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Best DJ fork on the market?

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
TWISTED said:
As stupid as my custom fork is, it keeps taking the nose case punishment and keeps going. It should have broke long ago, put remains the best dirt jump fork for my style.

I've got, what should be a crap Marzocchi MX Comp 80mm with the air preload caps. The cryo-fit crown bent right away and was cut off and replaced with a new '98 style Z1 bolt on crown and steer tube. I run about 50lbs air in each leg, which means the legs only move if I really hit something hard and don't ever give more than about 2" travel. It's about 4 lbs and has an axle to crown of 450mm.

I've been running it like this for about 8 months.
How'd you un-cryofit the crowns??? I've got this fork and I'd be interested in getting a bolt-on crown for it...
 

SOil

Chimp
Jun 24, 2005
82
0
Didn't think about the more rigid steel uppers on DJ's transfering more stress to the crown and that being the reason for crown failure. Makes sence, and why they when for aluminium uppers after that.

I think I narrowed it down to either the new Fox DJ or the tunned Z1 Sport.

The Z1 Sport comes with 130mm travel over here in Europe. Would the nemesis kit still fit?
Will the cryofited crown on the Z1 not be a problem for DJ (DJ crowns are bolted)?

I called Mojo (the UK fox distributor) who told me there will not be a DJ specific Fox fork for 2007, although a 36 float or 36 Van should be up to the job according to them.
Full range on
http://www.mojo.co.uk/07PRODUCTS.html
 

Evil4bc

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2005
1,080
1
Nor-Cal
SOil said:
Didn't think about the more rigid steel uppers on DJ's transfering more stress to the crown and that being the reason for crown failure. Makes sence, and why they when for aluminium uppers after that.

I think I narrowed it down to either the new Fox DJ or the tunned Z1 Sport.

The Z1 Sport comes with 130mm travel over here in Europe. Would the nemesis kit still fit?
Will the cryofited crown on the Z1 not be a problem for DJ (DJ crowns are bolted)?

YES our kits will fit the euro spec Z-1 sport , you have some small plastic spacer in the way that you will need to toss out , other than that we can get you a kit and instruction's so you can do the install and tune yourself .

Not sure why Zoke went to the much wider and bulkier bolt together crown on the new DJ's , I liek the cryo fit crown for it's low stack height and crown clearence it provides .. the botl together crown I had didnt impress me much so I ended up selling that fork .
check out our website for ordering info
www.nemesisproject.com
 

sjcX3oldtown

Monkey
Mar 22, 2005
255
0
san juan capistrano old town
boostindoubles said:
i've been running a fox vanilla R for the last 2 and a half years.. beat the hell out of it. I don't think i'll run anything else, except this fox dj specific fork sounds pretty nice.

I just bought an 07 vanilla R last week, getting it put on right now, dropping the travel down to 100mm. I am happy as can be

wait... i just sent my 06 vanilla in due to an 0val-ized crown (where the stantion meets the crown) second time in 5 months, same place too both times! so i really dont want to be riding it any more. i want a 2006 fox 36 talas so i can adjust the travel to the terain. note-my riding includes racing 4x, huge BMX style dirt jumps, minimal DH,AKA HUCKIN IT, take my word or it - fox makes great products but this fork is for minamal dj abuse
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,838
6,145
Yakistan
sjcX3oldtown said:
wait... i just sent my 06 vanilla in due to an 0val-ized crown (where the stantion meets the crown) second time in 5 months, same place too both times! so i really dont want to be riding it any more. i want a 2006 fox 36 talas so i can adjust the travel to the terain. note-my riding includes racing 4x, huge BMX style dirt jumps, minimal DH,AKA HUCKIN IT, take my word or it - fox makes great products but this fork is for minamal dj abuse

I've been riding an 04 vanilla the last 2 years and its been good to me. I had to rebuild it about a year into riding it. What happens when your crown ovalizes? does it make any noise, or does it loosen at the crown?
 

sjcX3oldtown

Monkey
Mar 22, 2005
255
0
san juan capistrano old town
It does both - first it creaks, then it rocks back and forth super bad then it dislodges durring a ride, luckly i could just slam it back in to ride home on - ive made my dissiscion to stick with a fox 32mm stantion fork , just gonna go air (Fox Talas ) to dial in the right preload for certian terrain ( its gonna go on a BLKMRKT MOB ) bout now i beleive ive learned how to ride a bike RIGHT - i wont be as abusive. 32 will suit in my favor
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,838
6,145
Yakistan
ok, i know what your talking about. Mine never got that bad, but in the last 4 months it was creaking alot when i was turning under pressure. Never thought about an ovalized crown though. I figured it was loose where the crown met the steering tube.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,194
4,419
had good luck w/ my sherman... a very solid fork.

The fox fork may be the "best" but it'll also run you at least double what you can pick up a sherman for these days.. and imo, whatever slight performance difference may be, it isn't worth paying double for it. then again, if you get it for free like the guy who made the suggestion, then go for it! ;)
 

dablake914

Chimp
Jul 15, 2005
43
0
Burlington, CT
my pike has held up great to any dirtjump ive thrown at it, and dont worry about them breaking... i took mine off a 10 foot drop and it hasnt ever even lost a bit of oil. they are rad:love:

maybe a fox 36 talas?
 

trust4130

Monkey
Aug 16, 2005
203
0
Pennsylvania
Stoked said:
hey vas don showed me this a while ago. i have not done this so i dont have any experience with it.
That is some really handy information right there (see Stoked's post on page 2). I'm going to order up a spring and see if it transforms my jumper into everything I want it to be. To the people that have done this mod: can you reduce the travel to say 65 to 70mm by simply cutting the spring shorter?
 

Mr Tiles

I'm a beer snob
Nov 10, 2003
3,469
0
L-town ya'll
yes, as long as you offset the spring with the lowering spacer. I made the spacer first and then cut the spring accordingly. mod works like butta...
 

Stoked

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2004
1,809
1
LI, NY
v-digit said:
min order is 25$?
not for the gold spring. if you want the green spring, it does have a min charge of $25 for some reason. i ordered the gold and just got it the other day. i compared it to the stock manitou springs (side by side) that came from my gold label and noticed the diff right away. when I swap my xfirm spring for the new gold spring i'll let you know how it goes.
 

AirAddict

Monkey
Jun 10, 2005
221
0
Asheville, NC
i just don't get why you'd need an increadibly stong fork for dirt jumping. sure, dirt jumping is rough on your bike, but it's supposed to be smooth.

i've seen guys completely shred my local jumps on forks like old judy's (complete with those rubber boot stantion covers) and marz. ERX's or MX comps.

that's why i don't like the newer marz. DJ series... it just seems pointlessly overbuilt to me. I don't want a fork that's as heavy as my 888.

things like the gold label or PIKE are strong enough for any dirt jumping and if you're breaking those, then get a fork with longer travel or ride smoother.

don't hate, or bash... i just wanted to state my opinion.
 

Mr Tiles

I'm a beer snob
Nov 10, 2003
3,469
0
L-town ya'll
AirAddict said:
i just don't get why you'd need an increadibly stong fork for dirt jumping. sure, dirt jumping is rough on your bike, but it's supposed to be smooth.

i've seen guys completely shred my local jumps on forks like old judy's (complete with those rubber boot stantion covers) and marz. ERX's or MX comps.

that's why i don't like the newer marz. DJ series... it just seems pointlessly overbuilt to me. I don't want a fork that's as heavy as my 888.

things like the gold label or PIKE are strong enough for any dirt jumping and if you're breaking those, then get a fork with longer travel or ride smoother.

don't hate, or bash... i just wanted to state my opinion.
That's a very valid statement. I personally don't really care for any of the marz dj series forks simply b/c they seem too heavy for their intented purpose. I got some friends like yours that ride absolute used up junky forks and make it work nicely. Finesse has a lot to do with it I guess. The modded sherman I got has been ideal for me. Not too heavy, not too overbuilt. pretty much something just to take the edge off.
 

v-digit

Turbo Monkey
Apr 3, 2006
1,218
0
Brooklyn, NY
Stoked said:
not for the gold spring. if you want the green spring, it does have a min charge of $25 for some reason. i ordered the gold and just got it the other day. i compared it to the stock manitou springs (side by side) that came from my gold label and noticed the diff right away. when I swap my xfirm spring for the new gold spring i'll let you know how it goes.
nice nice. yea, let me know. i'm off the bike for a lil bit, ouched up my knee. so i might want to get into this lil project meanwhile.
 

don

Turbo Monkey
Nov 8, 2001
1,319
0
Rumson, NJ
AirAddict said:
i just don't get why you'd need an increadibly stong fork for dirt jumping. sure, dirt jumping is rough on your bike, but it's supposed to be smooth.

i've seen guys completely shred my local jumps on forks like old judy's (complete with those rubber boot stantion covers) and marz. ERX's or MX comps.

that's why i don't like the newer marz. DJ series... it just seems pointlessly overbuilt to me. I don't want a fork that's as heavy as my 888.

things like the gold label or PIKE are strong enough for any dirt jumping and if you're breaking those, then get a fork with longer travel or ride smoother.

don't hate, or bash... i just wanted to state my opinion.
I agree w/ you that DJ is typically smooth. Hell, we get pretty irate when someone hacks up a lip or landing getting a little squirelly.

The reason I like a strong fork? For the once in a long while flat landing, burly case, or bike toss.
 

AirAddict

Monkey
Jun 10, 2005
221
0
Asheville, NC
don said:
I agree w/ you that DJ is typically smooth. Hell, we get pretty irate when someone hacks up a lip or landing getting a little squirelly.

The reason I like a strong fork? For the once in a long while flat landing, burly case, or bike toss.

strong fork? yes. Stupidly overbuilt fork? no.

not that i'm saying you don't need a strong fork. a pike, or a gold label can take flat landing, or a hard nose case every once in a while. but a fork that's built to survive a 15 foot drop to flat or nose casing a 40 foot double is stipid in my opinion for dirt jumping. It's just a lot of extra weight that makes it harder to throw the bike around in the air... which is what dirt jumping is all about.
 

Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,335
2,448
Hypernormality
I totally agree that most 'DJ' forks are too heavy. I'd love to have more options for lighter ones. Maybe Marz should offer the crowns and stantions, lowers and internals of all their forks seperately so you could mix and match.
 

AirAddict

Monkey
Jun 10, 2005
221
0
Asheville, NC
Changleen said:
I totally agree that most 'DJ' forks are too heavy. I'd love to have more options for lighter ones. Maybe Marz should offer the crowns and stantions, lowers and internals of all their forks seperately so you could mix and match.
that wouldn't be enough of a price benefit for them. plus, everyone would either getting them with all of the light(er) parts or building them the burliest that they can. Not too much in between.

What about an air fork? A new 888 version is air, and everyone knows the boxxer world cups are air... so it's a proven system. you could considerably lighten a fork without compromosing stregnth with too light weight of stantions, crowns and lowers. And it's not like dirt jumpers for the most part care about having an advanced damping system inside their fork. they just want 80-100 mm of stiff travel that's there when you need it, but stiff for poping lips and pumping landings.

I'd like to see a air fork on the market for DJ. you could have a pretty much indestructable fork like people want, but still keep it around 5 lbs. or so.
 

Zach Dank

Turbo Monkey
Jun 28, 2005
1,296
0
Gnarcal
AirAddict said:
What about an air fork? A new 888 version is air, and everyone knows the boxxer world cups are air... so it's a proven system. you could considerably lighten a fork without compromosing stregnth with too light weight of stantions, crowns and lowers. And it's not like dirt jumpers for the most part care about having an advanced damping system inside their fork. they just want 80-100 mm of stiff travel that's there when you need it, but stiff for poping lips and pumping landings.

I'd like to see a air fork on the market for DJ. you could have a pretty much indestructable fork like people want, but still keep it around 5 lbs. or so.
That is why FOX is making the 36 float DJ. It is right around 5 pounds.
 

Attachments

AirAddict

Monkey
Jun 10, 2005
221
0
Asheville, NC
Zach Dank said:
That is why FOX is making the 36 float DJ. It is right around 5 pounds.

i'm sure it's nice... but that fork will most likely be way too expensive for my tastes.


haha... just like this good old saying when buying any bike parts:

Light, Strong, Cheap. Pick any two.
 

Stoked

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2004
1,809
1
LI, NY
isnt there a pike thats all air? my goldlabel is under 5 lbs


AirAddict said:
that wouldn't be enough of a price benefit for them. plus, everyone would either getting them with all of the light(er) parts or building them the burliest that they can. Not too much in between.

What about an air fork? A new 888 version is air, and everyone knows the boxxer world cups are air... so it's a proven system. you could considerably lighten a fork without compromosing stregnth with too light weight of stantions, crowns and lowers. And it's not like dirt jumpers for the most part care about having an advanced damping system inside their fork. they just want 80-100 mm of stiff travel that's there when you need it, but stiff for poping lips and pumping landings.

I'd like to see a air fork on the market for DJ. you could have a pretty much indestructable fork like people want, but still keep it around 5 lbs. or so.
 

basikbiker

Monkey
Jun 15, 2006
619
0
Northern Cali
how much heavier are zokeys anyway a pound or so. if you can do tables and whips cause your fork wieghs an extra pound or two? gimme a break, put your bike down and do some pull ups or somthin. so youcan push that whole pound around more DJ's are cheaper than most of the competition too.
 

AirAddict

Monkey
Jun 10, 2005
221
0
Asheville, NC
basikbiker said:
how much heavier are zokeys anyway a pound or so. if you can do tables and whips cause your fork wieghs an extra pound or two? gimme a break, put your bike down and do some pull ups or somthin. so youcan push that whole pound around more DJ's are cheaper than most of the competition too.
I've heard that newer marzocchi dirt jumper's were around 7 lbs or so. Sure, two lbs. isn't that much more weight when you think about it, but have you every ridden a DJ bike with a fork like that up front? it's not so much about being able to handle that weight (i can bench about 240 lbs. and squat about 350... :rolleyes: ), it's the distrubution of weight on the bike. try whipping, manualing or landing a 360 with a bike that's really front heavy. I wouldn't mind getting a really heavy fork like that if i was building up a hardtail that will NEVER break and was over 40 lbs.

have you ever made the switch from something really heavy to something lighter? like a couple of lbs lighter fork, or lighter weight wheelset and realized how much easier it was to throw around you bike than it was with the heavier stuff? if not, then you don't understand what we're talking about.
 

basikbiker

Monkey
Jun 15, 2006
619
0
Northern Cali
true the balance can be an issue, my bike has a 150mm DJ 20mm fork and a Arrow DHX 24 hangin off the front and an Arrow frx laced to a woodman ss on the back, it still only wieghs like 30 pounds, i dont have problems hitten dubs that are 15 18 to 20 feet. ive been doing this for a while though, i guess im used to it. i know what your talkin about cause i have a brand new Dj with standard dropouts and 100mm o travel, it droped a pound off the front. i can do 3's off curbs now
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,838
6,145
Yakistan
the only place i've heard of a 36 dj specific fork is in this thread... havent found any info anywhere else... anyone know anything?