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Just picked up some OEM Fox 32 performance forks. It comes with the top cap for a remote lockout but alas no actual lockout lever. Looks like Merlin had them for £25, but sold out now and the only places with any stock seem to want a fortune for them. Wondering if anyone knows of other levers that can be used instead? There's a cheapy one on Amazon which I may try but I'm skeptical that it'll work.
(You'll want to check this but) I thought the Fox lockout lever cable pull was 10mm. If so it is the same as a current 2 position Rockshox lock out lever (or twist grip).
Thanks - just looked the serial number up on the Fox website and it does indeed say: "Remote, Psh-Lk, (10pm CP)". Although Google AI reckons that means "10-position compression".
I'm using a Rockshox remote on a Fox rear shock having done some googling and come to the same conclusion that they use the same cable pull, as the Rockshox remote has a double outlet for Fork/Shock it should therefore pull the same amount of cable for both.
Sorry I can't be 100% confident as I haven't tried it on a Fox fork myself but for £25 I'd probably have a go. I've used this lever:
Are they 2 position or 3? Sounds like 2 from your description. There are some cheap generic lock out levers on eBay, they might work.
Thanks jfab - that backs up what letmetalktomark reckons. I just checked the ebay listing for the forks and it actually states: "Remote Compatibility: 10mm cable pull (e.g., FOX or RockShox remote, sold separately)", so that's pretty conclusive.s
@nixie - the Fox product page states 3-position, but then talks about 2-position elsewhere, so who knows!
I'll try the rockshox one first. Might need to get creative with fitting that and a dropper post lever on the same side of the bar 🙂
If it says 3 position I think you need a 3 position remote though you may find it'll work as 2 position as well if the remote doesn't have the middle position.
For remote and dropper take a look at the wolf tooth 360 style lever. There are also some combination levers, Scott, orbea, DT swiss I think make some.
It’s a little curve ball but on a current build I tried a Rockshox Pushloc ^^ a la the one above on the right under the bar next to the shifter. It worked fine but the aesthetics drove me potty!
I’ve since gone with a 2 position Rockshox Twistloc on the left and the dropper lever sits neatly below.
The two position Twistloc again pulls 10mm.
I think that 2-pos/3-pos is only dictated by the lever (lockout or otherwise) generally. So Open to Closed will be 10mm cable pull worth of movement at the suspension regardless, but the 3-pos remotes or levers just have the additional detent/ratchet for a middle setting.
If you do it the other way round (take off a 3-pos remote because it's broken and replace with a 2-pos for example) you will lose that middle setting but still have fully open/locked. With no remote fitted the fork/shock dial is just a full sweep with no 'clicks'.
I think that 2-pos/3-pos is only dictated by the lever
this is correct, as in there is a mid setting on the lever. the 3 pos dampers can have a mid set point, and around that point is either open or nearly locked with little variation. unless it's like the old RS forks, where the blanking plate just moved a bit further over the hole in the damper.
if you use a 2 click lockout (open and locked) on a 3 pos shock, you just not access the mid position, it'll not hurt the shock or anything.
up there is was suggested DT swiss do a lockout lever. they do,but if it's for their shocks/forks then the cable pull is 11mm (5.5+5.5 for 3 pos) not 10mm (5+5 for 3 pos), which is a little irritating.
it may work OK if you slacken the barrel adjuster off a touch though. however, they're not cheap so may not be what you want. I have a setup the other way, using a fox lockout on a Dt 3 pos fork. I get a very heavily damped not quite lockout, but the mid setting is decent.
The very simplest setup I ran with some rockshox forks was the cheapest friction left hand thumbshifter I could find. worked a treat. obviously doesn't give you the push button 'open' as a proper lockout, but it was about £5.
How easy is it to convert the forks to a normal top cap lever?
From what I've read it's a whole new damper assembly. I finally tracked down an official 3 position fox lever on eBay for just over £30, so have gone for that. Link if anyone else is on the hunt: https://ebay.us/m/BekaoM
The cheap Amazon/eBay lever didn't work too well. It only seems to have about 6 or 7mm of cable pull.
The newer forks don't require a whole damper. You can replace just the top part of the damper to convert between remote or no remote. The information is is the tech site documents but is no massively approachable. Note that there are part numbers for whole dampers and for the different bits of the dampers. I have read posts somewhere that suggest remote to no remote can be done with just the top cap.