[Tim Blabbing]

I have been looking at various Fox air shocks on used classifieds and am curious about "tunes?"

What I have noticed for the RP series (RP2 and RP23) is that there are various tunes, e.g.:
- Low rebound, medium compression, 180 boost valve.
or
- Medium rebound, light compression, 200 boost valve.

I am familiar with shocks having various tunes according to the leverage ratios. E.g., I've seen the RockShox Monarch offered with "low" or "mid" tunes according to leverage ratio. My particular bike has a leverage ratio of 2.63, hence I would need a mid-tune Monarch, if I got one.

Questions:
1. How come I have not seen anything about tunes when it comes to DHX airs?
2. Are these tunes the result of specific settings from Push Industries, or are specific bikes now coming off the showroom floor with specific tunes?
3. Are these tunes similar to the tunes offered for the Monarch according to leverage ratio? If yes, why would there be different tunes for the rebound and compression?
4. Does the boost valve tune number correspond to rider weight in lbs.?
5. What would it take to change a tune? Would I have to send it to Fox or Push, or can I change it myself?

Thanks for any and all info.

 

[Tim Blabbing]

Bump....

 

[Vrock]

1. I wonder that too.
2. Yep, now bikes come with different Tunes
3. Nobody nows but they are probably different. Names are not important anyway, who cares if a shock has a low-low tune or a low-medium tune. It would be better if they give us some numbers... Something like Low Tune(10Lbs/in), Medium Tune (15Lbs/in), Hard Tune (20Lbs/in). That way you can compare differents brands and different year models.
4.No.
5.Send it to Push, it's not something you can do by yourself.

 

[BC]

Tim Blabbing]I have been looking at various Fox air shocks on used classifieds and am curious about "tunes?"

What I have noticed for the RP series (RP2 and RP23) is that there are various tunes, e.g.:
- Low rebound, medium compression, 180 boost valve.
or
- Medium rebound, light compression, 200 boost valve.

I am familiar with shocks having various tunes according to the leverage ratios. E.g., I've seen the RockShox Monarch offered with "low" or "mid" tunes according to leverage ratio. My particular bike has a leverage ratio of 2.63, hence I would need a mid-tune Monarch, if I got one.

I think that selection would also depend on your weight, and how you like your suspension to feel in general. At 140 lbs I would only run a light tune even on the bikes with a higher leverage ratio, as I like an active suspension.

Questions:
1. How come I have not seen anything about tunes when it comes to DHX airs?

The older DHX airs (the one with the multi turn knob,not the switch) had a decent tunable range with combination of the adjustable BO and boost valve pressure.

2. Are these tunes the result of specific settings from Push Industries, or are specific bikes now coming off the showroom floor with specific tunes?

My perception is that the different tunes "evolved" over time from one end to the other. There seemed to be a trend in the 07'-08' time frame for shock tunes that favored pedaling efficiency over suspension. I rode several bikes in that time frame that had heavily damped compression without the ability to adjust it, even with the levers and knobs. Where My 05 DHX air was a great tunable shock. The current low compression tune RP23 feels good to me. At least with identification of different tunes, you actually have an idea of what you are going to get.

3. Are these tunes similar to the tunes offered for the Monarch according to leverage ratio? If yes, why would there be different tunes for the rebound and compression?

4. Does the boost valve tune number correspond to rider weight in lbs.?
That would be interesting if it does. I assumed it was in PSI.

5. What would it take to change a tune? Would I have to send it to Fox or Push, or can I change it myself?

Depends on your tools and know how. It can be a PIA to do it yourself, and it may take several re-do's, and special tools. I de-tuned a rp23 I got off e-bay stupid cheap. It was a medium compression tune (too stiff for my liking), but for the deal I got on it I was willing to crack it open and remove one of the conical shims and a propedal spring pre-load shim. Took me a few tries to get it right (The rp23 has some weird things going on inside) It basically scaled all the compression tuning down (yeah). I'm actually surprised at how good it feels. I've been on coil shocks the last few years, and it's no coil, but pretty damn good. It would help if they would publish the shim arrangement etc. defining the different tunes, but I wouldn't expect that to happen.