Some of the performance gains that were attained when Fox Racing Shox released its latest version of the Float 36 fork were due to its new air spring design, which incorporates an air-type negative spring instead of the previous coil version. The new air-negative spring system resulted in a seamless transition from the fork's beginning stroke through the mid-stroke and those improvements were dramatic enough to inspire Fox to design a retrofit air-spring kit for current Float 34 fork owners. Fox officials say that the offer is an effort to offer backwards compatibility to key suspension products so that customers can economically upgrade to new technology instead of shouldering the cost of a new product purchase.
What's in the KitThe kit replaces the entire spring assembly and includes snap-on volume spacers for bottom-out and spring-rate adjustments. A number of holes in the new spring shaft allow users to fine tune the Float 34's travel in ten-millimeter increments and, like the Float 36, the negative spring is self-equalizing. For $99 USD, Fox will install the air-spring kit in any Float 34 fork from model year 2012 through 2015, although the owners are required to pay shipping charges. The 99-dollar deal is limited to USA customers at present, although
OGC, Fox's distributor in Canada, is expected to participate with similar pricing. Fox encourages Float 34 fork owners elsewhere to contact their distributors to get pricing for the service in their specific countries
at this address. North American customers should contact Fox
directly. The Official Press Release Says:Using the same Float air-spring technology used in the award-winning 36 fork, Fox is now offering upgrade kits to retrofit 2012-2015 34 forks. The kit replaces the entire air spring assembly, reducing weight and noise while greatly increasing adjustability and performance. Like the current 36 fork design, the 34 Float Air Spring Upgrade Kit features a positive and negative air spring system, which reduces the force to initiate travel, providing excellent sensitivity and small bump compliance at all pressure settings. The design also allows for internal travel adjustments in 10mm increments and the air spring curve can be tuned using volume spacers.
The 34 FLOAT Air Spring Upgrade Kits are available for Float and TALAS 26"/27.5" forks at 140mm, 150mm, and 160mm of travel and for Float and TALAS 29" forks at 120mm, 130mm, 140mm, and 150mm. This limited time special is available in the United States only and will be honored through August 31, 2016. After that, the kits will retail for $139.00 plus $40.00 for installation. To get your 34 fork upgrade started, begin the process by getting a Return Authorization (RA) number issued by Fox.
Make your junk right the first time. Don't make riders pay to fix what is not worth fixing in the first place.
Prior to the rebuild: the lockout didn't work; climb setting didn't work, there was tons of brake dive, and the descend and trail modes felt pretty much the same. I know most of the repair had to do with the CTD side. I'm not sure what he did (if anything) to the spring assembly. But the fork was night and day better. I'll likely buy this kit and see if there is any difference.
But, the main questions is... will I buy a FOX fork in the future? That I don't know.
From Bike-components.de
RS Pike Solo Air 2015 - 599€
Fox Float 34 Fit 4 2015 - 1099€
our poor crappy dollar
34 2016 spring has no rod on the upper assembly and an exchange port is carved on the inner surface of the diver in order to allow pressure equilibration between positive and negative chambers. Much like the Pike.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/12069519
Since there is no exchange of T and divers scheduled with this upgrade, so no exchange port on the diver, I guess that pressure communication between + and - chambers are made through a central port closed by the rod.
So basically it's more pertinent to compare it to the 36 than the new 34.
Now the 99$ question : is the 34 2016 spring better or worse than the 36?
Also, I just swapped out my 2012 damper for a 2016 FIT4 damper, and it really didn't make much difference. Small-bump compliance is a little better. But this is certainly tempting, if it will give it something closer to the feel (but not stiffness) of the 36.
"Fox offers newer, better internals to retrofit older, less advanced internals. This will cost $99 and give a much better ride quality comparable to the better, more expensive 36 model fork" "Hey f*ck you, Fox! How dare you give us options outside of buying a brand new fork!?" "These bastards expect us to get an upgraded rebuilt fork for a hundred bucks with better internals? Who do they think they are!?" -Pinkbike comments
Come on guys, I'm starting to thing you just like bitching about component companies......
Not even for free.
I'm hoping that FOX will be reading these, and can come up with a solution. Discounts don't cover bad service.
X-Fusion has awesome service too from what i hear.
Maybe there'll be another upgrade for 2016 forks to buy an air shaft with holes so you could fine tune the travel without trying many different air shafts?
Fck spending $99 on a new spring. Just sell your shit Fox 34 and buy a Pike, if they are both used there will probably only be a $99 difference anyways and you get the added stiffness of a 35mm stantion plus it's lighter, Or get a new Lyrik.
@leon-forfar- Like I said if you sell a used 34 and buy a used Pike there is a minimal price dif.
Maybe I was a but harsh for some of you but I don't think so, show me a good review of an old 34 and I'll show you a advertisement. Even Pinkbike said they were crap and they will push anything, even a 12 speed cassette. ha!
Every year the reviews come out about Fox finally have fixed the 34 issues and each year the previous year is slammed in the review. It's a total joke, why would they not have done this in the first place? When the 2017 line hits the shelves everybody will say, "For those of you fed up the partial fix fox issued last year you have got to try the new Fox 34. Fox worked it all out blah blah blah"
To me 34s were crap until Fit4 damper came along. 36 was always the best of the best. But these days Fox prices are so insane that you can buy two top RS forks in the price of one Fox. Even Öhlins fork is cheaper and it is made in Sweden where man hour of work starts at 50€. Fox went nuts. There is no justifying of double price of markets Benchmark and Pike is undoubtedly one.
Quit dumping money into your inferior product and put that $99 in a savings account, then every time your fork bottoms out because you touched your brakes going into a corner put another $1. You will be able to afford a Pike or Lyrik in no time!
Long and short, I'd like to jump to Fox. Grass is always greener.
Will travel adjust still work the same on Talas or would this new air spring convert it to a Float?
Also, is this called an NA2 upgrade?
Service Set: 2013-2015 Retro Air Spring Assy, 34 26-27.5in 140, FLOAT NA
820-01-404-KIT
156,00 EUR
I'll be clearer, you can get in Germany, now... ( this is the 140mm kit , I assume others are available as well )
foxracingshox.de/FOX-TUNING-UP-GRADES/Service-Set--2013-2015-Retro-Air-Spring-Assy--34-26-27-5in-140--FLOAT-NA.html