Marzocchi Coil conversions- any good?

Yes, absolutely, though I cna't comment on the marzocchi approach. I have an old-ish Fox 36 RC2 that was good but not great... I put a smashpot coil in it and it became great, just like that. I put an andreani piston in it as a cheapish damping tweak and that made it the best fork I've ever used, but it's the spring doing all the heavy lifting so to speak

As far as I can tell there's nothing special about the smashpot though, you get some nice bottom out control but it ought to be possible to get very close results with marzocchi bits, assuming they fit right. You lose out a bit on spring rate choice compared to the smashpot etc but it should be a good bit cheaper (very surprised Fox hasn't made kits already tbh!)

For a big fork there's nothing better than coil imo, it's pretty much a no-brainer for me. You can ride absolute museum pieces like an original lyrik and it feels better than 9/10 modern forks... The weight downside is trivial, the only practical downside is adjustability, you can't easily lend the bike to a mate and obviously if your weight changes that might have a cost too.

I did the exact same thing. The only caveat would be that I also managed to get a cheap grip 2 damper and I installed both at the same time.

It definitely improved small bump and grip a lot.

I have a standard 2021 36 elite on the hardtail and the coiled 36 rhythm on the full sus feels much better.

Smashpot conversion here (Fox 36 Rhythm on a Specialized Status).
The fork went from being something that I could never really get set up well to being pretty much perfect for me.

I'd be all over the Marz coil kit if I had one of those 36s.

Recently scratched my coil itch with a Cane Creek Helm and loving it. Z1 coil was the other candidate.

I have a standard 2021 36 elite on the hardtail and the coiled 36 rhythm on the full sus feels much better.

Is the Elite from before or after the lowers changed to have floating axle, higher volume springs, bleeders, etc?

I was going to get the Marz kit for my Rhythms until I got a Smashpot for my Lyric for free from a mate. Coil is deffo the way forward.

If its for free then its deffo the way to go, but unfortunately smashpot is 300 quid. So basic fox 36 would be about 450, + smashpot youre now in the territory of high end ultimate esque forks.

Why not sell the rhythm and just buy a high end fork.

The Marzocchi coil kit should be cheaper than a Smashpot. Probably
I was running a Z1 coil on my Banshee Rune & picked up a second hand Factory 36 for the Grip 2 damper for it.
When my rear bomber coil died, Fox gave me a new Float X & I ended up running the 36 to save the best part of a kilo. It was over 18kg with Michelin DH tyres.

youre now in the territory of high end ultimate esque forks.

Why not sell the rhythm and just buy a high end fork.

I’d take a cheaper fork with a coil over a higher end air fork

It’s the current year essentially. Floating axle, rounded arch etc.

youre now in the territory of high end ultimate esque forks.

Why not sell the rhythm and just buy a high end fork.

The only not-high-end thing about his 36 is the chassis is a bit heavier, really.

As above, a coil spring with an adequate damper can feel nicer and give more grip than an air spring with a fancy damper.

Maybe you will laugh but I think my Suntour Zeron 150mm runs better than my Z1 coil/36 Push ACS and air Zeb. So much traction and in steep choppy terrain feels great.

Thanks Simon. Weighing up (pun intended) Z1/Rhythm coil or a 36 Performance at the moment.

It’s difficult quantifying it with doing both upgrades at the same time but going on the two I have I would say coil is a better upgrade than the grip 2 damper but it depends what you’re after.

In your case if weight isn’t an issue I would go coil. Spring weight range could be better though.

Thanks for all the feedback, Z1 conversion ordered, kit is £162 + spring so a fair bit cheaper than a damper upgrade. Seems an easy job to fit it, but TF Tuned will be doing it for me, as I wanted the fork and shock serviced. Hopefully I’ll get to try it next week!

Exciting! And well done for being decisive... I'm dithering. Let us know how you get on with it when it comes back from TFT.

dyna-ti
Full Member

Why not sell the rhythm and just buy a high end fork.

Rhtyhm with a coil in IS a high end fork. There's not much on the market that I'd consider better tbf- there's a lot to like about a lyrik ultimate but it's still very obviously an air fork, and the bigger the fork the less sense that makes to me. Haven't tried any of the latest raft of boutique coils, though- but then they're very very expensive.

Just got the fork and shock back from TF Tuned, great service as usual! 1st ride in on local rooty/flinty trails and I'm happy, the fork is more supple and tracks better which is what I wanted. Looking forward to using it on bigger days. I am in the extra firm spring weight range but after discussion with TF went for the firm spring which seems fine. The weight penalty is 265g which I have not noticed when riding.

What made you decide on the firm rather than extra firm? I have both and have contemplated trying the firm just to see what it’s like but never got round to it.

I’m not sure Iv ever used full travel with the extra firm and it’s generally 80-85 percent in most rides.

Just got the fork and shock back from TF Tuned

If you dont mind me asking, what was the cost of the system for the fork, not the total cost for TFT to do it, just the spring conversion)

1st ride in on local rooty/flinty trails and I’m happy, the fork is more supple and tracks better which is what I wanted.

Great stuff, I found similar when I jumped on my Helm coil, it just grips rather than slips more often.

I really don't understand why the big brands moved away from coil for so long.

If RS did coil Lyriks & Zebs they'd be massively popular.

I really don’t understand why the big brands moved away from coil for so long.

Ease of sales.
Stocking spring weights for every rider would have been expensive and not very marketable.

Ease of sales.
Stocking spring weights for every rider would have been expensive and not very marketable.

Yes, that's understandable on low-mid range bikes, but for high-end bikes and aftermarket sales I reckon it'd be worth the ballache.

They're almost entirely an aftermarket proposition anyway at the mo. Why don't RS want a piece of that?

Re springs, there are different weight/spring charts fork the fork and conversion kit, on the fork one I was clearly in the extra firm range, in the conversion kit one I was borderline.
Talking to TF tuned as I ran the Fox air spring at a lower pressure than recommended and wanted to improve small bump/chatter feel (tendonitis) they suggested I could run either. So I ordered both and asked them to fit the firm, so far its fine, about 75% travel on smaller stuff.

Re cost, the conversion kit is about £160 + £55 for the spring.

My only issue now is that I'd like to change the shock as well, but the only option specified for the Status yoke design is Ohlins which is out of my price range...

Thanks for that. Glad you’re enjoying it. I too now fancy a coil for the rear.

Good to remember for those conssierign a coil o conversion that I've a pal who s did it and it seems that the coil marks the inside of the stanchions so there's no going back to air once its been ridden.

Yeah, they make it very clear that it's a one way conversion.

Anyone got a medium spring they want to sell on?

Re springs, there are different weight/spring charts fork the fork and conversion kit

Any idea why?
I thought the air and coil forks were identical apart from the spring?

Travel, I think.