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Recently picked up a secondhand DHX2 (maybe a month or 2 on my bike now) that was barely used. A week ago it started a small clunk right at the beginning of the travel - it feels the same as when the previous Rockshox air fork needed the bushing changed in the lower eyelet (top eyelet doesn’t get much rotation on the Aether 7 so not needed to change one of those to date.
I’ve just ordered a Fox 30x8 bearing mount kit to replace the bushings with - is this an easy job to replace? Looks like I just have to press the old bushings out and push the bearing mounts in - are they a finger tight sort of thing or do I need to crack out my bearing press etc?
Also - which surfaces to grease - just liberally over everything or specific bits?
Hopefully this sorts the clunk and will have more longevity than the bushings do - they seem to get a hammering in the lower mount.
Should be an interference fit, the old bushings you get out with just a little screwdriver or punch and then knock each of them out from the middle, new bearing one should be aligned by hand, then just stick in a vice (soft jaw) to slowly push them in, if you don't have a vice then it's a soft faced mallet and finding the appropriate socket or insertion tool.
It's pretty easy though, just think out the insertion so you have the right surface to knock them in on, i've rarely found the fit to be that tight, so getting them half in before hammering removes any misalignment issues.
Cool cheers - I ordered them this morning and tf tuned have already dispatched them - might even get them for the weekend which would be ace.
Will just push the old ones out and see how tight the new ones are then and go from there.
It's dead easy. I installed them on my X2 for my Aether. Ben's advice was that they're good there because the lower eyelet sees alot of rotation.
The bearing mount cups are a press fit in the shock, fox instructions are to use a vice, you can use a press or whatever tools you have to push them in
Removal is annoying to change the spring or service, the Fox removal tool is £137
https://www.ridefox.com/fox17/help.php?m=bike&id=251
Removal tool (thread is 1/2"-28 UNEF if you can find 2 bolts)
Wait - £137 for a tool to remove the bearing mounts? Surely it shouldn’t be that difficult?
I’ve got various drift devices, a bushing removal tool thing from offset bushes.com and also a blind puller / slide hammer thing. Hopefully one of those would do the job.
That said, I’m pretty sure I’m set on the 450lb spring. I had to dial just a little extra high speed compression than Fox suggest to stop the shock bottoming in extreme compressions (through tight bomb holes) - but other than that it feels pretty good all round. I’ve tried the spring down and it was too soft - I’m pretty sure the spring up would be a bit too stiff. I weigh just a snippet below 75kgs now - but lets assume a riding weight of 80kgs once I’ve got a Camelbak full of water etc.
So the Fox bearing mount is fitted and my small knock has now gone. Bike just feels brilliant now - and after one ride I think the new Wild Enduro front tyre I’ve put on is decent. Rode some dry trail centre with really polished rocks and it felt confidence inspiring on that (more so than the 2.35” addix soft Mary that it replaced) - then did well in the steep tech rooty stuff. Rain is coming this week so will get to try it on greasier trails soon.....mine need to swap the dissector off the back for something that actually has some braking grip.