Fox 36 180 Float Kashima RC2 Fit 2011 or 2012 - dilema

Routier07 · Dec 16, 2011

If you can get the fork sooner and save 20%.... What is there to think about??

My friend has a 2011 Fox40 and it feels pretty good. Go for it.

bullcrew · Dec 16, 2011

Skf seals can be put on after the fact original seals weren't too bad at all. Kashima is fine my 2011 feels like my buddies 2012 with the newer seals there's no difference aside of graphics.. I'd save the money and do the 2011 personally. Same fork internally.

atrokz · Dec 16, 2011

The seals are going to make a bigger difference than the kashima, but it's still a legit technology that's proven itself in motor racing and industry. It basically lubricates as it ever so slowly wears, and it's harder than a Type 3 ano.

So, seals are cheap and who gives a sh!t about the stickers.

Lelandjt · Dec 16, 2011

^Exactly. The SKF seals only cost $30. I put them in my 2011 after one original seal started leaking halfway through the season. Besides the seals there's no 2011-2012 difference.

Jm_ · Dec 17, 2011

Are they actually using oil seals held in by a circlip of some kind like every other suspension company uses? SKF sounds nice, but Fox's seal troubles from day one are due to the minimal lubriaction and piss-poor sealing system, not the type of rubber/plastic, specs, how many lips, etc. Otherwise, GOOD suspension doesn't really change that much, fox usually uses pretty good damping systems that can be revalved in the worst case senario. I can't imagine anything bad if you go with the 2011.

staike · Dec 17, 2011

+1 to the other opinions.

A friend with a 2011 Fox 40 just replaced his old seals with new SKF seals and they're super smooth right out of the box, they're not even ridden yet. Feels so much more stiction free and sensitive than the old seals ever was.

JayBear · Dec 17, 2011

frango said:
What about different color of the Kashima coating? 2012 seems to be darker...?

I read they used extra baby seal blood and rare earth to darken the color a little.

climbingbubba · Dec 17, 2011

Do you need the fork now? I know here we won't have any open trails for another 3 months or so. I would personally wait for the 2012 if you are planning on upgrading the seals anyway. Resale will be much better if you decide to sell it later too. The new Kashima is supposed to be more durable isn't it? I know some of the earlier Kashima forks had a problem with the kashima flaking off but that might have been addressed really early and batch specific.

If you are riding a ton now and want the new fork then just get the 2011 and upgrade the seals. I doubt its a huge difference anyway.

bullcrew · Dec 17, 2011

There's no real differences between the kashima aside of color my guess is the 2011 was too close to normal stanchion colors and not definitive enough so they made it more pronounced for ooooh factor. I've now seen both 2011 and 2012 kashima flake and the seals were the biggest difference.

Save your coin and grab the 2011.

William42 · Dec 17, 2011

so anybody have any problems with the kashima coating flaking yet? or is this an e-rumor from somebody who was chipping away at it? It certainly looks like flaking, not chipping, but I don't know the particulars.

Udi · Dec 18, 2011

Kashima is just an embedding of molybdenum disulfide into the existing pores in hard anodizing, thus it would be no more prone to flaking than regular hard anodizing, which as we all know is something that doesn't really happen.

Maybe I'm missing something in my interpretation, but I've never seen the stuff flake before and would suspect those are just normal chips / impact damage. Kashima isn't like DLC / Ti-Ni / Slippery silver that are separate entities to the tube itself - because it's just modified anodizing, it essentially becomes part of the tube itself.

Read more here:
http://www.kashima-coat.com/pdf/English_pamphlet.pdf

canadmos · Dec 18, 2011

I assume you'll still get the same warranty on the 'old' fork compared to the new one. I'd say go with the older one and save the cash.

William42 · Dec 18, 2011

thats my understanding, and flaking seems suspect, but its not the first complaint of that happening that I've heard of.

William42 · Dec 18, 2011

apparently those ARE 2012 uppers. and a few months of riding.

Udi · Dec 18, 2011

Yeah I'd call BS until I saw it myself. It's just theoretically not possible - for the record I've seen them scratched, and they appear to scratch just like normal hard anodizing - perhaps a little harder to do it that's all.

BTW 2012 and 2011 surfaces are no different, they just worked on making the colour richer, but performance wise they should be identical (seals aside). The 2012 just looks a lot nicer.

4130biker · Dec 19, 2011

Slightly unrelated, but one tip I've heard on the kashima 180's is to check the top cap torque after some riding. Apparently the top caps are part of the system to hold the stanchions in the crowns and with the Kashima coating it is more difficult for the cryofit to hold them in securely. I haven't heard of problems, but i did hear this from my shop who was fresh back from the fox class/workshop.
So I'll be checking the torque specs on my top caps once and a while now!

roel_koel · Dec 19, 2011

its a no-brainer

get the 2011 model - save your money

get the SKF seals

whilst you are not riding, carefully remove the original seals during a "lowers service" and sell them

install the SKF seals and do the lowers service, plus pack some Slick Honey or M-Prep into the cavity below the SKF seals

when riding time comes back around, you'll have a sweet performing fork, fully lubed and with smoother running seals

killrdanasurfer · Dec 21, 2011

Hey William 42,

Thats My bike! The big main "chip there started at a small fraction of that size. and proceeded to flake from there as well as the other smaller ones and also on the other Stanchion.. they first started to bubble up like latex paint around a shower, then flake off.. I even took it into my LBS shop and their manager witnessed it bubble and flake off. So no its not a "Rumor", it could very well be an isolated case. I love the fork and can't say anything but decent things about fox, but when you pay top Dollar for something you hope for a good product... and incase you were wondering where the pic came from its here http://forums.mtbr.com/shocks-suspension/kashima-flaking-off-756976.html

killrdanasurfer · Dec 21, 2011

Sorry Frango for high jacking it, I don't think you can go wrong either way with the 2011 or the 2012.. What is the price difference you're looking at? if its only a few bucks more go with the new shiny one

!!! especially if you are having a bit of down time from riding. But as my fork is out of commission currently, i am having major bike withdrawals.. I've serviced my hubs.. cleaned every thing.. serviced the rear.. and now I'm twiddling my thumbs and drinking beer and waiting to hear from fox.. So if you're stuck with out a ride or the cost is a big difference i'd say go with the 2011.. (it sure did feel good on last years Reign X0) but the 2012 is a little less "sticky" but not drastically.. Either way you should be stoked with a new fork!!

Udi · Dec 21, 2011

killrdanasurfer -
Looks like I stand corrected, but that definitely sounds like a defect to me though and hope you get looked after / were looked after. Perhaps something to do with being the very first batch like you said.

As tacubaya pointed out in that thread, that shouldn't actually be possible. For the record I've scratched 2012 kashima stanchions fairly hard (thankfully just between the upper crowns - courtesy of chairlift) and nothing flaked, they just scratched normally like hard anodizing.

killrdanasurfer · Dec 21, 2011

Ya from everything i have read as well it shouldn't be happening.. very perplexing.. at first i thought it was a rock chip or something to that nature but it kept flaking off.. but I'll wait and hear what they have to say..

killrdanasurfer · Dec 22, 2011

Best of luck!! and i hope it doesn't "Flake" on you

offtheedge · Dec 22, 2011

Albeit rare, contamination in the coating process isn't impossible and probably happens more than most people would ever believe. I don't know when the last time most of you were inside a coating/anodizing facility, but they aren't full of white lab coats and scrub rooms.

Fox 36 180 Float Kashima RC2 Fit 2011 or 2012 - dilema

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