Haven't seen much online about the internals of the RS 35 Gold RL. This fork features on bikes all the way up to the $3k price-point (or double that in the case of eMTB's) and supposedly has RS vaunted Debonair air spring but is it any good? Can it be upgraded?
I recently pulled this fork apart to get a look at what's inside.
TLDR on this fork:
Here is a teardown.
Dampers and Air Spring.
![1918460]( "1918460")
Air Spring
The "Debonair" air spring is just a basic Solo Air spring with spring loaded top out bumper to equalize positive and negative pressure. There is no hollow shaft increasing negative volume, there are no low friction bushings in the lower seal head, there are no low friction seals.
![1918461]( "1918461")
The spring does have a large negative air chamber - hence the "Debonair" moniker.
Travel changes are achieved using Rockshox All Travel Spacers (part 11.4015.450.000) - there are not different length air shafts for different travel variants.
Since the stanchion inner diameter is smaller than Lyrik, Yari, Pike and Revelation the air springs used in those forks won't physically fit into the 35 Gold...
![1918463]( "1918463")
...but even if they did, there is no air transfer dimple in the air side stanchion.
![1918464]( "1918464")
Dampers
![1918465]( "1918465")
Compression Damper
![1918468]( "1918468")
The MoCo used in the 35 Gold is Rockshox' most basic version. It looks like a plastic toy, compared to the MoCo used in the Yari for example.
![1918466]( "1918466")
To address this fork's high speed spiking, one or more shims/spacers can be cut from an old credit card (or 3D printed) to adjust the floodgate's behavior. You lose the near-lockout ability at full close LSC if you do this. If you have access to a 3D printer, the print files are here.
![1918470]( "1918470")
Single 0.7mm thick credit card spacer installed in this photo.
![1918469]( "1918469")
Due to it's custom cut ~M32 x 0.8mm (or closer to M31.8 x 0.8 if that was a thing) top cap thread pitch you cannot install any Charger dampers into this fork. 0.8mm is also not a standard thread pitch (M32 dies come in 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, etc pitch variations) and no simple rethreading of a 0.5mm pitch Charger is possible without a lathe.
![1918471]( "1918471")
T̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶v̶a̶i̶l̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶u̶p̶g̶r̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶F̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶U̶p̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶F̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶S̶u̶s̶p̶e̶n̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶-̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶$̶3̶0̶0̶.̶ ̶F̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶c̶u̶t̶s̶ ̶n̶e̶w̶ ̶0̶.̶8̶m̶m̶ ̶p̶i̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶e̶a̶d̶s̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶x̶i̶s̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶0̶.̶5̶m̶m̶ ̶p̶i̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶Y̶a̶r̶i̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶3̶5̶ ̶G̶o̶l̶d̶,̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶i̶t̶ ̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶s̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶a̶d̶d̶r̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶3̶5̶ ̶G̶o̶l̶d̶'̶s̶ ̶p̶o̶o̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶b̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶ .
Edit 1. FAST Suspension no longer offers the 35 Gold damper.
Edit 2. MST in Germany now offers a version of their Yari and Revelation drop-in compression damper for the 35 Gold. Details here.
![1918472]( "1918472")
![1918473]( "1918473")
Rebound Damper
The rebound damper is a basic port orifice damper with plastic head found in Rockshox' lowest end forks, with no shimmed high speed rebound circuit. The 35's smaller stanchion ID prevents use of the shimmed version from a Revelation or Yari.
![1918474]( "1918474")
Bushings
This fork's bushings are comically narrow. SRAM uses 10mm wide upper and lower bushings which are glued in place. Glued with epoxy; they can come loose and migrate.
![1918475]( "1918475")
![1918476]( "1918476")
Dust Wipers
The dust wipers that came on this fork were not the lower friction SKF-made seals that are now standard on all other 35mm RS forks, but the higher quality wipers fit. 35 Gold wipers on left, SKF-made seals on right. SRAM may now be installing the SKF-made seals on this fork, check before spending money on new seals.
![1918477]( "1918477")
I recently pulled this fork apart to get a look at what's inside.
TLDR on this fork:
- Edit. This may well be the worst fork currently marketed by SRAM due to design and manufacturing shortcuts such as cheap, narrow bushings held in place by glue - that fails.
- If you're spending your own money, never ever buy this fork. At the same MSRP the Marzocchi Bomber Z2 is a far better option.
- It's basically an upsized Recon RL with Rockshox' most basic Motion Control damper and seals, and a port orifice rebound damper. Not a shim in sight. Edit. But the Recon is built better.
- It is incompatible with the internals of current and previous 35mm Pike, Revelation, Yari and Lyrik models.
- Edit. See this and this. The fork uses very narrow bushings - 10mm upper and lower - that are glued in place with epoxy and this glue seems prone to failure. If this epoxy fails the affected bushing will move (with associated negative outcomes - "notchy" travel from uneven bushing alignment, stanchion play, or the bushing will squeeze around the stanchion ever tighter until it barely moves). This is a possible repair to re-align bushings whose glue failed.
- The fork's stanchion walls are thicker and the ID is smaller than other Rockshox 35mm aluminium forks. This means 35mm parts from other forks, like shimmed rebound dampers from the Revelation or Yari for example, doesn't physically fit in the fork. Edit. See post 86 for a modification to a shimmed Yari rebound damper that works.
- SRAM uses a new ~M32/M31.8 x 0.8mm top cap thread for both air and damper top caps. This sits between the non-boost Pike (1mm) and their other 35mm forks (0.5mm). You cannot install a charger damper from any other Rockshox fork.
- The air spring is not really Debonair. It's a standard Rockshox Solo Air spring that uses plastic seal heads, high friction O-Rings and transfers air between positive and negative chambers using a spring loaded check valve in the air spring head which opens at top-out.
- When you get this fork it will most likely feel harsh at any speed, with loads of stiction and spiking.
- Servicing this fork with high quality lubes and installing low friction dust wipers is the best thing you can do for it's stiction.
- A shim to adjust the Motion Control damper's floodgate can be used to address excessive spiking at high speed impacts.
- The air spring can be tuned with bottomless tokens, but it takes 2 maximum and you must use the 32mm tokens (part # 11.4018.032.003) not the regular Rockshox 35mm tokens.
Here is a teardown.
Dampers and Air Spring.
Air Spring
The "Debonair" air spring is just a basic Solo Air spring with spring loaded top out bumper to equalize positive and negative pressure. There is no hollow shaft increasing negative volume, there are no low friction bushings in the lower seal head, there are no low friction seals.
The spring does have a large negative air chamber - hence the "Debonair" moniker.
Travel changes are achieved using Rockshox All Travel Spacers (part 11.4015.450.000) - there are not different length air shafts for different travel variants.
Since the stanchion inner diameter is smaller than Lyrik, Yari, Pike and Revelation the air springs used in those forks won't physically fit into the 35 Gold...
...but even if they did, there is no air transfer dimple in the air side stanchion.
Dampers
Compression Damper
The MoCo used in the 35 Gold is Rockshox' most basic version. It looks like a plastic toy, compared to the MoCo used in the Yari for example.
To address this fork's high speed spiking, one or more shims/spacers can be cut from an old credit card (or 3D printed) to adjust the floodgate's behavior. You lose the near-lockout ability at full close LSC if you do this. If you have access to a 3D printer, the print files are here.
Single 0.7mm thick credit card spacer installed in this photo.
Due to it's custom cut ~M32 x 0.8mm (or closer to M31.8 x 0.8 if that was a thing) top cap thread pitch you cannot install any Charger dampers into this fork. 0.8mm is also not a standard thread pitch (M32 dies come in 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, etc pitch variations) and no simple rethreading of a 0.5mm pitch Charger is possible without a lathe.
T̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶v̶a̶i̶l̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶u̶p̶g̶r̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶F̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶U̶p̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶F̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶S̶u̶s̶p̶e̶n̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶-̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶$̶3̶0̶0̶.̶ ̶F̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶c̶u̶t̶s̶ ̶n̶e̶w̶ ̶0̶.̶8̶m̶m̶ ̶p̶i̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶e̶a̶d̶s̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶x̶i̶s̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶0̶.̶5̶m̶m̶ ̶p̶i̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶Y̶a̶r̶i̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶3̶5̶ ̶G̶o̶l̶d̶,̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶i̶t̶ ̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶s̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶a̶d̶d̶r̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶3̶5̶ ̶G̶o̶l̶d̶'̶s̶ ̶p̶o̶o̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶b̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶p̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶ .
Edit 1. FAST Suspension no longer offers the 35 Gold damper.
Edit 2. MST in Germany now offers a version of their Yari and Revelation drop-in compression damper for the 35 Gold. Details here.
Rebound Damper
The rebound damper is a basic port orifice damper with plastic head found in Rockshox' lowest end forks, with no shimmed high speed rebound circuit. The 35's smaller stanchion ID prevents use of the shimmed version from a Revelation or Yari.
Bushings
This fork's bushings are comically narrow. SRAM uses 10mm wide upper and lower bushings which are glued in place. Glued with epoxy; they can come loose and migrate.
Dust Wipers
The dust wipers that came on this fork were not the lower friction SKF-made seals that are now standard on all other 35mm RS forks, but the higher quality wipers fit. 35 Gold wipers on left, SKF-made seals on right. SRAM may now be installing the SKF-made seals on this fork, check before spending money on new seals.
