In future, suspension manufacturer Fox will be offering its customers a tuning option for MTB suspension forks or dampers in the Fox Service Centre Germany on. But if you're thinking of milled castings or extra-light steerer tubes, we're sorry to disappoint you. Fox's tuning range is mainly concerned with the inner workings of MTB suspension forks.
Fox also offers a colourful selection of decal stickers and lightweight cobalt bolt-on axles, but the highlight of the tuning programme is the conversion of the shim stack or air piston. The shim stack is a sequence of very thin metal discs, which are installed in the damper cartridge in the right fork leg and have a significant influence on the characteristics of the compression damping.
Anyone who is not satisfied with their current suspension because the fork responds too harshly or releases the suspension travel too quickly can describe their personal problems to a Fox technician on the phone and will then be recommended the appropriate tuning measure. Until now, this service was only available to World Cup riders such as Greg Minnaar. The new shim stack required for this costs around 30 euros and is installed as part of a major service (costs 139 euros).
New air piston for Fox suspension forks
With the 2017 model year, Fox has significantly changed the air piston of its suspension forks. The new forks have a significantly larger negative air chamber and therefore respond even more sensitively. However, to treat your old 36 Fox suspension fork from 2016 or 2015 to this upgrade, not only the air piston, but also the stanchions and therefore the crown plus steerer tube must be replaced. A shim stack adapted to the new air chamber is also recommended. For 34 and 32 mm forks, the air chamber update can be retrofitted with the old stanchions (and therefore also the crown and steerer tube).
The advantages of the new Evol air chamber on the old 36 fork can therefore only be enjoyed by those who change almost all the components of the fork (except the casting/dip tubes). This intervention then costs up to 650 euros. Although this is still significantly cheaper than a new suspension fork, it is definitely no longer in the bargain category. In contrast, a new Evol air shaft for 34 or 32 mm forks costs only 46 euros and is therefore much more attractive.
Conclusion: Our assessment of the Fox Factory tuning programme
During a test camp in the Palatinate Forest, we were able to test the various expansion stages of the Fox Factory Tuning Programme drive.
The tuning programme is clearly aimed at suspension freaks or experienced racers. In addition to the numerous adjustment options that a high-quality suspension fork already has (air pressure, air chamber size with tokens, rebound, high and low-speed compression), shim tuning makes the suspension fork set-up even more complex.
The change from the old to the new air piston is noticeable on the trail thanks to a slightly improved response behaviour, although the old fork is already performing at an extremely high level.
The conversion is therefore not worthwhile for every biker, because the costs (especially in the case of a Fox 36 fork) for the conversion are relatively high. For most riders, a normal fork service at the end of a long bike season should be enough to noticeably improve the function of the fork. For mountain bikers who want to take a closer look at their suspension, Fox now offers factory tuning, for which they previously had to resort to third-party suppliers.
