I had recently purchased a 09 DHX 5.0 Fox shock for a 05 Demo 9 and are having issues. When opening the package i relized right away that there was only hardware for one side of the shock in the package and its the side that mounts to the swingarm. There is no reducer for the other side of the shock that mounts to the frame. I called fox and they said they are not responsable for the hardware for that side of the shock and that specialized is who I need to ask for the correct reducer-spacer. This seemed pretty odd to me, I mean why would specialized be responasble for this aftermarket part? I called specialized and they said we do not have that part are dont know why fox would say we would. The demo 9's were never specked with the fox shock only the manitou swinger. Specialized did say that they now working with fox for mass produced bikes like the SX Trail that was built with the fox shock from the factory but have nothing to do with making hardware for fox shocks on older specialized bikes from years 05 and below. This seems like its FOX's responsability to make hardware for shocks they say are going to fit my bike. So, here I am with a shock that will not fit my bike and both specalized and FOX say it the others responsiblity to make the hardware. I surely can't be the first to try to mount a fox DHX 5.0 on a 05 demo 9. Can anyone give me any information? I guess I could have a machine shop make one but I am looking for other answers as well.
demo 9 problems with fox shock
- Thread starter colegrove
- Start date
Fox probably has no idea what size reducer you need, as they are not an OEM manufacturer for this bike. This is up to you to find out. Then you can simply order the part (if it exists) from fox. Reducers are cheap.
If it is a weird fitting they made for a certain manitou shock, it may simply not be available. Fox makes the shocks, they are not responsible for fitment hardware for every bike on earth.
If it is a weird fitting they made for a certain manitou shock, it may simply not be available. Fox makes the shocks, they are not responsible for fitment hardware for every bike on earth.
TFTuned will make you some:
http://www.tftunedshox.com/mount-kits/mount-kits-and-bushings.html
about $20 USD.
http://www.tftunedshox.com/mount-kits/mount-kits-and-bushings.html
about $20 USD.
they exist. when i ordered my ROCO the shop had to get the reducers from fox because marzocchi was sold out until the end of the world. they measured all the places they had to measure and ordered them. A roco and a DHX are the same in that regard so it does exist
thank you guys for the info. I'll see if I can purchase from TFTuned. They are over seas and they say they don't makes sales online and I can't call them. Do you know how to buy from them being I live in the US? Might be a stupid question but I have never bought somthing from over seas.
Reducers are around $12, why the heck would you order from an overseas vendor?
Not really, it's the manufacturer's responsibility to adapt the shock to the bike. Fox makes the shock, and a few standard peices of hardware, but there's a lot more variation out there, and company A may use reducers and a 10mm bolt, while company B may use a big steel pin, that's how the manufacturer designs the shock to fit into the frame, so it isn't fox's responsibility to come up with 10 billion different adaptors, reduces, and so on.
Where can you get them stateside? BTI/QBP?
what about manitou? I'm in the process of frankensteining the main shaft to a 5th element body and need mounting hardware for it.
As far as I know, if you know what size you need, fox will sell direct 1 800 fox shox.
BTI has manitou reducers..they are the 2 piece aluminum top-hat for most sizes (not sure which ones might be different). They also have the 12mm reducers from RS for the ario etc that will also fit. The written description says they are the better heavy duty (one full length pin and two spacers) design, but the pic shows top-hat style..??
FYI, you can look at BTI without logging in, see availability, sizing, descriptions, etc.....you just wont be able to see prices.
BTI-usa.com
I had same problem, it is not a standard spaced/reducer that you need. This is probably why Fox can't help.
I went to a machine shop and had a custom reducer made up. It looks like a very tall washer. Don't remember the exact dimensions of the custom reducer but here are descriptions.
I/D - same as the O/D of the mounting bolt on Demo 9 frame
O/D same as I/D of fox shock eyelet without bush
height is the same as the width of the fox shock end
You remove any standard bush in the shock and press in this custom reducer. very easy.
the spacer effectively is a bush that reduces the hole to the O/D of the shock mount pin.
Best of luck,
JT
I went to a machine shop and had a custom reducer made up. It looks like a very tall washer. Don't remember the exact dimensions of the custom reducer but here are descriptions.
I/D - same as the O/D of the mounting bolt on Demo 9 frame
O/D same as I/D of fox shock eyelet without bush
height is the same as the width of the fox shock end
You remove any standard bush in the shock and press in this custom reducer. very easy.
the spacer effectively is a bush that reduces the hole to the O/D of the shock mount pin.
Best of luck,
JT
oh word up. Thanks! Looks like its time to get out the calipers then make a trip to the LBS!
Apologies, the spacer I describe above is for the side that mounts to the swingarm.
I had to get another pin made up for the side that mounts to the front triangle. This was the same length as the original manitou compatiable pin but had a larger O/D to fit the larger I/O of the Fox shock eye.
BTW, I doubt you want to hear this but I found while the DHX was much nicer feeling than the Manitou, it bottomed much easier, even with max PSI and max on the bottom out adjuster. It's not a shock I would recommend on the demo.
JT
how does one shock "bottom more" than another? check your spring, yo.
Are you familiar with the concept of damping, and the fact that it varies from one brand shock to another!
You may even be amazed to hear that there are dials on some shocks that adjust damping, including bottom out too!
I actually own a demo 9 as well. I built it all up and am still waiting on a shock from Elka suspension. They said hopefully the shockw ill be to me by mid February.
I called Fox before I considered Elka and they said they could send me a shock with an unfinished mount on the one end for the little through bar. If you took this road you would still have to go to a machine shop.
I called Fox before I considered Elka and they said they could send me a shock with an unfinished mount on the one end for the little through bar. If you took this road you would still have to go to a machine shop.
This link should help.
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159881
A DHX is fine on the demo 9 - the first batch might have some contact if you run in the high bb position - but a tiny bit of file work on the pro-pedal knob if your into that sort of thing. Low BB is fine.
Think the mainframe reducer is 40mm with a 6mm bolt at the front end, fox have never to my knowledge supplied a shim for the swing-arm end - tf used to be the best place for 'em.
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159881
A DHX is fine on the demo 9 - the first batch might have some contact if you run in the high bb position - but a tiny bit of file work on the pro-pedal knob if your into that sort of thing. Low BB is fine.
Think the mainframe reducer is 40mm with a 6mm bolt at the front end, fox have never to my knowledge supplied a shim for the swing-arm end - tf used to be the best place for 'em.
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I'd be tempted to leave the bushing in the shock - the wear in the bush will be minimal in use -I've got one here thats been in for over 2 years and the bikes been hammered - zero play(at this end! :biggrin
makes it a bit easier to remove if you'd ever sell the shock and significantly reduces the chances of damaging the eyelet(which are quite low).