Fox DHX 5.0 Air or Coil

PB Forum :: Freeride & Slopestyle
Fox DHX 5.0 Air or Coil
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flag jrotto
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 4:17 Quote
I am looking to replace my rear shock on my 06 Stinky D.. choices are DHX 5.0 air verses the coil..can anyone provide me pros/cons. I dont know much about the air. thanks
flag pbuser102331
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 9:31 Quote
air is light and easily adjustable for your body weight,but also very unreliable,

coil just feels super plush,and more reliable,and you could get the spring weight you need when ordering.
flag Wilson4
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 9:39 Quote
Air
Pro-Progressive, weight, tunability
Con-Still new tech, can be unreliable, doesn't have "pop" like a coil

Coil
Pro-Linear, tankproof (for the most part), somewhat light with Ti coil, has "pop"
Con-Weight or cost of Ti spring, need to buy springs to dramatically change the shock
flag hampsteadbandit
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:15 Quote
air is light and easily adjustable for your body weight,but also very unreliable


I'm sorry its a myth that the DHX Air is unreliable, we have sold a stack of bikes over the years with the DHX Air and there was a small batch of shocks about 3 years ago that came into the UK with seals manufactured from a certain grade of polymer that encouraged "stick down" (some of these were on Specialized Enduros in 2005)

this gave the DHX Air a bad rep, which was unfounded

I've certaintly had no issues with my DHX 5.0 Air, nor have my riding buddies

as someone that has also owned several DHX 5.0 coils, the biggest difference is the way the shock rides

the DHX coil is much more sensitive to small bumps and has a deeper range of performance, which makes it a better DH shock

the DHX air is less sensitive and can sometimes feel lost in the mid stroke, which can make it feel "on/off", but for freeride the weight saving and ease of adjusting the spring rate can outweigh this

basically you will never beat a coil spring for sheer performance


ou could get the spring weight you need when ordering

one of the problems for some riders, if you fall between coil spring rates, is that you end up comprising your setup - with an air shock its infinitely adjustable with the shock pump so you can get it 100% right, and it doesnt cost to make this change, in addition on travel adjustable bikes there can often be a 150lb +/- leverage rate change between settings which means more coil springs to buy, or just get out the pump with the air shock
flag codyloveskona
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:17 Quote
both the same weight, but i like the feel of spring for agressive riding and air for DJ, and coil for DH,FR. coil seems more reliable in my experences
flag Wilson4
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:20 Quote
^^^Air is lighter they weigh the shock sans spring.
flag codyloveskona
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:23 Quote
Wilson4 wrote:
^^^Air is lighter they weigh the shock sans spring.
tru but not by much, if you get Ti spring there identical almost
flag hampsteadbandit
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:32 Quote
even with a Ti spring, an air shock still has a useful weight saving

typically +1lb compared to coil with steel spring

and about 1/2-1/3lb compared to coil with ti spring
flag Wilson4
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:38 Quote
Not really codyloveskona,

Fox DHX 5 7.875 x 2.25

Air = 459 grams
Coil = 796 grams

337 grams = 3/4 of a pound

A Ti coil will make it a half pound diff, maybe, maybe just under.

Plus a lot of bikes use a 9.5 x 3 shock. The spring weighs 573 grams (for a 350lb shock or 641 grams for a 450 pound spring) on its own. Ti would be 100-150 grams lighter. Air is a massive weight savings.
flag lcstay10
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:43 Quote
for a stinky, id go coil, i dont like the feel of air on a stinky
flag BlackHornet
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:46 Quote
air is real nice, but if you bottom it out a lot over time, the nitrogen sleeve could leak and causing you to get it rebuilt. coil is more bombproof, in my opinion, because you can bottom it out more than you can the air and not have to completely rebuild it. I mean you will have to send it in every so often to get hte oil changed but you will have to send the air shock in every so often to get it rebuilt......i say go with the coil because they are more bombproof for drops and hard landings, they do weigh a little more but i think a rider would get used to a pound or so in just a few rides
flag pbuser102331
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 13:57 Quote
hampsteadbandit wrote:
air is light and easily adjustable for your body weight,but also very unreliable


I'm sorry its a myth that the DHX Air is unreliable, we have sold a stack of bikes over the years with the DHX Air and there was a small batch of shocks about 3 years ago that came into the UK with seals manufactured from a certain grade of polymer that encouraged "stick down" (some of these were on Specialized Enduros in 2005)

this gave the DHX Air a bad rep, which was unfounded

I've certaintly had no issues with my DHX 5.0 Air, nor have my riding buddies

as someone that has also owned several DHX 5.0 coils, the biggest difference is the way the shock rides

the DHX coil is much more sensitive to small bumps and has a deeper range of performance, which makes it a better DH shock

the DHX air is less sensitive and can sometimes feel lost in the mid stroke, which can make it feel "on/off", but for freeride the weight saving and ease of adjusting the spring rate can outweigh this

basically you will never beat a coil spring for sheer performance


ou could get the spring weight you need when ordering

one of the problems for some riders, if you fall between coil spring rates, is that you end up comprising your setup - with an air shock its infinitely adjustable with the shock pump so you can get it 100% right, and it doesnt cost to make this change, in addition on travel adjustable bikes there can often be a 150lb +/- leverage rate change between settings which means more coil springs to buy, or just get out the pump with the air shock

sorry but mbuk reckons that the rp3 is more reliable,and they are still having issues with the dhxa reliability.
flag sherbet
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 14:05 Quote
If you race, the air is probably the best idea.

If you muck about, and don't care for the weight savings, go for coil.

I PERSONALLY favor the feel of coil, but would rather ride an air shock.
flag codyloveskona
Posted: Mar 18, 2008 at 15:35 Quote
Wilson4 wrote:
Not really codyloveskona,

Fox DHX 5 7.875 x 2.25

Air = 459 grams
Coil = 796 grams

337 grams = 3/4 of a pound

A Ti coil will make it a half pound diff, maybe, maybe just under.

Plus a lot of bikes use a 9.5 x 3 shock. The spring weighs 573 grams (for a 350lb shock or 641 grams for a 450 pound spring) on its own. Ti would be 100-150 grams lighter. Air is a massive weight savings.
woo, ok, you proved me way wrong.
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