If your Fox 32, 34 or 36 feels sticky but isn’t due a service, re-lubing its foam rings could boost performance
TIME 45minutes
COST 20$ for 8oz bottle of Fox Float Fluid
Tools for the job
1 Torque wrench
2 10mm and 15mm sockets
3 Socket wrench
4 Clean rags
5 Fox Float Fluid
6 Small, clean dish
7 Plastic mallet
8 Rubber gloves
9 Pick (you could also use a small ball-ended Allen key)
10 Allen key set (must include 2mm, 2.5mm and 5mm sizes)
01 Clean your bike. Pay particular attention to the fork, using a rag and degreaser to get it near-spotless. Any dirt left around the wiper seals, arch or stanchions could contaminate the internals. Make a note of the air pressure and the number of clicks of rebound damping you’ve been using.
02 Flip the bike upside down so it’s resting on the bar and saddle. Remove the front wheel. Use a 2.5mm Allen key to unscrew the brake hose guide from the lower legs, turning the bolt anticlockwise. Then use a 5mm Allen key to remove the brake calliper, turning both mounting bolts anticlockwise. Stow the calliper somewhere out of the way of the fork.
03 Wind the rebound adjuster at the bottom of the right-hand leg in (towards the ‘+’) until it stops. (On 36 forks, first unscrew the rebound dust cap.) Turn the grub screw on the side of the adjuster anticlockwise with a 2mm Allen key until the adjuster can be removed. Put it somewhere safe, with the screw still attached. Clean the bottom of the fork leg with a rag.
04 Use a 15mm socket (or a 10mm socket for 32 forks) to remove the foot nut from the right-hand leg, turning it anticlockwise. Then use a 10mm socket to remove the foot nut from the left-hand leg, turning it anticlockwise. There will be black plastic crush washers left in a recess in the foot nuts or on the threads protruding from the bottom of the fork legs. Remove these.
05 Screw the foot nuts back onto the threads protruding from the fork legs – five or six full turns is enough. Sit the 15mm socket on top of the right-hand nut. Use a plastic mallet to give it a sharp tap downwards while holding the lower legs with the other hand. Repeat with the 10mm socket on the other leg. Now remove the foot nuts again and put them safely to one side.
06 Now to remove the lower legs. Hold the fork at the crown with one hand and the lower legs with the other, then gently pull the lower legs up and away from the crown. If they’re stuck, try wiggling them upwards. Once they’re free pull the lower legs up and of, over the damper rods. Have some rags ready when you do this, because oil is likely to drip out.
07 Make sure your bike isn’t going to tip over – there’s fork oil inside the upside-down stanchions! Now it’s time to concentrate on the lower legs. Keep them upside down to avoid dirt falling in. Use a clean rag to give the lip of the wiper seals a wipe. Be super-careful and as gentle as possible while doing this so you don’t damage the seals in any way.
08 Use a clean, thin object such as a pick or the ball end of a 2mm Allen key to gently hook the foam ring out from below the left-hand wiper seal, prising it rather than stabbing it. These rings are fragile, so make sure your tool isn’t going to tear the foam. Now remove the ring from the other leg and sit both of them on a clean rag.
09 With any luck the foam rings will be clean, if a little discoloured. (If they’re dark brown, sticky or have lumps stuck in them you’ll need to replace your fork oil – you can find instructions for this procedure on Fox’s website.) Use a clean rag to squeeze all the old oil out of the rings. Cover each ring in Float Fluid or fork oil, then squeeze it out again until the rings are clean.
10 Place both foam rings in a small, clean dish. Pour Float Fluid into the dish and squeeze the rings to help them absorb the lubricant. When they’re completely saturated it’s time to reinstall them in the fork. Gently fold the first foam ring so it can be slotted through the wiper seal and you can get one edge seated in its recess.
11 Work carefully around the foam ring with your finger until it’s seated neatly into its recess and isn’t folded or twisted. Repeat this with the other ring. Use a finger to spread any leftover Float Fluid from your dish around the upper bushings of each leg.
12 Slide the lower legs over the damper rods until the seals meet the bottom of the stanchions. Hold the legs at a slight angle to the stanchions and slip the seals over them gently. Slide the legs down a few centimetres. If they don’t slide smoothly, the foam rings haven’t been installed properly, so you’ll need to repeat steps 6 to 12.
13 Dribble a little Float Fluid into each leg* to replace any lost oil. Slide the legs down until the damper rods protrude. Refit the crush washers. Screw the foot nuts onto the threads and tighten them to 5.6Nm with a torque wrench. Align the grub screw on the rebound adjuster with the recess on the protruding pin. Sit the adjuster in place and tighten the screw to 1.2Nm.
14 Reinstall the brake calliper, using a 5mm Allen key to nip up the mounting bolts, turning them clockwise. Then undo them half a turn so the calliper can be aligned correctly later. Now refit the brake hose guide, being careful to thread the bolt in straight and only tighten it to 0.9Nm. Refit the wheel and turn the bike the right way up.
15 While pulling the front brake lever, tighten the calliper bolts alternately, a little at a time, to 10.1Nm. Release the lever and spin the wheel to check the alignment. Use a rag to clean any spilled oil of the fork.
16 Add the correct number of clicks of rebound damping, as noted in step 1. Then go out and ride, and enjoy your super-plush feeling fork! Now that it feels smoother, you may find you need to increase the air spring pressure to compensate, working of the pressure you noted in step 1.
WORKSHOP WISDOM
It always pays to keep notes on your suspension set-up and service intervals. When the recommended service interval for your fork is up, it’s time to do a proper service, including replacing your seals and O-rings. Once a year is a good rule of thumb, but regular riders will need to carry out more frequent maintenance. If you’re not happy giving your fork the once-over, give Mojo Suspension a ring. They’re Fox’s UK service centre and will be happy to solve any suspension issues you may have.
* To check how much oil there should be in your fork, visit www.ridefox.com and click on the ‘Bike’ and ‘Help’ tabs at the top.