Technical Tuesday - Adjusting The RockShox BoXXer World Cup

Oct 26, 2010

by Mike Levy

The RockShox BoXXer World Cup is one of the most popular choices for racers and riders alike who are looking for a lightweight, long travel fork. Not only is it the class leader in weight, but it's also incredibly adjustable. This Tech Tuesday takes a closer look at those adjustments and how to use them properly. Check out the video inside to better understand the World Cup!

Read on,RockShox's BoXXer fork is one of the most popular options for racers and downhill weight weenies alike. Their top of the line DH fork not only weighs in at a very competitive 5.9 lbs thanks to its air spring, but it also offers a host of effective adjustments that will allow pretty much anyone and everyone to dial the fork in to their liking. But like a lot high end suspension, too many riders don't take the time to learn what each adjustment does and how to use them, which is a shame because this fork is so adaptable to the terrain and riding style. Being air sprung not only means that it will be lighter than its coil sprung brothers, the BoXXer R2C2 and R2, but also benefits from an infinitely adjustable spring rate. Just a touch too soft? Add in a few pounds of air, as opposed to having to install a new coil spring that may be too big of a jump. The fork also uses its adjustable DropStop to control hard bottoming at the end of the stroke. Damping adjustments include separate high and low speed compression, as well as both beginning and ending stroke rebound. Confused? No need to be! Watch the video below to better understand how to tune and get the most out of your BoXXer World Cup fork.

Tools needed: Shock pump

Watch the video to learn more about the RockShox BoXXer World Cup

Tech Tuesday suspension part 4

by spoiledgoods

Views: 40,298 Faves: 230 Comments: 14

Have a look at the BoXXer setup guide on the RockShox website.

The RockShox website features a great setup guide that should be mandatory reading, even if you think you know what you're doing. You'll find spring rate and damping suggestions, as well as a tutorial on setting up the sag on your fork.

Pictured above are the adjustment knobs of a 2010 fork. Although the 2011 gets updated with easier to turn dials, you'll still find them in the same place. Compression adjustments, both low speed and high speed, are made at the top of the right fork leg. Beginning and ending stroke rebound dials are located at the bottom. You now no longer have any excuses for not taking the time to properly setup your fork!

The 2011 BoXXer World Cup may look the same from the outside, but there has been some major tweaking done to the internals for 2011. Things have been simplified on the spring side of things, with a new Solo Air assembly that not only controls both the positive and negative air chambers, but uses a more reliable air valve in place of the previous year's O-ring design. The damping leg also sees some changes for '11, starting off with new and easier to manage knobs on the outside, as well as changes to the rebound damping components that RockShox says will do a better job of keeping it and compression duties separate. This has allowed their suspension engineers to re-shim the compression piston and allow for a wider and more effective tuning range.

Now that you have a good idea of when to turn each dial and what it will do, it's time to start experimenting. As always, the first step is to find a suitable spring rate and make damping adjustments from there. Like I suggested in the previous week's Tech Tuesday, to get a better idea of what each adjustment does, it helps to find a section of trail that you are familiar with and ride it twice, once with the one adjustment backed mostly out and once with it turned mostly in. Repeat this process with each adjustment individually and you'll soon have a clear understanding of what is happening. Don't be afraid to try a setting that you may not usually use, you could end up surprised at the results.

Did you find this Tech Tuesday helpful? Have some of your own hints that you'd like to share? Put them down below!

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mikelevy
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84 Comments

19 11

AdmanMTB (Oct 26, 2010 at 0:24)

SRAM gets me so frustrated - they have these incredible products (I love my 2010 boxxers) but every year they change them, or modify them, and it completely renders your 1 year old forks as useless, just because a new model has been released. It's the same with the elixir brakes - instead of spending a long time to get them right, they just released them, found out what was wrong, and made a new model a year later... and it's happening again this year!

It's the biggest reason I'm considering swapping to Fox suspension, I'm fed up with buying products, only to have them superseded a year later, which means I've lost over half the money I paid for them.

SRAM do make awesome products though, I just wish they spent an extra year developing them so the customer gets the product they've paid for.

25 3

shonkemon (Oct 26, 2010 at 0:34)

If you love your 2010 Boxxers, as you say you do, why do you care if the 2011 Boxxers are different?

WAKIdesigns (Oct 26, 2010 at 0:49)

On the first side of a page it is called: the progress. And there's some truth in it... However if you turn the page you might find a chapter called: manufacturing demand. That basicaly means that someone does something about his new product so you want to buy it + it makes you want to feel that the older product that you bought is not good anymore.

So in one way it is a progress from which you can gain something, but on another hand they want you to feel bad about the stuff you have. But all of that lies within your psychic pretty much. More stuff you buy because it just looks sick, without thinking damn, the fork I have is actualy pretty good: more you will be exposed to these strategies. The new stuff always looks better than the old one (save Marzocchis...)

I personaly find myself doing that many times, and after some time I just realize that it doesn't make me any happier... Currently I try to hold to the stuff I have and if I buy something, I want it to be better in many ways than the stuff I have.

AdmanMTB (Oct 26, 2010 at 0:57)

Yeah I agree, but for instance I bought 2010 boxxers halfway through this year because they were cheap. I'm not selling my downhill bike as I've had it for 3 years of racing, and the new boxxers I put on it are now overshadowed by the 2011 ones...

How do I know that next year, Rock Shox will not have yet another version of the boxxer? Or 2 years later?

It's for this reason I'm going to give Fox a shot, because I think they are less likely to change things just for the sake of it, and they seem to spend lots of time getting their product right, rather than just flinging new products onto the market, only to find issues with them.

As for "the progress", I'm all in favour of it too! Heck, if there wasn't progress we'd still be riding penny farthings, but SRAM have this obsession remaking their products, or renaming them. I don't see it as fair to release a new product when you know it has plenty of room for improvement...

24 0

spew (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:11)

AdamMTB: if you like the way your product is functioning, the fashion police won't arrest you if you use it two years in a row.

nouser (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:15)

I totally agree

AdmanMTB (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:18)

Course they won't! I'm not worried about that. It's that the customer loses money each time these guys release yet another product, when it seems it is a new addition they should have thought about in the first place.

blazz (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:27)

@AdamMTB Your Boxxer is not overshadowed by the new model, but that's exactly how they want you to feel so you wanna buy new stuff. I still use the first generation of the Totem, and although they make a new model every year I stick to mine cause I like it and it does the job well! As far as Fox or even Marzocchi, tell me a year they did not make new models of everything?

AdmanMTB (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:32)

I seem to remember they made a new set of 40s in 09 (completely revamped them) and then made those limited edition models in 2010, and Kashima in 2011.

To me, the limited editions don't count (they are not a commerical thing, they're a prototype).

The kashima coating was not available (I don't think) before 2010, so that is a progress that they have added because it was a new technology.

As far as I know, Fox have been more consistant with existing products than Rock Shox have.

And as for a few posts above, changing the paint does not count as a performance upgrade. In other words, I'm not jealous of a new product because it's different, it's just that it's not good service to add basic performance upgrades a year later when they should have been in there in the first model.

Get it right the first time, keep it right, and when a new technology comes along, THEN is the time to make a new product.

Demo-250 (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:39)

If it bothers you that much just buy the new internals and drop em' in. It will be a 2011 with 2010 lowers. It will also be cheaper than buying a new fork.

WAKIdesigns (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:49)

Never ever was changing internals a game worth the money. In some cases it is even not worth changing the coil spring. Sell the fork buy new one and you will end up spending less money in the end. Just learn to like what you have, and when it gets worn out, then buy a new product. And always ask yourself will it really make me a better rider, is it able to do that at all?, will you be any happier person with that? Are you good enough to actualy use the benefits? Look at your wheels, pedals/shoes and cockpit first - are you sure there are no improvements for less money to make, as these actualy makes you riding better.

Demo-250 (Oct 26, 2010 at 2:04)

I didn't say I'm one to do that... I'm perfectly happy with my 2010 model. And just for the record, I had trouble taking your reply seriously at all.... it lost all credibility after, "not worth changing the coil spring, just buy a new fork." Actually, it lost credibility in the first senetence. Did you know it's actually cheaper to convert a boxxer to WC then to buy a WC?

Everything after that was legit points though.

noel-fielding (Oct 26, 2010 at 4:01)

I've got some 5 year old marzocchi drop offs and personally i dont see any point in me going to buy some new marzocchi 55s (theyre basically for the same purpose but newer) because the drop offs are so simple to set up and there is basically nothing that can go wrong with them . Also i dont feel a vast improvement with the 55s so in 5 years marzocchi hasn't made a far better product so i doubt sram would of made a product that would over-shadow a product a year older

WAKIdesigns (Oct 26, 2010 at 4:27)

I wouldn't buy Boxxer World Cup... this WC thing doesn't dazzle... Team sounds better no toilet conotations - what are the internalls of you WC? well since the flush stopped working it's a wee beige jobby! I hope I won't get any rebound from the sewage... good that I have the dial at the bottom!

I'm just trying how far off-topic can we go here with this tech tuesday...

AdmanMTB (Oct 26, 2010 at 4:43)

Well... it ain't working mate.

I think a lot of you are missing my point - I don't feel that the new models are so much better that I have to buy them. That's not what's pissing me off.

It's that I buy a brand new World Cup fork, which is $1500 of my money.

This improves the value of my bike when I come to sell it, and its a good selling feature as well as a brilliant addition to performance.

I am now selling my bike, with these wonderful 2010 World Cups.

And what do SRAM do? They bring out a newer model, which 95% of people could NOT tell the difference, but now my forks, despite feeling exactly the same as these 2011 forks, are worth shit all. People now want the 2011 forks... and now I'm stuck with forks that nobody wants.

So THAT's what I'm annoyed about. That I buy something that I see as top of the line, but because SRAM bring out a slighty different model, my awesome forks are now worth jack shit...

WAKIdesigns (Oct 26, 2010 at 5:10)

how does exactly buying a new fork contribute to the selling value of your bike? well it does to the bike but not to your wallet. An well this is what should matter to you, isn't it? Buying new stuff never counts, you loose lots of money as soon as you pay for the product. Usualy more in that very first moment than it is in the end for the difference between buying used / selling used.

Yea yea I never pay MSRP bla blaa f*kin bla. It is natural: you buy new you loose lots of money: all you get is the "feeling" of having something that no one never used before.

kifu (Oct 26, 2010 at 6:50)

The only difference between the 2010 Boxxer WC and the 2011 is the shape of the adjustment knobs, unless there is some difference in the internals that they aren't advertising (which I seriously doubt). Your fork will depreciate regarless of whether or not the manufacturer releases a new model, which in this case they haven't.

WAKIdesigns (Oct 26, 2010 at 7:04)

There's a hole in the ozon!

10 0

smike (Oct 26, 2010 at 7:20)

If you're buying mountain bikes for their resale value, you might want to stop while you're ahead. They depreciate faster than cars. You have to look at your purchases for your own use and enjoyment only. Just don't expect to get ANY money back from them for resale and you'll stay sane.

masher (Oct 26, 2010 at 7:47)

Sell the bike without a front fork. Re-use you 2010 Boxxer. Problem solved.

EricBirk (Oct 26, 2010 at 8:49)

Thats business dude. I have an 09 Boxxer and still have no use to upgrade to the new ones. I love mine!

MrPulse (Oct 26, 2010 at 9:59)

SRAM is not the only company that releases new products...... fox, hayes, ford, toyota, they are in the business to sell products. not release one do it all and forever product and then close their doors. mountain bikes are not a good resale business. we buy bikes to have fun, not make money.

Ginu (Oct 26, 2010 at 12:52)

AdmanMTB, out of curiosity I have to ask if you realize the price of an item drops as soon as it leaves the store regardless of the year or make.

Unless you have the opportunity of purchasing something which is limited in supply and extremely hard to obtain, the price will drop regardless. Another option is to purchase at cost if you have the possibility and access to do so, and that way you can switch out forks, frames, components etc... and actually make some cash on top

that's what I do, but in this case you would require some connections for that to happen.

Best of luck with FOX, awesome products regardless.

vaguehue (Oct 26, 2010 at 14:47)

@ Adman MTB
Sweet, how much do u want 4 just the fork then? =]

AdmanMTB (Oct 26, 2010 at 18:21)

@ Vaguehue
$3000, free bike included.

@Ginu
Of course I realise that the price drops as soon as it's bought - it loses over half its value (depending on the product).

But what I'm annoyed about (I'll say it again) is not that I've lost money, it's that SRAM just don't perfect things the first time - they keep doing meaningless upgrades for the sake of it, and it's not good for the customer.

It feels crap, you feel ripped off because you thought you had their best product (or even a team model, which more people use) and now they've done some meaningless upgrade...

smike (Oct 26, 2010 at 18:24)

Name one product that's perfect the first time around.

And if the upgrades are "meaningless", as you say, why do you feel that your older model is inferior? Doesn't make sense.

Stop worrying about it and enjoy it for what it is. If you're worried about products being outdated, don't buy a computer either.

D-Owen (Oct 26, 2010 at 22:06)

technology gets better every year, if sram doesnt make changes then they arent making any money. the whole point of a product is to improve on it. And why do you pick SRAM? EVERY SINGLE BRAND IN THE WORLD DOES IT. Its brands like that never change that piss me off. you cant sell old shit like its new again, but even if they did they seem to have you caught up in it pretty well.

So if we could turn back time would that make you happy? We could downgrade everything every year just so people feel that their original purchase was the right one. Is that waht you really want? Cause every one feels the way you do... even me... I buy a fork every couple of years, but i dont always get the newest one.in 2007 my preference was the 2005 66 over the 06 cause i liked the feel, so dont feel ripped off, feel happy that you purchased a solid RS product

vaguehue (Oct 29, 2010 at 5:38)

@ AdmanMTB - fantastic, u just don't want to win that case ;DDD
Help yourself and sell something before u get blisters from moaning too much via keyboard ;P
Any other offer on ur fork?

eraz77 (Oct 26, 2010 at 3:44)

Just don't think that FOX 40 is better. It has weak lowers, the fit cartridge has a seal popping out every other day and and the cap holding it in place bending, air gets into the cartridge and so on. When air in the fluid travels upwards why the hack would one put a oil reservoir in the lowers of the fork. Maybe to be able to invert the cartridge for the 2011 model and call it "the holy mother of redesign". It's like Windows! Beta tester = consumer.
Just spend your money for a road-trip, throw a huge party, whatever makes you happy.

Nice article: it reads experiment.

november29 (Jun 4, 2011 at 7:25)

Haha, they did invert it eventually lol

swampwolf (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:06)

Nice article Mike, as pretty much all other Tech Tuesday! You should do one the the Fox 40 too!

suicidedownhiller (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:28)

It'd be nice to see one on all the popular 3...or so help me, 4 (manitou

)
888s, 40s, this one, and dorados...Especially since most of the other forks in each company feature the same adjustments as their dual crown race forks

swampwolf (Oct 26, 2010 at 2:16)

Indeed! If you made 1 post for each of these ^^ (almost) everybody would be happy! Then again, it would be a full 4 weeks talking about forks which is not exactly the point of the Tech Tuesdays...

staike (Oct 26, 2010 at 9:49)

WTF? If your dad bought you your bike and you're too lazy too find out which one who do what, go to your LBS and ask them what each of the knobs adjust then go to this vid to see how that adjustment affects your riding.

iggzdaloc (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:54)

I think it would be totally beneficial if you made an article showing people how to remove the play in the solo air piston with some specific o-ring placement. Good job though man

grucha (Oct 26, 2010 at 12:56)

Does anybody try to remove those oil seals ? I'm pretty much afraid that It'll be leaking like a hell...

iggzdaloc (Oct 26, 2010 at 20:01)

Only cut off the top oil seal lip with an exacto. You need the lower one and should NOT cut it.

Muttley (Oct 27, 2010 at 2:56)

Theres so little oil in there it doesnt really make a difference having them or not. Im gonna gash up my top lip soon.

iggzdaloc (Oct 27, 2010 at 3:21)

I do not way dust/poopy stuff in my bushings and would recommend keeping at least one lip on seal.

Muttley (Oct 27, 2010 at 5:45)

Fair dos. Kinda wanna try ditching the foam rings between the seals and packing it with ultra slick instead, apparently that works a hebeast.

iggzdaloc (Oct 27, 2010 at 5:58)

Don't get rid of the foam but definitely lather the crap out of it with some Slick Honey

Muttley (Oct 27, 2010 at 6:06)

All this tuning talk reminds me i need to relube my team, maybe for 2011 they shouldve made some adjusters that dont have the worlds biggest fuck of a circlip to hold them on..

iggzdaloc (Oct 27, 2010 at 6:21)

They did just that.... Now it's a pinner allen head screw.

Muttley (Oct 27, 2010 at 6:36)

Shit i wonder if they are retro-fittable to 2010's....

iggzdaloc (Oct 27, 2010 at 6:37)

99% sure they are

Muttley (Oct 27, 2010 at 6:38)

weeeeeeyyyyyyyy

olicool360 (Oct 26, 2010 at 14:08)

thewillscrew: i recomande you a boxxer wc the fox 40 as only an oil seal, so the dust can go i it and it requir more maintence. the boxxer is also cheaper

Muttley (Oct 27, 2010 at 2:57)

If you dont actually know what you are talking about, dont post.

captain-sandbag (Oct 26, 2010 at 8:14)

I know there's not much chance of it happening, but I'd love one of these for my Totem. I have a really hard time making it do what I want.

rusty4077 (Oct 26, 2010 at 8:40)

Uhhh - never heard of a Boxxer R2... I think you meant RC, as in it has one rebound and one compression adjustment... Great tech Tues tho!

smike (Oct 28, 2010 at 9:14)

R2C2 is the new 2011 version of what used to be called the "team" model.

smike (Oct 28, 2010 at 9:17)

Never mind... I see what you're referring to and you're correct.

KlanaRadikala (Oct 26, 2010 at 11:55)

i don´t think that there is such a big difference between the 2010 and the 2011 ones. i´m going to get the 2010wc for much less bucks

wheelies-only (Jul 26, 2011 at 20:17)

Anyone have problems with the bottom out knob not turning? I removed the knob and greased the area with little to no luck - it's stuck on there really good....

PerryDH (Oct 26, 2010 at 3:47)

So how does the fork switch between the low and high speed compression? is it just a pressure valve or something???

anonimatomloki (Oct 26, 2010 at 4:17)

Please make one for de 888 rc3

jmeiklejohn (Oct 26, 2010 at 13:37)

Great vid! Very useful info there.

roambc (Oct 26, 2010 at 22:27)

do this vid on fox 40'w

kkyyllee (Oct 22, 2010 at 16:00)

i love this tip ill be sure to use it when i get one of theese fork in the long run

Demo-250 (Oct 26, 2010 at 2:25)

Hey Mike, I have a quick question. You said you like your beginning rebound slightly slower than most and that the guide recommends 10 clicks of beginning rebound for someone of your weight. You then said you find that you prefer to run 11 or 12 clicks... this is actually slightly faster than what the guide has recommended. You are starting with the adjustments in the slowest position (the turtle) and then adding clicks, correct?

One more question... I can't feel my clicks anymore... The fork still functions great and the rebound adjustments work perfectly fine. I can take it from pogo stick to so slow it's completely useless. So nothing is actually wrong internally. It just makes it hard (impossible actually) to count my clicks when I try to play around with the adjustments. Any suggestions?

larsveenstra (Oct 26, 2010 at 4:06)

Demo-250, have you tried taking it apart since this problem occurred? a good service and some fresh lubricants can go a long way...

smike (Oct 26, 2010 at 5:46)

Demo-250: clicks are usually counted fast to slow. At least in their manuals anyway.

t1000 (Oct 26, 2010 at 7:18)

try to count in terms of fraction of turn. exemple, if you have 4 full turn of adjustment and you want it half way, go for two turn from one end. then, fine tune with quater of turn for exemple. if you dont feel the clicks, i think it may be because you lost the mini balls that produce the effect of click, or maybe the little spring that push these balls, or maybe there is too much dirt so that all of this is stock in dirt, have a look

thehillscrew (Oct 26, 2010 at 7:58)

I have no idea what to get 2011 Fox 40's or 2011 BoXXer WC's both sound amazing and i have read that the Boxxers are incredible I race DH and have to race on completely different tracks and like the sound of making the fork tuned to any track can you please help

whitetux FL (Oct 26, 2010 at 8:04)

save your money and get boxxer teams, they are marginally heavier, and require less maintenance, but perform exactly the same

MrPulse (Oct 26, 2010 at 9:53)

boxxer.

Demo-250 (Oct 26, 2010 at 10:57)

@smike: The boxxer manual tells you to count from slow though. Check out the online manual.
@t1000/larsvee: Thanks for the suggestions / possible causes.

lely-pie (Oct 26, 2010 at 1:54)

would this oil seal mod work with domain 302's aswell?

vaguehue (Oct 26, 2010 at 14:55)

Domain being coil doesn't need such a mod

Nah?

lely-pie (Oct 26, 2010 at 15:26)

yes it's coil but there is no oil in the lowers therefore it doesnt need the oil seals?

Muttley (Oct 27, 2010 at 2:56)

There should be a small amount of lube oil in the lowers but yes, you could do this mod.

vaguehue (Oct 29, 2010 at 5:33)

I ment rather the fact that stiction on coil shocks isn't even half as bad as in air ones, and the improvement might not be worth all fhat fuss with servicing your fork...

Sysics (Dec 7, 2010 at 1:54)

My Boxxer Team 2010 isnt running this smooth as I like, so I think about doing this also with my Boxxer.
Can I remove them, when I service my fork and remove the casting? Can i simply pull them out like he does in the video?

j-peters (Oct 26, 2010 at 2:22)

Mike, this installment kicked ass, nice job dude.

skippy888 (Oct 26, 2010 at 15:28)

Why WC's not the RC4 after the DHX???

Adrian95FR (Oct 26, 2010 at 11:50)

cool fork

kisss (Oct 23, 2010 at 4:56)

How much is the price?

shastasc (Oct 26, 2010 at 6:25)

the website says 1700 but you cud probably find it a bit cheaper some where else

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