Update to my previous post:

The ‘big’ overhaul of my 34’s (which uses the same NA airspring as the 2015-17 36’s) is now underway after gathering LOTS of data and speaking to various sources including Fox, Rick/SlickandSlide, Geometron (or whatever the ‘new’ Mojo call themselves now!) and Vorsprung.

Findings so far:
– NA air pistons can either be oversized due to poor machining tolerances OR in some instances swell due to exposure to oil or grease > measured my air piston and it is fractionally oversized compared to Factory-spec so I’m going to have it reduced down using a lathe.
– The quadring seal in use on the air piston is too big in comparison to the stanchion bore > I’m going to switch from a 213 to 212 quadring.
– Switching from Fox Gold 20wt to Fox Green 10wt and also increasing the oil volume in each leg may also help overcome small-bump stiction.

I’ve now got the MRP FulFill valve and now also waiting on a new FIT4 adj. damper to arrive (replacing the current CTD damper) so looking forward to the rebuild and the results.

I think the main problem is the Fox NA airspring. I switched my 2015 34’s from TALAS to NA and performance has been jekyll and hyde since installation in mid-2016. Following a conversation with Rick (he’s already posted in this thread) I’m now waiting for Ison to get stock of the MRP FulFill valve kit as the more I read about this conversion (on mtbr.com) the better it sounds and cost-to-performance ratio looks excellent on paper.

Update: Ison will shortly have the FulFill valve kits in stock (£39.99).

Some great sweeping statements going on below….

Its entirely your fault for buying SRAM. it is unequivocally crap. a huge range is its only redeeming feature and even that isn’t the be all and end all. and its usually OEM stuff from CRC which is generally even worse.
Says one rider?! Another rider – ME- says SRAM is fantastic. That’s a mix of X9, X0 starting in 2004, on to XX1 and X01 11sp and now on XX1 eagle. Surel you want a large range in your gears?? As for OE, the only downgrades I’ve ever seen is meach using alu cages as opposed to carbon. I very much doubt they run OE and non-OE production lines…

SRAM chains used to be great, but recent experiences of mine have seen them only last 4-5 wet rides before they are as baggy as a wet pair of boxer shorts.. I’ve had mechs fail in a single ride, cassettes shatter and then freeze to the stupid XD freehub etc etc.
One SRAM chain snapped on me in 10+years of use. Previous to that 1 Shimano chain snapped….in 10years of use. Cassettes shattering – please share more details of this. As for jockey wheels, never any issues. XD freehub issues – none, but then I’ve always followed installation instructions.

Stick to Shimano, its a touch heavier, a touch less range, but it just works, day in day out.
Not my experience working on friends Shimano 11sp set-up’s and trying to fix gear issues – I would never return to Shimano now based on my personal experience.

Called the number…..”the number you have dialled is not in service”.

Lincolnshire is the North. Norfolk is the South.

Full XX1 Eagle here and no issues in 4months of use (including some very wet/gritty rides). As with the XX1 11sp it replaced, it took some tweaking on the first few rides to get the shifting just right.

Thankfully once it has been bled it does behave until taken apart again!

Bleeding the Reverb does, in my experience, take quite a while to purge all the air. Just keep on bleeding as per SRAM instructions and eventually you’ll start to make progress. I think the last time I did mine it took 3 evenings of bleeds to get it working spot-on!

I am still guessing that Fox will make Marzocchi their budget brand or anything coil-sprung. Perhaps with the current trend for high-end coil forks (CC and Öhlins) we’ll see a new high-end Marzocchi coil fork?

Rocket Rons 27.5 – 2.8F/2.6R – great fun and good in all conditions with the exception of mud – they get very slippy and slidey (unlike my 2.25 Ron’s).

I’ve also never had to regrease bearings on my GXP BB’s and I think the stepped axle is really good in that you can’t over-preload the bearings.

Contrary to above I had a Hope BB with GXP adaptor and it was nothing but trouble – premature wear of bearings and a mystery click on each rotation. I switched to SRAM BB’s and have stuck with them since – perhaps I was just unlucky? Certainly installation was carried out correctly.

…..which doesn’t bode well if your car has a DPF requiring low-ash oil.

Be aware when it comes to manufacturer oil specs of the difference between ‘approved by’ versus ‘meets spec XYZ’. If your fussy then it must be the former as that oil has been tested by the manufacturer.

As for oil filters I always thought just go with a reputable manufacturer who also produced OE parts e.g. Mann, Bosch etc > WRONG! I cut up a Bosch filter cylinder/stretched it out and measured length and then later did the same on a Mercedes OE filter cylinder – the MB OE filter was 30% longer. OE always for me now.

Good excuse to move on from the PITA DT EQ2 rear shock!

The ‘click’ does appear to differ between posts and even between rebuilds (in my experience).

I recall being told by SRAM tech that the ‘click’ is play between the internals and the circlip which holds them in at the bottom of the post and is normal.

Once you’re done painting, Gtechniq C5 Alloy Wheel Armour is answer to longer-term protection ie stopping brake dust from biting in to the painted surface.

Interesting benpinnick – given your comment I’ll stick with SRAM chains (and was considering KMC next time as previous good experiences with them).

£6900 for me!

I appear to have fixed it! Resetting the rear-mech, notably lower-limit screw plus the b-tension reduced the ‘rumble’. This morning I’ve just thoroughly washed/degreased the whole drivetrain (chain had built-up gunge) and applied a semi-dry lube (as opposed to the wet-lube on there previously) and now no rumble.

Much of the above echoes the stupid cyclical issues I have with Shimano 105 on my roadbike…. and why I run SRAM on my mtb’s.

Thanks Andy_K – I’m going to remove/re-fit later and see what happens.

I too have a wonky XX1 Eagle cassette (which I fitted on to my Syncros/DT hub without removing the end-cap) – I’ll remove/refit minus end-cap tonight, but please explain on how removing the end-cap make a difference – the cassette tool only needs to make firm contact with the lock-tube?

Echoing previous comments, this is a really interesting read. I think there’s a whole range of things at play, both macro and micro levels but certainly things are changing and will continue to do so.

I try and support my LBS but sometimes it’s the case they simply can’t get stock or have issues getting first dibs on stock. 1st example – gave up on trying to order a SRAM bleeding edge adaptor yet German bikeshops had them in stock no-issues. 2nd example – ordered a ShockWiz – waited and waited whilst Zyro continually pushed back on delivery dates. Final straw was when the delivery date was pushed back by a month and on the same day Wiggle suddenly showed ‘good stock’ – a phonecall later to the Zyro rep by my (angry) LBS and my ShockWiz arrived the next day! Now you may argue the bigger orders get priority but it’s not helping the LBS to survive….

The seal kit does include the bushings. RS supply new keys with their Reverb rebuild kits and Fox have a guide section on replacing the keys. I don’t think either are the stumbling block, also bear in mind the bushings are not fitted/sized on a dropper as they are with forks. The tools and their expense are the issue.

For me: rotational free-play of the shaft is now audible when the seat/post is unweighted.

The bushing tool looks to be the main issue tool-wise. Plus the seal kits don’t appear to include new pins which, I’m told, need replacing if the shaft has too much rotational free-play.

I don’t think it is DIY – looking at the official Fox guide it seems you need a bushing tool. Take a look and see what you think – I’m usually up for trying DIY but don’t like the idea of screwing up my post. Certainly I’ll be sending my 2017 Transfer to Mojo for it’s 1st service as some 2018 parts will be retro-fitted plus they stated the cartridge gets a lower charge of Nitrogen to give less of a clunk on top-out.

All good so far on my SC32’s.

Mojo also told me the 2017 posts used slick-honey on the keys which broke down too fast resulting in slight wobble – later posts used a thicker grease (moly paste perhaps, as mentioned above?) and the newer grease is applied during a service to the 2017 posts.

BMW did create a TSB for N47 timing chain issues in mid-2016 – affected engines would either have a new tensioner fitted or new tensioner+chain. You didn’t need to have full dealer history either in order to get the work carried out.

jonny m – what fork is this on? If it’s a FIT4 damper then there were issues with the blue dials binding on the back housing and there’s a fix in the form of a blue dial with a pressed-on bearing > solves the issue.

In 4years of use I’ve had very few issues with Fox remote lok-outs front and rear.

Any more recent updates on SDW trail conditions, please?

Noted-thanks! I’m thinking a bag of chippings ie larger than gravel, so it’s more durable in that it’ll give a firmer bed.

or option 3 – get a section of driveway grid, press in to the trail and then in-fill with gravel.

Resurrection/update…

10months my (on-going) trail work appears to be paying dividends and the trail went through last winter and now the current wet-bouts without churning up. Cutting in 3 drainage gullies and raking up leaves appears to have worked really well. I’m now facing 2 burgeoning issues and would like some advice, please:

1 – on the incline section the original muddy spot is just re-starting with the recent wet weather – I’m thinking of getting a bag of chippings to fill in the slight depression/give a patch of hard surface where water lays/tyres rip up the trail when climbing – thoughts?

2 – further up the trail where it flattens out, grass has now established on the trail over a section of 10metres. I notice the grass sections are already holding water and feeling squishy – what to do? Rake out/kill the grass? Leave it?

Having faced this on/off at local riding spots over the past 20+ years, I just take the approach of a battle-of-the-wills > they block, I unblock and so on. I generally find the blockers give up after a while.

1999 was the vintage year as far as I’m concerned. Great bikes which really made FS mainstream in the UK.

The cable is fine so I guess it has to be fine-tweaking of the B-tension screw…