Nope, but have seriously considered and am actually still considering it.
What’s the Fox bushing installation/removal tool look like? I have one for the Ohlins forks and it’s a pretty nice tool!
The Ohlins tool is much nicer than the BBI version which is pretty much the standard and while the BBI tool is nicely built it is also trying to be a precision slide hammer which is a pretty crazy design brief. I have had issues with using it to size 32mm and 35mm RS bushings and tenneco era 35mm and 38mm Marzocchi bushings. Never actually had a problem with a Fox fork or an Ohlins fork either but...
Seems inexplicable that a brand new top of the line fork would need significant tuning like this. What am I missing?!
No fork needs any upgrade - that's just what it is an upgrade. There is always a design freeze/price point that must be met during product development. You will never get a product that has had every single aspect of performance optimized to the maximum. The 36 is a great piece of engineering - however, everything can be improved...
Have gone too far just by making and trying progressively larger tools to work out where it is that clearance becomes noticeable slop. Have had the lower bushings in RS forks knocked loose by the sizing tools and had them damage the coating of Marzocchi bushings from the Tenneco era as well. I'm pretty certain that's a result of fitment/quality issues with those forks too as the same tool has never given any grief on a Fox fork of any size.
The fork rides lower with the Luftkappe so keeping the 160 shaft could
Not a problem for me with a 2019 fork at 170mm. I don't use all my travel in a normal ride. But I took a steep rock roll way too fast the other day and basically did a 6' huck to flat. I used all my travel but didn't notice a bottom out.
Per Vorsprung, it's about equal to 1.5 volume tokens. So if you normally run 0 tokens, it will be quite a bit more progressive.
Could be a problem when you are running near the maximum travel of the chassis, less so when your at the lower end.
LOL
Haven’t ridden it, but something appears off if this is the fork everyone says is the benchmark. So what I’m missing is that it’s substandard right out of the box? Ok, gotcha.
How much are you willing to pay for your ideal performing fork? If the right to high end performance cost money? How much is it worth to you? Honest question...
I’m riding a coil fork from 2013. I like that the maintenance is very low. I’d like to think there are newer better performing forks out there, but I know that it’s not my fork that’s holding me back - it’s all the pie and ice/cream. I don’t race anymore. So while I do value it, my level of tinkering/finickiness and need is low compared to some on here. I also look others who go on about this tech or that being the reason that they’re slow/crashing/unstable/latefortheride... Then I see them ride and it’s clear proper technique and fitness is what’s lacking... not their 26” wheel or whatever.
Good thing you haven't "upgraded" because I can
On top of that the larger negative chamber will also require a higher pressure to yield the same SAG. So basically adding a Luftkappe is like having 1,5 tokens and a higher pressure... no so strange it becomes difficult to use all travel.
I do throw a fair amount of money (and time) into suspension upgrade even if my level of riding doesn't really require it but I got used to the feeling of good performing suspension and I like to tinker. I guess that there is still some potential improvements to be made on my setups but I try to not push it to far either: what you don't know won't hurt you. Kind of!
They don't do that any more, IIRC.
I got mine on a used bike. Previous owner had gotten rid of it cheap because it didn't bride well. He had done a bunch of stuff to improve the ride, but made it worse in the process. MRP ramp control with spacers. If there ever was a problem with the fork it was the half gallon of grease in the negative chamber. Cleaning that up and putting things back to stock made it all good. But I had the Luftkappe and longer air shaft so I went with it.
At 150lb I wouldn't expect mind-boggling levels of improvement from a lighter tune on a stock damper, which are almost universally very light to begin with.
Fluid Focus advertises that they do. Haven't tried them yet. https://www.fluid-focus.com/mountain-bike-suspension
would you have recommendations about where to start looking if I'm not getting full travel? Even with high speed hard hits, or drops to flat? I'm running my sag at about 20%. Any more and I get pretty unbalanced with the rear. I'm on a 2016 Pike fwiw... and my shock is a tractive tuned Monarch on a Transition Patrol...
I'm on the same fork, same bike, mines at 160mm with Luftkappe +2 tokens so very very progressive. I weigh 72.5kg and run it at about 65psi. Can use about 95% travel consistently which is fine with me. Travel indicators are another example of the bike industry making important what can be easily measured, rather than a measurement of anything important.
for fox they only do 2015 and newer 36 forks, and it sounds like they'll also work on previously pushed 32/34/36 prior to 2015/40.
