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Fox 36 Talas 160 to 100 mm Travel

chuffer

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2004
1,527
869
McMinnville, OR
Hello? Hello? Anyone here? Is this thing on? (Edit: am I original or what? Link.)

I have a 2017 Fox 36 Talas fork that I'd like to drop to 100 mm of travel for use on my DJ rig.

I think I see three options:

1. Fox offers a shuttle-bumper to drop the total travel from 160 mm to 130 mm. Can I just use two?

2. What about a conversion to Float and then down to 100 mm using 6 of those alu spacers? In this case what is involved in the Float conversion? Perhaps the better question is where can I get one?

3. What exactly is an 831? Is it pretty much what I described in #2? If not, what is it and can I convert to it?

Years ago I had a Marz FR-something-or-other converted down to 100 mm by that Brad fella. Took forever and day to deliver. Whatever happened to him?
 

Katz

Monkey
Jun 8, 2012
371
788
Arizona
Not familiar with TALAS so I have no idea if #1 option is viable or not.... probably the cheapest solution if it works, I imagine.

Looking at parts diagrams on Fox's website, they used shorter air shaft and transfer shaft for the 831. Should drop right in assuming TALAS shares the same CSU with NA1 Float.

https://www.ridefox.com/fox17/help.php?m=bike&id=753#part8104

Alternatively, you can probably fit NA2 831 air shaft (Universal Cycles lists it, though out of stock ATM) with minor modification, and use MRP Fulfill to pressurize the neg. chamber. That's basically how I've been running my 2015 36 Float for the past 2 years... I had to shave about 1mm off the bottom of the NA2 negative plate to make the retainer ring fit in its groove. You can use either NA2 top cap or NA1 top cap with the transfer shaft removed (the latter may limit the number of volume spacers you can use).
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
Yep, Katz pretty much nailed it.

You could get an NA1 Float spring, but you'd need to either find the 831 version, or get creative and either cut the transfer shaft shorter, or add an extra hole to it. Alternately, you can do the thing he described with an NA2 831 air shaft (probably easier to find since it's current product) and an MRP Fullfil valve so you can pressurize the negative spring. Like he said, doing that will require a little trimming of the NA2 negative plate. I've done that on the fork on my hardtail, works great.
 

chuffer

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2004
1,527
869
McMinnville, OR
Those links are helpful, but I am not sure how you figured out that airshaft length is different from those "drawing." I saw no dimensions...

Either way, I guess I need to go take a look inside my forks and make sure I understand what you guys are talking about. I have a 27.5 float & a 26 Talas. I also think I have some left over parts from doing the update negative chamber / Luftkappe mod to my float.

Thanks for the ideas. Those'll get me started...
 

Katz

Monkey
Jun 8, 2012
371
788
Arizona
Those links are helpful, but I am not sure how you figured out that airshaft length is different from those "drawing." I saw no dimensions...
The 831 air shaft assembly has only one travel-reducing aluminum spacer instead of six, and the piston shaft has its own part # assigned (229-10-114). Likewise, 229-10-204 for the 831 transfer shaft vs 229-10-202 for regular Float.