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Fox DHX 3/4/5 Coil - Oil and o-ring replacement guide

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Fox DHX 3/4/5 Coil - Oil and o-ring replacement guide
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Author Message
flag Nick-M2r
Posted: Jul 1, 2009 at 0:19 Quote
Hey guys

Just posting up my new guide which has been updated showing you how to service both the Propedal and rebound assemblies, so it now becomes a full service guide!

Also some answers to common questions i see regarding these shocks

1- There is NO NITRO CHARGE IN A DHX Coil shock, Nor is there any in a DHX Air

HOWEVER

On certain Specialized bikes, namely the SX Trail, they came with DHX without adjustable boost valves (identified by lack of air valve) due to frame constraints.
These are charged with nitrogen and hence this guide will not help.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDO THESE SHOCKS

2- You can get replacement o-rings from a supplier, or I have a kit available for purchase, containing 3 of every o-ring replaced in the guide. These are high quality o-rings, used in underground mining equipment

http://nick-m2r.pinkbike.com/buysell/userlist/


3- To the people that will bitch at me for using a shifting wrench, get over it, i didnt have a large enough spanner, so i had to use a shifter.


Links:
=====================================================================================
Tutorial:
http://www.mediafire.com/?lotejczmzz0
=====================================================================================

I also am considering making o-ring kits available for sale in the buy/sell section

If anyone would be interested in purchasing these, let me know on my note board



Make sure you read through the guide throughly before working on your shock

Enjoy

All service/damage you do to your shock is your own fault. The author has no responsibility for your ham-fistedness.
flag Hummeroid
Posted: Jul 1, 2009 at 17:57 Quote
Good guide, and that's from a suspension tech. Im going to sticky this.

Disclaimer added.
flag nathanbalsdon
O+
Posted: Jul 3, 2009 at 14:13 Quote
the IFP depths arn't correct. DHX 3 and 4 have different IFP depths from 5.0.
flag Nick-M2r
Posted: Jul 3, 2009 at 16:24 Quote
Then they would use the first method i used, which is to measure using a measuring tool, such as vernier calipers (not my ghetto ruler), the IFP depth in the intial stages of the guide. Notice it mentions them to take note of the depth because its different for every shock
flag nathanbalsdon
O+
Posted: Jul 4, 2009 at 11:35 Quote
it is a good guide, well written and fairly close to the accurate. I don't like your measuring method for the ifp depth tho. When the shock has a dead spot its usually because the shock was ridden with little to no Boost Valve pressure and the IFP did not fully rebound causing air to get sucked into the shock. This causes the IFP to be at the wrong depth.
flag Nick-M2r
Posted: Jul 4, 2009 at 21:06 Quote
Im gonna assume that the IFP depths for the DHX 5 are deeper than for the DHX 3 and 4, and i reckon its because of the Bottom Out adjuster right? All the BO adjuster is is a plug that winds in, reducing the size IFP chamber and increasing bottom out resistance. Now that means the IFP has to set deeper so that is dosent contact the BO plunger on full compression. Seeing as the DHX 3/4 dosent have BO adjust, this means the IFP will be set deeper than what it normally is, meaning the shock will be a touch more linear.
flag odin333
Posted: Jul 19, 2009 at 12:10 Quote
such a great guide. thanks alot. which kind of suspension oil do you use?
flag Nick-M2r
Posted: Jul 19, 2009 at 17:03 Quote
I use castrol 10w fork fluid, its not technically shock fluid but the moto store i buy it from uses it in rear shocks on motorbikes without adverse effects, and it hasnt caused me any problems in my shock either
flag doug13
Posted: Sep 13, 2009 at 23:30 Quote
I know you have IFP depths at the end of your guide but it doesn't give distinction between 3 4 or 5. I think i have got air in my shock so it may give me a wrong depth when i open it up. As long as your guide will work for a 3 i'll be fine?
flag Nick-M2r
Posted: Sep 14, 2009 at 4:45 Quote
doug13 wrote:
I know you have IFP depths at the end of your guide but it doesn't give distinction between 3 4 or 5. I think i have got air in my shock so it may give me a wrong depth when i open it up. As long as your guide will work for a 3 i'll be fine?

Yup it will work for ya. I used those depths on my mates 9.5 by 3 DHX 3 and it hasnt had any adverse effects
flag scant
Posted: Oct 19, 2009 at 16:17 Quote
Have all years of the sx trail's been made with nitrogen filled DHX 5.0's?
flag Nick-M2r
Posted: Oct 19, 2009 at 21:07 Quote
scant wrote:
Have all years of the sx trail's been made with nitrogen filled DHX 5.0's?
I think only pre 2009 sx trials
flag Nick-M2r
Posted: Feb 12, 2010 at 5:59 Quote
Hi guy and girls
Ive reworked the guide and it now includes instructions on how to service both the rebound and propedal assemblies, meaning the guide is now a full service guide
flag hucker13
Posted: Feb 20, 2010 at 18:24 Quote
Not to say this isn't a good guide, but just a word of warning to those of you out there about to try this: It's pretty hard to get a consistently good bleed using the "benchtop" method, especially on this shock. At least that was my experience and that of a friend. I would just pay to have it done submerged in an oil bath, because small bubbles are less likely to form that way (there's a reason that suspension places do it under an oil bath)...if you really want to do it yourself, though, this is definitely the way to do it.
flag The-Kenny
Posted: Apr 23, 2010 at 10:37 Quote
thanks Nick-M2r for this great guide. Could you make a guide for DHX AIR 5.0 too?
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