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ive currently got the last iteration of the fox float 36 (the ‘2017’ model bought in 2016). Never fully got on with them or got them set up right (had 3 sets of 36’s in the past and always got them where I wanted them to be). Great forks when pushing hard, but main gripes are the wooden feeling when not hitting things hard and poor small bump compliance, that and the damper dials do bugger all.
Thinking of changing to the lates Evol float version. Any real world comparisons? Does the bigger neg air chamber solve the small bump issue? Do the damper adjustments actually do anything on this version?
any feedback from owners greatly appreciated
Well, yes - the damper adjustments do something - they always have, they just aren't stupid big jumps like RS - which is no damping on 15-17 Pikes from clicks 0-4 and then suddenly massive damping progression from then on. Unlike my standard non modifed Pikes, they don't have this god awful platformy feel with tonnes of low speed compression that suddenly blows off in a digressive manner - they feel like they firm up under harder hits. The Pikes and Lyriks need tokens because the standard compression damping was shit (havn't tried the new ones), Fox's feel great totally linear.
The Evol air spring does improve things, supposedly the Grip 2 damper on the 2019 model makes them the fork to beat though.
The Racing Bros Lycan seals make a mahoosive difference to them as well, take a look at youtube videos and the various homebrew tests give a good indication of how much less friction they incur on the fork.
In a recent test of the newest 36 vs the newest rc2 Lyrik there wasn’t much between the 2 forks. The rc2 means the Lyrik now has high and low speed compression whilst the Fox added high and low speed rebound.
One tester thought the fox ran higher up in its travel which they liked the most. The other tester preferred the Lyrik as it had a more buttery smooth feel over smaller stuff.
Are there any aftermarket upgrades you could do to your 36 to improve it rather than change to a new (and very expensive) fork?
Are there any aftermarket upgrades you could do to your 36 to improve it rather than change to a new (and very expensive) fork?
I can get them revalved or push’d, but I don’t think that will solve the small bump / wooden feeling issue. Fox do their factory tuning service where they’ll put the new Evol internals in your old fork, but it’s £500, where as I could sell my old one for £5/600, stick couple hundred on top and buy some ‘new’ second hand ones as there seem to be a few floating around.
open to ideas though if anyone’s got any?
I put an avalanche open bath damper in my 2006 Fox 36 forks. It was fantastic. So good, I had to then do the rear shock and the forks on the hardtail.
How about a Vorsprung Luftkappe upgrade? TFTuned do them now.
https://vorsprungsuspension.com/collections/all/products/vorsprung-luftkappe-fox-34-36
How about a Vorsprung Luftkappe upgrade? TFTuned do them now
Looks interesting and pretty affordable, have you tried one? Did it make much of s difference if so?
We have fitted quite a lot of Vorsprung Luftkappes to the 36 NA 2015-17 forks and the feedback has been extremely positive.
have you tried one?
Not yet. Considering it for my 2017 34’s when they go for a service next month.
Feedback on here about the Rockshox versions have been good though.
We have fitted quite a lot of Vorsprung Luftkappes to the 36 NA 2015-17 forks and the feedback has been extremely positive
In what way? Is it making a noticeable difference to small bump compliance and getting rid of the wooden feeling at the start of the stroke?
The luftkappe should in theory do just that for you. By having a bigger negative spring the fork will be more keen to get moving at the start of the stroke.
Yes it vastly improves the feel of the fork in the initial stroke. The most common complaint of the 15-17 36 is the feel of it off the very top. When traveling at speed its a great fork. The luftkappe makes it the fork it should have been.
Excellent, thanks for the feedback. Looks like it’s worth giving a go for the cost
i have a 2018 performance elite fit 4 whattchamacallit and I think it is a superb fork. sensitive to psi and fiddly to set up but once you do its wonderful. cark park test small bump stuff who cares, on the trail its brillbags.
If you don’t mind weight and spending £400 the PUSH coil conversion apparently makes 36s incredible and much more reliable than air.
As per usual the press raves about the new 36s and Lyrics but after a few months real world users will find the faults. Then next years fork will be so much better again. Sadly they will all have crap CSUs that eventually creak even though the fork costs £1k +.
I've a 2016 FIT4 36.
Found it was great at high speed stuff but at slower speeds the fork was hard/harsh even when running low speed compression at zero.
Friend of mine is a suspension wizard. When he serviced my fork a few months back he took the shaft, placed it in a lathe and removed some metal from the negative chamber.
Result is that the fork* has more low speed sensitivity, but retains high speed performance. I think I'm running two or three more clicks on the high speed compression.
*warranty has been voided?
I don't have the latest one but I do have the '16 FIT4s and yep the movement off the top isn't so nice but does it really matter? They're bloody brilliant in use. I'd like to improve that one thing, if I could, but I don't want to change or spoil anything else they do because they're so damn fine, so I've left it all as it is.
For me the issue with my 2016 36 RC2s has always been the harshness which I think of as “off the top” but in reality it’s more middle stroke. That’s a big deal for me here in the Lakes with really long rough descents on small-medium bumps, the end result being arm fatigue and pain due to arthritis in my thumbs.
Chris Porter (ex Mojo now Geometron bikes) got mine feeling really good by simply fitting new bushings. Sounds simple but 3 services and a PUSH tune didn’t resolve the harshness but new bushings did. He also recommends removing the bump stop (I think to increase the negative chamber) and also replacing the foam rings with grease.
After just over 2 years use (so out of warranty) my 36s now also have a creaking CSU and the stupid Kashima nonsense is wearing off. Total disgrace for a fork this expensive and the 5th fork from both Rock Shox and Fox I have had with the same issue. Maybe the performance (black stancion) finish will be harder wearing? I have performed a lower leg service every month for 2 years and had 3 full services so did my part!
For me, at £1k+ these dorks should have at least a 5 year warranty.
I resolved all the issues with the various 2015+ 36's by using a new Lyrik.
Ha ha Hob Nob I have been thinking that is probably the solution myself!!! Apparently the 2019 one is supposed to be fantastic and in my experience Rock Shox warranty stuff even outside of warranty unlike Fox that we’re not remotely interested.
Interesting that the Luftkappe is now available for 36s.
As I've mentioned on these threads before, I find my '16 36s a bit wooden on the smaller stuff, but amazing when it gets properly rough, which seems ot echo a lot of other people's experiences.
I was going to get a FulFil, but I'm wondering about that vs the Luftkappe? I guess it's a case of more negative volume vs higher negative volume. By the sounds of things adding a Luftkappe will give a more progressive feel as well, a bit like runnng more tokens - I've actually just taken 2 tokens out of my 36s (now have one blue one) and I much prefer it. It also states that it may feel like there's a bit more compression damping, so I'm not sure it's the thing for me.