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This Is What €21 Can Buy

2K views 37 replies 9 participants last post by  Jerk_Chicken 
#1 · (Edited)
...a shitload of headaches.

A seal that I didn't need, a crush washer, and a nut.

However, I needed the U-cup for my Float conversion, and it wasn't there. However, the box was big enough to hold a laptop, and I found out why- they had to pack a catalog for me.

So now that I don't have the U-cup, despite sending the Fox distro several pictures, parts numbered, with arrows, and spoke in no less than TWO languages, I had to do this on my own. Oh yeah, I leave for a near 1 month biking vacation tomorrow night, and I have a lung and sinus infection.

So they will send me my u-cup, but I won't get it until part way into the vacation, as they will be sending it to a family member I'll be meeting later. So I had to make my own u-cup. I no longer have access to lathes, so it was all handwork with a flat file, and a dremel with three different attachments. Originally, I used a concave plastic cap from a tube of something, and it seemed ok, but flexy. I didn't want to take the chance, and then I saw a small pocket jar of my lip balm. The container has THICK walls, and a lot to work with, so I went at it.

I'm really not happy with this experience with the distributor.

First pic: This **** cost €21


The subject:











 
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#7 ·
I wanted to stick with it, but I don't feel it's a good idea. We'll be doing some bigger trails, and I at least kind of know the 36, even though it's now a Float. THe z1 willl still take yet more time to dial in durng the vacation, including oil height.

The other issue is having a spare fork for the trip.
 
#8 ·
Not that anyone out there would be crazy enough to try this, since you likely have Fox support, no matter how much attitude you get, basically, what I did was as follows"

Cut off the threaded area with a fiber reinforced cutting disc. Most of the plastic will melt. Went around the outside with a small, flat file and a cylindrical sanding stone for the dremel. I think only about 2mm needed to be removed from the outside. The height also needed to be reduced by about 2mm. That was no issue at all. The inside needed to be widened so the negative/top out spring seat could fit in, along with not getting stuck. That's why I used the disc, perpendicular to the plane of the cup, to cut a bevel as I went around. It also saved me some time in removing material. Then came out the sanding cylinder stone, and I went around the inner circumference and just removed material. The top surface of the stone also smoothed out the blemishes I put in the base. and slightly thinned it out. The biggest priority was squaring off the bottom corner so it would put more even pressure on the lock ring.

The trickiest part was the hole. I originally was going to use the cap, and I'm glad I didn't. When I tried to drill the hole in the cap, I cracked it almost instantly. It likely would have held up, but the actual container, with its thick walls, is what's strong. For the stiffness of the plastic, the cap was too thin.

So I went in six steps to get the hole opened up, then finished with a file. I could have made it bigger, but I don't believe oiling the underside of the piston will be a problem. It's lubed by splash, and some gets in there anyhow when the bath hasn't been splashed up and the fork is compressed. I turn my bike upside down anyhow.

The hole is slightly smaller than the lower stud on the air shaft. Not a big deal. I just put it on and stretched it a bit.

My dremel is cordless, and not fully charged, so I had to send it back to the charge base a few times, just about doubling my time. One can do this in about 1:30. Is it worth it? I have a vacation, so yes. If the Fox distributor wasn't incompetent in two languages and wasn't able to interpret no less than TWO marked pictures, with numbers and arrows of what I needed, then there wouldn't have been a problem.

If I had a lathe, this would have been a 5-10 minute job.
 
#11 ·
Still haven't ridden the fork more than around the parking lot. So far, it's ok and perhaps needs to be broken in.

I noted the ramping, but so far, not terrible. I'll know on the trail, for sure. I probably will never be able to get that full amount of travel, but perhaps only 10mm of shaft reduction will do it for me.

We're staying at the base of a couple mountains on the German-Austrian border (quite interesting to walk down the road and end up in an Austrian village),and the testing will begin here.


 
#14 ·
Down Under...

Jerk_Chicken said:
We're staying at the base of a couple mountains on the German-Austrian border (quite interesting to walk down the road and end up in an Austrian village),and the testing will begin here.
Be careful out there. The kangaroos can be dangerous.

Is that Mt. Daniel in the second picture?
 
#15 ·
Nope, we're in the Karwendel Region right now. Lots of rain. Today is a washout, but will get better tomorrow.

Zugspitze is in the background, but covered by the clouds to the right:



This is probably the left 2/3 range in this picture:
 

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#17 ·
Eventually some riding shots. We tend to just kind of ride and not take pics. The pics come when we stop, we tend not to stop to take pics.

Todaywas a washout with heavy rains, so we're going to go sightseeing in Austria and look for trails in dryer regions nearby for tomorrow. We'll most likely end up on a lift-assisted tour for tomorrow.



This was the way down:



Now this was interesting. There was a group, led by a really cool guy who helped us with directions, but at least one or two were completely inexperienced. One had a Bionicon, and I think it was him that tailed the group going down the above trail, and not 1 foot in, he locks up his rear and just rode down as far as we could see (and mostly hear). He really ****ed the trail up bad, and in several spots, destroyed some natural moguls and waterbars. We trailed them by about ten minutes and when we couldn't figure out where to turn, we looked for the skidmarks. He dragged his tire almost 1800 feet down the mountain. Un****ingbelieveable. If I was the guide, I would have thrown him the **** off the trail. He really jacked it up bad.
 
#20 ·
Bikezilla said:
Holy Frig!!! This scared the crap outta me till I relized the image was rotated. Still, that's a lot of exposure man! :thumbsup:



JC nice riding vac... looks like a lot of fun.
Yep, the price for getting it a little bit wrong is a 3000ft+ freefall. This is on the back of the Les Arc massif. Get yourselves over here :p
 
#21 ·
Better?

We found a great, rocky trail after a miserable climb. The water from the mountains ran through it, and along it, so in places we got soaked along a ridge cliff, while trying not the buy it. Overall, fantastic. We're still a bit sick, however. My gf nailed the climbs in one spot, even the 21% extended grades at the end. I'm nowhere near that level.





 
#23 ·
It depends- riding for six hours, most climbing, avoiding herds of cows and cowpies, and not stopping for photoshoots on the best sections so we could brag on the internet about our "mad skillz" and how we're so gnar, we need DW RFX's, then yeah. We pushed them to the max.
 
#26 ·
You were having a go at someone on the Ellsworth forum (for a change ;) ). It was about the video of the British downhill rider riding a Dare on the Ellsworth website, you said you and your girlfriend ride that stuff all the time (it was actually a famous Whistler trail). Was interested as to where those trails are as I'm in Europe too so if they are your local trails then cool! O/S co-ords it all I need.

I'd search your posts but it was about 2 months ago - so I reckon probably hundreds of posts! If I get time or can be bothered I'll have a look.
 
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