivers….very heavy
06 888 RCV….very unadjustable in the real world
11 Boxxers….a decent fork. Lots of them about,still desirable,always adjustable 😉

Out of the three; boxxers for sure. Definitely a step up from the others. Although they tend to need a bit more TLC than Marzocchi.

2002 Monster T would be good, I think that was the prime year, before they made the Monster T massive and dead heavy.

Other good options if you can find them would be a 2006 or 2007 Marzocchi 888 RC2X.

The only problem you might have is finding springs heavy enough for you.

My Boxxer RCs were a disappointment they weren’t actually that much better than the dual crown Domain RCs they replaced just lighter. Rock Shox have a fork for every day of the week and the RCs are Boxxers for the sake of it I wouldn’t pay over the odds for a set. The R2C2s of the same era feel and perform a lot better but they don’t really come to life until things get ugly

No reliability problems with any of them the Domains esp are indestructible.

888 rc3’s can be had for cheap now. Another step up from the rc2x that they replaced

how much are you looking to spend on them

I went for boxxer rc on my dh bike mostly for ease of servicing. Took me 30 min to change oil and clean them. For me what’s going to kill a fork is being too lazy to service it and too tight to send it off to be serviced. I’m never going to break a dh fork riding, just not mental enough.

2002 Monster T

Hands down best feeling (up/down as well as stiffness/tracking) fork I have ever owned (although mine was ’99/’00) for proper bump thumping fun, just a shame it was about 3 lbs heavier than everything else 🙁

I have a spend of 200 ish…. The 888 just had full service and new seals fresh oil etc owned by a professional bike mechanic and are 165.

Boxxers are unknown history but look very good cond and are at 190.

Shivers are nice cond but 220 i just got told shivers were ment to be totally bombproof. May need a rethink on that.

Adjustability not top of list as just being tough and easy to look after im 6″4 and 20 stone so they will take a beating.

My bad on op i said the 888 were rcv they are the rc2x 2006

Shivers are bombproof, but not great forks. I’d go for the 888’s if they’re the RC2X; bombproof. Only problem is finding a spring for your weight.

Springs dont seem that hard to find to be honest and i can always top up oil height to give a wee bit more right?

After researching these monster T… Im now intreauged after every single review gives them the thumbs up and theyre all BIG lads…. If they are 200mm travel id be interested otherwise my headangle will be all over the show ….. Tried 175mm forks and just too low on front end.

The thing is a Boxxer is still a current fork and there’s no shortage of spares for them. Even if it was wrecked you could rebuild it to factory spec no bother.

Or speak to one of the many tuning companies and see how much modern technology will fit in the chassis. You could get it up to very nice, coild sprung Boxxer Team levels which will be one of the best forks out there.

The Shivers and the 888’s, leave them in the dark ages where they belong!

EDIT:

After researching these monster T… Im now intreauged after every single review gives them the thumbs up and theyre all BIG lads

Are any of these reviews from the last ten years? I had two Monster T’s and they were good in the day but let’s be honest ‘in the day’ everything else was pretty bad.

If you want ultimate strength look for a cheap Fox 40. Very easily serviceable and upgradable.

Now im confused… Lol

Sharkattack.. Last review was from 2012 similar situation as me albeit heavier than me. Fox 40s are a total no no. Every single person i know whos owned a set has had issues and breakages they now all run boxxers 888s and the dorados. Not to mention the stanchion wear and a strip down after most rides.

888 rc2x are the best option.
Far from being a dark age fork as someone suggested. They are a fantastic fork

All im after is pure strength and reliablity weight not an issue. I was swayed by the 888 as the chap who has them has looked after them and theyve just had a full service and original price was 220 but ive knocked him down.

Just wanted opinions really but to throw a spanner in the works ive been offered a set of domains 3 weeks old just taken kff a new complete bike for 175

I would go with Boxxers for all the reason Sharkattack says. They are a current fork and have a lot of life in them. I have 888 evos on my DH bike and they are great but out of choice (i bought it as a complete build) I would have had boxxers.

I had the 2012 RC version on my 224 and they were great. I think they are better than the domains. Domains are pretty heavy I think.

Boxxers would be my choice. Straight forward to service, fit a set of racing brothers low friction seals and the small bump is improved a lot. You also have the option of fitting the charger damper.

Not being funny but if people are recommending Monster T’s and Dorado’s over Boxxers and 40’s I question the sanity of those people!!

Phil. You can have my 2002s for £200. (should leave you enough to buy a stiff spring if you can find one) I’ll even throw in the tall top crown for extra adjustability now forks are longer (Crowns worth more than £200 on it’s own)
Not that I’ve done it but it is also possible to add air assist to stiffen up a MonsterT.
If you are looking for any other DH parts I also have stacks of older out of fashion very strong parts in good condition doing nothing.

sharkboy – are you 20st? have you ever even owned a 99-02 MonsterT?
I’m nowhere near 20st but I am heavy and I do break forks a lot. Having owned 99, a 00 and 02 Monsters I can tell you first hand that Dorados, 40s and Boxxers are not in the same league when it comes to strength and reliability. not even close.
funnily enough, exactly the traits Phil is interested in.

rocketman – Member

My Boxxer RCs were a disappointment they weren’t actually that much better than the dual crown Domain RCs they replaced just lighter.

Not trying to be rude, but what did you expect? They’ve got equivalent level dampers.

As I said above I’ve had two of them. From 1997 to 2010 I only used Marzocchi forks. I had a ’99 and a ’01 Monster T on DH bikes.

They felt amazing in a time when my mates were on Boxxer 151’s and Manitou X-Vert’s but that was 15 years ago!

But, if you want to buy an unserviceable, unupgradeable relic made by a company that doesn’t exist anymore that’s fine.

I have nothing to gain from this discussion (unlike the person trying to shift his Monster T’s!)

Ok. So you should know MonsterTs are easily servicable. Maybe you don’t realise seals are still available?
A modern Boxxer is actually harder to find and fit new bushes to (at home) since RS decided fork lowers should be disposable.
I see no reason why Phil’d want to upgrade it. everything else out there since is less reliable and weaker. at 20st I would however consider refilling them with heavier oil. something that’s probably not going to work so well with any of your modern recommendations.

I’ll say no more on the matter now as I didn’t intend for this to be a for sale ad.

Now now… I knew there would be fans from eacg camp fighting the corner… After speaking to a suspension repair/service guy he dosent have any parts for the older zocchis has plenty for 888 and some for boxxers but when i told him my weight he went quiet and said avoid boxxers as they race forks and not intended for my uses with my weight hammering on them. He disent sell forks either so not a sales punt.

He did mention monster T were and still are some of the best out there and the best built with more craftsmanship involved but parts can be more than the fork itself as people like to keep them going again hes told me to also avoid fox 40 ad they have a habit of cracking around the pinchbolts under heavy use.

I appriciate the feedback and the offer of the monster t but im going to get the 888 as the chap has extra firm springs that he will fit at no extra cost for me

I have an 888r sat doing nothing too. I ran X-firm at pretty much 6st lighter than you.
I’d try them (check sag at least) before you part with your cash if I were you.

Dorados? They’re big.. No idea what they’re like for durability though.

Sounds like you’ve considered, and been talked out of, every fork ever made.

Ive been asking suspension tuners about my ample frame and they have all said the same thing. Heavier oil and a touch more than stated in manuals and x firm springs and il be fine. They said its quite a commonly asked question along with 700lbs rear springs… Now i do need one or a 650 but finding one is a chore…