[spocomptonrider]

The seals on my Fox 40 have been leaking the last couple of rides, no big deal I thought, I was planning to pick up some new seals and changing the fluid. Today after a race I was cleaning my bike up and cycled through the fork a couple times, I noticed that it is only going about 4 inches into the travel before it stops, it feels like there is something inside stopping it from using full travel. Has anyone ever had a similar issue with it, and if so what it was (cartridge problem?)
Thanks

 

[davep]

The lack of travel is caused by damper cartrige issues. Your bladder is no longer sealed from the oil....oil is leaking into the air space of the bladder (air compressed, oil does not) displacing the air and hydro-locking the fork.

Fox forks do not have oil seals...that is why they leak. They have dust wipers designed to keep dust out, but nothing that is designed to keep oil in. Not much you can do about it (unless you want to try to source a seal that will fit, or machine the lowers) other than keeping them clean, and lubed with something like slick honey....

 

[buckoW]

davep is spot on.

 

[spocomptonrider]

Thanks Davep, so do I need to replace the bladder, or the whole cartridge?

 

[davep]

Seems as the bladder likes to blow/squeeze out from internal pressure over extended time. Most likely just a full cartrige rebuild following the Fox procedures will cure you ills. Obviously if there is a tear or hole in the rubber, it will need to be replaced, but this does not seem common in the 40 (unlike my 05 dorado...@every bottom-out).

 

[buckoW]

Seems as the bladder likes to blow/squeeze out from internal pressure over extended time. Most likely just a full cartrige rebuild following the Fox procedures will cure you ills. Obviously if there is a tear or hole in the rubber, it will need to be replaced, but this does not seem common in the 40 (unlike my 05 dorado...@every bottom-out).

The 09 cart has a different assembly of the bladder and eliminates this problem. They tried to do it in the 36 as well but there wasn't enough room.

 

[dhkid]

The 09 cart has a different assembly of the bladder and eliminates this problem. They tried to do it in the 36 as well but there wasn't enough room.

got my old bladder replaced with an 09 too, the fox tech said its much better. time will tell i guess.

mine just lost a fair bit of oil and had no damping.

 

[spocomptonrider]

Just got off the phone with FOX, I'm going to send my fork in for the Protune program, and new lowers, (400$) a healthy chunk of change but they are going to revalve it and possibly add MOAR SHIMZ, they assure me it is worth it , in the mean time my old boxxer team will take over till I get it back from FOX. I'll let you guys know how it works out when I get 'er back in about 2 weeks.

 

[Kanye West]

Ahhhh times like this I'm very glad I don't own a 40. Gotta love rubber internals that need to be bled and stanchions seals that "aren't really seals".

 

[spocomptonrider]

Ahhhh times like this I'm very glad I don't own a 40. Gotta love rubber internals that need to be bled and stanchions seals that "aren't really seals".

Not exactly all there cracked up to be...

 

[dhkid]

^ i also hate it how fox have loads of service centres world wide, where you can be confident that when you have a problem, its gonna be fixed in about week.

 

[spocomptonrider]

^ i also hate it how fox have loads of service centres world wide, where you can be confident that when you have a problem, its gonna be fixed in about week.

Don't get me wrong its a great fork, just seems like it needs a little more lovin than say a boxxer. But when its working its fantastic, so is the service, I always talk to a real human who can diagnose my problem based on my very limited understanding of the black magic going on inside.

 

[Kanye West]

^ i also hate it how fox have loads of service centres world wide, where you can be confident that when you have a problem, its gonna be fixed in about week.

Sure not the US service center. Have to fight tooth and nail to get anything back from those guys, then it's a half chance they did what they needed to in the first place vs. something entirely different.

 

[ronan]

Not exactly all there cracked up to be...

what fork doesnt have flaws?

 

[Kanye West]

A $2800 Dorado!! Or it had better not at least.

 

[downhillracer]

this is why i got rid of the forty for the new boxxer

 

[buckoW]

It is so easy to clean the seals. If you flip your bike upside down on the floor and take off the front wheel it takes less than 5 minutes to take off the lowers and clean out the grit which makes them leak and put it back together. The bladder problem is gone for 2009. The carts are not hard to bleed either. All these "problems" are very easy to fix.

 

[dhkid]

Don't get me wrong its a great fork, just seems like it needs a little more lovin than say a boxxer. But when its working its fantastic, so is the service, I always talk to a real human who can diagnose my problem based on my very limited understanding of the black magic going on inside.

sorry mate, that comment was meant for hacktastic.

hacktastic - sorry to hear that, i have had nothing but great experiences with fox.

i am definitely gonna give the new boxxers a go too, but mainly coz its cheaper (the team) then the new 40s. hopefully rs step up on their QC tho.