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Grip 2 Damper Upgrade

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Grip 2 Damper Upgrade

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flag Paleboy
Posted: Dec 30, 2021 at 21:09 Quote
Anyone have a Fox 34 or 36 that they’ve upgraded to Grip 2 from the Grip damper? Or any experience between the two? Worth it or not so much?
flag deinabolic
Posted: Dec 31, 2021 at 11:41 Quote
Went from a Grip to Grip2 in a Marz coil. As a generalization, G2 seems to be more heavily damped than G1. Definitely more controlled and has better mid-stroke support but a little less plush off the top and a tad harder on the hands.

Ultimately, worth it for the better control and less wallowing during drama terrain at speed.
flag lyzyrdskydr
Posted: Dec 31, 2021 at 12:57 Quote
I've always been happy with the standard grip dampers even after owning several grip 2 forks. As said above I think the grip damper has a bit lighter tune than the standard grip 2, so I usually would run ~ 1/4 turn of compression damping on the grip for extra support.

I don't think it's worth it, especially for a 34. If you have a 34 and you want better performance, get a pike
flag Paleboy
Posted: Jan 3, 2022 at 8:25 Quote
Appreciate your responses. I have a 34 @ 140mm and guess I have a case of FOMO based on all of the lavish praise on this site about the current model with the Grip 2. Mostly happy with it but it can get in over its head a little bit on really rough terrain. The Grip 2 upgrade is about $450 CAD on average (plus installation if I don’t tackle it myself) so it’s not exactly cheap but still much cheaper than a new fork….which is why it’s valuable to know what riders have found based on their experiences with the 2 different dampers.

I won’t be changing the fork so it’s a tough call.
flag lyzyrdskydr
Posted: Jan 3, 2022 at 13:11 Quote
Keep in mind they made some major updates to the air spring, bushings, and chassis of the '22 34 that is being praised. I had a '22 34 and despite being a fit4 found it to be much more sensitive than prior 34's. About as sensitive as a Pike but noticeably more flex in rough terrain for an 80kg rider. I'm not a RS fanboy by any means, I greatly prefer the 38 to the Zeb after owning both I just think the Pike is better than the 34.

Changing the damper isn't necessarily "much cheaper" than replacing the fork. Most shops will charge at least $100 labor, and unless you already have everything you'll spend that much on the tools and oils needed to do it at home. At that point you're almost at the price difference between selling your new old fork and buying a replacement, you could even save money if you hunt around on the classifieds and find a new or lightly used take-off.

What year is your 34? Have you ever removed the air spring to make sure it isn't over greased? Before this year I've had to service most of my Fox forks out of the box to get them to work properly. I've also had issues in the past with overly tight bushings in my 36's so that's worth checking as well.
flag Paleboy
Posted: Jan 3, 2022 at 15:46 Quote
Those all all good points about the new 34: it has been extensively redesigned and would be upgraded in other areas over the older models. Mine came stock on a 2017 Trek Fuel and I had the air spring replaced to bump the travel up from 130mm to 140mm while getting it serviced. I trust that my local mechanic knows what he was doing and the fork feels more capable with the extra cushioning.

Also yes, and that $100 of labour and/ or tools and supplies that will be requires are closer to $130 up here. So you’re almost at $600CAD…while still using the older chassis.

My buddy has a 160mm Pike on his Commencal and it’s definitely more capable than a 34 on the rough stuff, although that bike is more of an enduro sled than my more trail-oriented ride. Not sure if I want to add much more weight with a 36 or not, or whether it’s worth the $$ for the swap. Ditto for a Pike although it’s an intriguing option. (Plus it’s a 130 shock in the back and don’t really want to add more than 140 up front to mess with the handling)
flag krishlin
Posted: Jan 3, 2022 at 19:52 Quote
If you're considering getting a grip 2 damper, I'd suggest getting the gen 1 grip 2 over the gen 2 VVC grip 2 if you're a heavier or harder rider. If you're a less aggressive rider, you'll probably be fine getting either grip 2 damper.

The new gen 2 VVC grip 2 dampers have a much narrower compression damping range compared to the gen 1 grip 2 dampers according to Vorsprung's dyno data. Gen 2 VVC grip 2 has probably close to 1/5 of the maximum compression damping available compared to the 1st gen. Harder charging riders will find the VVC grip 2 valving inadequate. I haven't ridden the new VVC grip 2 for an extended period yet, but I can say the gen 1 grip 2 is very supportive at higher compression settings.
flag lyzyrdskydr
Posted: Jan 3, 2022 at 20:27 Quote
krishlin wrote:
If you're considering getting a grip 2 damper, I'd suggest getting the gen 1 grip 2 over the gen 2 VVC grip 2 if you're a heavier or harder rider. If you're a less aggressive rider, you'll probably be fine getting either grip 2 damper.

The new gen 2 VVC grip 2 dampers have a much narrower compression damping range compared to the gen 1 grip 2 dampers according to Vorsprung's dyno data. Gen 2 VVC grip 2 has probably close to 1/5 of the maximum compression damping available compared to the 1st gen. Harder charging riders will find the VVC grip 2 valving inadequate. I haven't ridden the new VVC grip 2 for an extended period yet, but I can say the gen 1 grip 2 is very supportive at higher compression settings.

They never offered a gen 1 grip2 damper for the 34, you can only get a vvc grip2 damper for the 34.

I've seen that Vorsprung video, but I disagree that the vvc's adjustment range is inadequate. I have a lot of time on both generations of grip2 and prefer the revised vvc version. I'm 180lbs and ride pretty hard and had to run the compression damping almost wide open on the gen 1 grip2 otherwise things would get harsh. On the vvc forks I'm able increase damping and the adjustment range seems more usable overall. I agree that the when the clickers are fully closed the gen 1 grip2 had more support, but I don't know who those settings are usable for unless you're doing Josh Bender cliff hucks regularly
flag krishlin
Posted: Jan 3, 2022 at 20:47 Quote
lyzyrdskydr wrote:
They never offered a gen 1 grip2 damper for the 34, you can only get a vvc grip2 damper for the 34.

I've seen that Vorsprung video, but I disagree that the vvc's adjustment range is inadequate. I have a lot of time on both generations of grip2 and prefer the revised vvc version. I'm 180lbs and ride pretty hard and had to run the compression damping almost wide open on the gen 1 grip2 otherwise things would get harsh. On the vvc forks I'm able increase damping and the adjustment range seems more usable overall. I agree that the when the clickers are fully closed the gen 1 grip2 had more support, but I don't know who those settings are usable for unless you're doing Josh Bender cliff hucks regularly

Yeah, you're right I forgot they never offered the 34 with the gen 1 G2.

Your experience with both dampers is probably a more realistic representation of their real-world performance and application. I guess if someone's a racer, the extra bit of support and traction from a stock gen 1 G2 would be beneficial, but the VVC G2 can ultimately be reshimmed to a firmer valve spec.
flag Mylarrito
Posted: Feb 21, 2022 at 3:09 Quote
I got one (2021) for my 36 fork and I really like it. I was very lucky to buy it before the rona-bump, so I got it for $280, and tied it in with a regular service of my fork made the install fairly cheap. Only thing I'll say is that for winter riding, I struggled a bit with the constant chatter of the trails. So I lowered air pressure a bit, tweaked the hsc/lsc a little and most importantly lowered tire pressure in my front. The winter chatter is _so_ fine/frequent that I think the fork doesn't get a chance to react most of the time, but I didn't have that issue last winter with my grip1 damper, so probably was something with the grip2 that didn't jive well.
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