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Fox 38 - What's your setup?

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#181 ·
brash said:
This fork is very finnicky with pressure, so inflate the fork, compress it to cycle the pos/neg chambers then hold the front wheel off the ground (my 38 is so sensitive it will sag under the bikes own weight) to get your pressure reading. A 2psi will make a noticeable difference

If you are smacking bottom out at the higher pressures add 1 token, but I doubt you will, the 38 in longer travel is quite progressive on it's own.

If there is one thing you can take away from tuning a fox 38, it's more air, less tokens.
Click to expand...

Thanks I played around with it this weekend, and really tried to compress the hell out of the fork on some big hits, I couldn't get past about 135mm of the 170mm of travel. The fox flat socket arrives today so I'm going to start back at 0 tokens and recommended PSI/HSC

Is the recommended PSI from the fork accounting for the 2 tokens that come by default?
 
#182 ·
briangarson said:
Thanks I played around with it this weekend, and really tried to compress the hell out of the fork on some big hits, I couldn't get past about 135mm of the 170mm of travel. The fox flat socket arrives today so I'm going to start back at 0 tokens and recommended PSI/HSC

Is the recommended PSI from the fork accounting for the 2 tokens that come by default?
Click to expand...
Start with 20% sag and the recommended settings as starting point, and adjust from there.
 
#183 ·
Think I will throw my settings into this for good measure. Open to feedback but also wanted to offer another data point.
Bike - 2022 RipMo XL Fox 38 with Fox X2 - both factory. I'm a big guy that fluctuates between 230-240lbs...currently at 240lbs.
I have played around some at 140psi with both rebounds slowed a tad from below settings. 140psi was too rough for my liking. Last ride, I tried 130psi and delicately felt the lack of mid-stroke support on rough corners. Also felt like the front fell away a tad too easily. I am also currently on the books with Mike @ Shock Howse out here in Seattle (local for me) to do some possible custom valving. But, would love to spend money else where before getting any custom valving done.
  • PSI - 135
  • No Tokens
  • HSR - 4 clicks
  • LSR - 8 clicks
  • LSC - 9 clicks
  • HSC - 4 clicks
As mentioned...open to suggestions.

Cheers,
Mike
 
#184 ·
mbcracken said:
Think I will throw my settings into this for good measure. Open to feedback but also wanted to offer another data point.
Bike - 2022 RipMo XL Fox 38 with Fox X2 - both factory. I'm a big guy that fluctuates between 230-240lbs...currently at 240lbs.
I have played around some at 140psi with both rebounds slowed a tad from below settings. 140psi was too rough for my liking. Last ride, I tried 130psi and delicately felt the lack of mid-stroke support on rough corners. Also felt like the front fell away a tad too easily. I am also currently on the books with Mike @ Shock Howse out here in Seattle (local for me) to do some possible custom valving. But, would love to spend money else where before getting any custom valving done.
  • PSI - 135
  • No Tokens
  • HSR - 4 clicks
  • LSR - 8 clicks
  • LSC - 9 clicks
  • HSC - 4 clicks
As mentioned...open to suggestions.

Cheers,
Mike
Click to expand...
Nothing standing out there at all, I think that would be a good setup. You have come to the realization it seems that these forks need LSR open more than you think!

That's another trick, open LSR way more than recommended, and control larger hits via tuning HSR. This frees the fork up tremendously, it's as if the LSR is another form of compression.
 
#185 ·
davec113 said:
I agree you should be using more travel. The tokens only affect the last part of travel so you don't need them, not both of them anyways. But that's not the real issue imo...

I'd have your bushings burnished, seems like you may have tight bushings. After I got my fork back from Fox w/ new lowers and properly sized bushings I needed 10-15 more psi, more HSC and a token or two, Fox's recs were darn close. Before that, the fork was closer to what you're describing, maybe not quite as bad.

A friend with a 38 also uses lower pressure, lower HSC settings and same story, tight bushings. I think this has been an issue with a vast majority of mtb forks and people put up with it because nobody knows it's the bushings. They just run lower pressure, back off on HSC and remove all the tokens.
Click to expand...
took both tokens out today, tried a few different pressures between 108 down to 100 and multiple runs down a double black DH race trail. Still maxing out at about 125-135mm of the 170mm even when feeling I should bottom out on a couple “on purpose” sections. Contacted fox and my LBS, LBS is going to take it apart and have a look.

likely you were right about the bushings or the grease issue but I’m not savvy enough to figure that out on my own / don’t want to void my warranty and will go through the LBS to start.
 
#186 ·
I'm just going to post this here for anyone else who is not getting full travel out of a brand new fox 38, I was stuck at about 130 out of the 170mm of travel, tried everything from removing tokens, lowering psi, riding it wide open HSC.. nothing.

Brought it to my local shop to have them look at it, they took it apart didn't find anything, however they gave it a clean, regreased and put it back together, set it up again and on my first ride out I bottomed it out twice at the suggested PSI with no tokens.

I've since added 1 token back, played with my settings and have it running great, using about 90% travel on most rides with the occasional 95%+ and it feels 100x better.

My settings (200lbs, on a yeti sb150)

102psi, 1 token, 2 HSC clicks from open.
 
#187 ·
Doesn’t it make sense in these threads to also indicate what type of riding you are doing?

Would settings for trail, be different from park / downhill?

I also notice that a lot of people are running more pressure than fox reccomends.?

I wonder how many people under 180 lbs REALLY need a fox 38? No offense but at some of the weight listed here I have to laugh.
 
#188 ·
Bassmantweed said:
Doesn’t it make sense in these threads to also indicate what type of riding you are doing?

Would settings for trail, be different from park / downhill?

I also notice that a lot of people are running more pressure than fox reccomends.?

I wonder how many people under 180 lbs REALLY need a fox 38? No offense but at some of the weight listed here I have to laugh.
Click to expand...
They're coming on bikes for ~40kg girls now!
 
#189 ·
Bassmantweed said:
Doesn’t it make sense in these threads to also indicate what type of riding you are doing?

Would settings for trail, be different from park / downhill?

I also notice that a lot of people are running more pressure than fox reccomends.?

I wonder how many people under 180 lbs REALLY need a fox 38? No offense but at some of the weight listed here I have to laugh.
Click to expand...
Do they need it probably not, but most enduro builds come with a fox 38 already. Off the top of my head enduro, sb150, sb165, megatower. I'm a light rider (150lbs geared up) and love the stiffness of the fox 38.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
 
#190 · (Edited)
Coming from guy who is on the heavier side 215ish-220lbs i finally got my Fox 38 set up to perform amazingly well(for me at least) after 2 months of trial and error I was ready to sell the fork!
2023 Megatower V2
Fox 38 170mm, 120psi this fork requires a bit of extra air (fox chart says 110psi for my weight)
17% sag 2 tokens comes stock
HSC 7 from closed
LSC 9 from closed
LSR 5 from closed
HSR 2 from closed
I came to realized if you are heavier and require more air open up the HSC a lot due to the fact with a higher spring rate its easier to compress the fork with less HSC to get a plush feeling
Also the fork requires a bit more LSR than normal to get more of that supple feel, with this set up i get no brake dive or brake bump harshness, feels like a couch lol
Hope this helps
 
#191 ·
I have heard that term a lot. As a rider who was one 260 (now 225)
N2deep714 said:
Coming from guy who is on the heavier side 215ish-220lbs i finally got my Fox 38 set up to perform amazingly well(for me at least) after 2 months of trial and error I was ready to sell the fork!
2023 Megatower V2
Fox 38 170mm, 120psi this fork requires a bit of extra air (fox chart says 110psi for my weight)
17% sag 2 tokens comes stock
HSC 7 from closed
LSC 9 from closed
LSR 5 from closed
HSR 2 from closed
I came to realized if you are heavier and require more air open up the HSC a lot due to the fact with a higher spring rate its easier to compress the fork with less HSC to get a plush feeling
Also the fork requires a bit more LSR than normal to get more of that supple feel, with this set up i get no brake dive or brake bump harshness, feels like a couch lol
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
what type of riding is this setup good for? Park/ down hill or all mountain?

I am similar weight to you and looking for all mountain / trail settings.
 
#192 ·
Bassmantweed said:
I have heard that term a lot. As a rider who was one 260 (now 225)


what type of riding is this setup good for? Park/ down hill or all mountain?

I am similar weight to you and looking for all mountain / trail settings.
Click to expand...
All the above really, Its a Enduro fork, made for climbing and descending... I haven't been to the bike park yet on this set up, but the only thing that would change would be air pressure due to altitude change
 
#193 ·
Bassmantweed said:
Doesn’t it make sense in these threads to also indicate what type of riding you are doing?

Would settings for trail, be different from park / downhill?

I also notice that a lot of people are running more pressure than fox reccomends.?

I wonder how many people under 180 lbs REALLY need a fox 38? No offense but at some of the weight listed here I have to laugh.
Click to expand...
Whilst I agree with you, people were sending on 36's for years with no issue, the 38 is a better air spring. The breakaway force is almost non existent to overcome the seals and it's probably the most linear air spring I've come across in an air fork that isn't IRT/twin chamber. It's just a bonus it comes wrapped in a big dog chassis I suppose.

It's a good fork, that could be better put it that way.
 
#194 ·
what are you guys running for hsr and lsr in comparison to what fox recommends? yeti also has some suggested settings, but they are 3-4 FASTER than what fox recommends.

just wanted to see what everyone else's experience has been.

i was testing with 97 psi with lsr at 6-8 clicks from closed, but yeti recommends 7-9, fox recommends 4.
 
#195 ·
With LSR you can go from open down as many clicks as you feel comfortable with, if you keep HSR at 2 - 4 clicks from closed.
More closed LSR is a more "damped" feeling.. more open makes it "active" over deep roots. I found the recommended settings quite OK but took the recommendations from Seb Stott's review on bikeradar.
 
#196 ·
haltbro said:
what are you guys running for hsr and lsr in comparison to what fox recommends? yeti also has some suggested settings, but they are 3-4 FASTER than what fox recommends.

just wanted to see what everyone else's experience has been.

i was testing with 97 psi with lsr at 6-8 clicks from closed, but yeti recommends 7-9, fox recommends 4.
Click to expand...
I posted this earlier but I'm running rebound a few clicks faster than recommend. Fox's rec's felt really dead. My HSR is only like a click faster, LSR is like 3 clicks faster.
 
#198 ·
This thread is a gold mine for 38 information! I'll toss my experience in too:

Used fork, 205lb rider w/ gear, all trail riding in southern AZ (sharp edged rocks for days):
2 vol spacers
88psi
HSC 6 out
LSC 11 out
HSR 4 out
LSR 5 out

This was pretty awful, really harsh but using most of the travel. turns out sag so difficult to measure consistently I stopped paying attention to it and only played with pressures. Did a lot of reading on here and ended up with:

0 vol spacer
5 out HSC
10 out LSC
102psi
LSR 4 out
HSR 3 out

MUCH better for small bump, not even using half the travel but I feel like there is still more small bump compliance to be had. My 34 on the other bike still feels better, but the 38 should be much better than that yeah? Going to start playing around with the LSR next and see if what people are saying about it being linked with the compression damping is true.
 
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