[Guide] Adjust travel on Fox 831 and Float 32mm-36mm forks

Author	Message

olavrb

Posted: Oct 9, 2012 at 23:33

Quote

Disclaimer:
I'm not responsible for any damages. This is your own doing. You have been warned.

Background:
Lowering Fox Float forks is really easy, but getting the needed information on how to do it, is hard. I wanted to lower my Fox 831 32mm from 100mm to 80mm, and wanted to document the process while I did it. The result is a guide which I hope others might enjoy for similar purposes.
Here is my before and after shots, for inspiration:

What forks?
This guide should work for all Fox Float forks, including:
- Fox 831 (32mm, 34mm, 36mm)
- Fox Float 32mm, 34,mm, 36mm, for 26", 27.5", 29.5" wheels.

Why should I change the travel of my fork?
- If you make it shorter, the front of the bike will get lower. This will change the geometry of the bike.
- Shorter travel/ shorter total length: Lower bb height and steeper angle of the head tube. Less travel. Need more air pressure to not bottom out.
- More travel / longer total length: The opposite.

How much can I change the travel?
The fork can be lowered from the given max travel on the fork, and theoreticly down to 0mm of travel (Which will leave the fork completely useless..)

How much spacers do I need to get the fork the height i want?
If you want to lower it 20mm, you just use one 20mm spacer.
If you want your fork 20mm higher, you just take out one 20mm spacer

Example pictures taken from Fox Tech Center
Fox 32 - Fox 36 160mm - Fox 36 180mm

"I need help for a different Fox fork"
Fox has made a whole lot of information available for us customers. You can get it all here:
Fox Tech Center: Bike

Again:
I'm not responsible for any damages. This is your own doing. You have been warned.
If this looks too hard, get your fork to a professional bike shop instead. Fox forks are damn expensive.

Stuff you will need:

Tools:
- 24mm wrench or socket key for Fox 32 forks, 32mm wrench or socket key for Fox 36 forx.
- 10mm socket key.
- Shock pump
- Hex or torx keys (To remove the stem and headset)
- Cups (To gather the oil)
- Toilet paper
- Torque wrench, which measures newton meter (nm). Check ridefox tech sites to find recommended torque.
- Measuring cup or syringe.

Parts:
- Spacer (25mm Ø is used for 32mm, 34mm and 36mm.

Lubricant:
- Fox Float Fluid Anti-Fraction Lube (for the seals and top chamber, Fox says this is ESSENTIAL to prevent air leak)
- Grease, lithium based (for nuts and threads)
- Fork oil, Fox 10wt Green is recommended by Fox. You can reuse the old oil, but new oil is always better).

How much oil + how hard the bolts need to be tightened, will be covered later!

Let's start.. The whole process ONLY involves the air side of the fork:

1.
Remove stem, headset and front wheel from the fork.

2.
IMPORTANT: Let the air out, or something fatal WILL happen.

3.
Compress the fork.

4.
Unscrew the 10mm nut in the bottom. CHILL: No oil will get out yet.

5.
Unscrew the top cap on the air side. Adjustable wrench is NOT recommended.

6.
Get the oil (Float Fluid) out at the top. If you don't have new oil: Keep it for later.
IMPORTANT: The oil at the top differs from the oil at the bottom. Do not blend!

7.
Press the bottom bolt in to the fork, by tapping gently with a hammer. Let the oil drain.

8.
Use something to press the whole thing from the bottom and out at the top. As soon as you can grab the top with your hands: Do so, and drag the whole thing out.

9.
Find out how much you want to lower/rise your fork.
I want to go from 100mm to 80mm, so I use a 20mm spacer.
TIP: Measure the spacers just in case!

10.
Slide the old spacers down to get space for the new one(s).
If you are going to extend the travel of your fork; remove spacers and jump to step 13.

11.
Get the spacer in place.

12.
It should look like this.

13.
Take some float fluid in a small syringe. This is the easiest way to lubricate gaskets and stuff.

14.
Stick the whole thing back in. Not so much that the bolt get through the whole at the bottom. Get some float fluid on gaskets, seals, and stuff.

15.
Get some oil in the bottom. Fox recommends Fox 10wt green
Fox Float 32/831: 30ml/cc
Fox Float 36 160mm: 25ml/cc
Fox Float 36 180mm 40ml/cc

16.
Press the whole thing further down, so the bolt gets out at the bottom. Grease the bolt, and get the nut back on.
NB: The nut is made of aluminium, therefore it's very important that you don't over tighten it! Fox says 5.7 newtonmeter.

17.
Get 5 ml/cc of Fox Fluid at the top.

18.
Lubricate the top cap with some Fox Fluid. Both seals and threads.

19.
Mount the top cap, tighten it to 24-25 newtonmeter.

20.
When everything is tight, get some air in that fork.

21.
CONGRATS! You are finished!

Questions? mail: olavbirkeland at hotmail dot com, or reply in this thread

Sources:
Fox Tech Center
YouTube: How to lower a 36 fox float RC2
YouTube: How to Service a Fox Float Fork

- Olav

superbikes

Posted: Oct 10, 2012 at 5:41	Quote
I did this before you posted this . I did not remove forks from the bike i found no need to very easy to do just follow the common sence really. Fox allso have vids on how to do this

olavrb

Posted: Oct 10, 2012 at 9:13

Quote

superbikes wrote:

I did this before you posted this . I did not remove forks from the bike i found no need to very easy to do just follow the common sence really. Fox allso have vids on how to do this

And your point is?

superbikes

Posted: Oct 10, 2012 at 9:21

Quote

o-l-a-v wrote:

superbikes wrote:

I did this before you posted this . I did not remove forks from the bike i found no need to very easy to do just follow the common sence really. Fox allso have vids on how to do this

And your point is?

That this is very easy and hopefully it will help guys and girs that its not that hard to give a go thats all . Very usefull post you have done there . This would have been very usefull to me as it took a while to find the vid on how to from fox .

olavrb

Posted: Oct 10, 2012 at 11:17

Quote

superbikes wrote:

o-l-a-v wrote:

superbikes wrote:

I did this before you posted this . I did not remove forks from the bike i found no need to very easy to do just follow the common sence really. Fox allso have vids on how to do this

And your point is?

Ah, Ok

I misinterpret it. Thought you were saying like: "Why take off the wheel, thats just stupid"-kind off

superbikes

Posted: Oct 10, 2012 at 11:25

Quote

o-l-a-v wrote:

superbikes wrote:

o-l-a-v wrote:

And your point is?

Ah, Ok

I misinterpret it. Thought you were saying like: "Why take off the wheel, thats just stupid"-kind off

no problem . And yes doing this with the wheel on is stupid idear as the oil drains out on the rotor side .

EuanPalmer

Posted: Nov 28, 2013 at 7:28	Quote
My top cap won't come off

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