Fox Float X2 Compression Adj stuck Fix

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Fox Float X2 Compression Adj stuck Fix
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flag BenDroid
Posted: Mar 14, 2016 at 1:42 Quote
Hey People.

So i got my Capra a few weeks back and have had time to test it until now.
I'm not that impressed with the quality, there are paint chips everywhere near threads/bolts and bearings in the frame.
Another problem was the shock. Yes the ever so praised fox float x2. It felt so rough on small bumps like stairs and brakings bumps, i thought theres something not right. I tried to adjust the shock with its 5 adjustments (HSC, LSC, HSR, LSR, VolSpacers). One thing i found, was that the 6mm HSC adjustment and the 3mm LSC adjustment screw/bolt/whatever moved together and had a total range of about 15-18 clicks, not the promised 24 clicks, while the 6mm HSR and the 3mm LSR adjustments screw/bolt/banana could move independent from each other. So that told me there was something wrong. I came to the conclusion that the 3mm LSC adjustment was stuck in the thread on the inside of the 6mm HSC adjustment inside the shock (if that makes sense).

fox float x2

So i emailed YT about it as a response to my answer i got to the question if they have a base tune chart for the fox x2 on the capra, which they dont have, but didn't like to tell me. Every email so far has been answered in ca. 1-2 workdays. To the email making a warranty claim i did not receive an answer yet (5 days and counting).
So i decided to ghetto up and fix this myself like the diy mechanic i am not. I knew i was in for a risk but with a maybe good result. Here's my story.

My plan was originally to buy a cheap 6mm Hex Bit-only and drill a hole trough it, so that i could put the 3mm allen key trough that hole and secure the 6mm HSC adjustment while loosening the 3mm LSC adjustment. But since my local craftsman shop didn't have a 6mm bit-only in stock (like that's not a bit you need often) i had to go even ghettoer.

plan

This was the sketch i made, if it doesn't make sense to you, maybe you will understand it later.

Now since i didn't have a 6mm bit-only, the plan was to saw off a approximately 15mm long piece of a 6mm allen key and use that.

the allen key i sawed the part off i drilled a hole trough

Done.

Now i had to drill a hole squarely trough this small piece of hardened tool steel or whatever. Now i'm not a mechanic, nor any kind of craftsman (but i have drilled holes before), but i knew i was gonna need a harder drill for that. The guy in the craftsmanshop told me i should go for a HSS-G drill, but i also bought a HSS-Co 3,5mm drill, which was made of a harder metal.

Drillbit i used to drill trough the allen key 2

Drillbit i used to drill trough the allen key 1

This was the drill i ended up using.

I clamped the sawed off part of 6m allen key in my wooden workbench, which was a brillient idea, since the metal would get very, very hot while drilling, but i had water nearby so i just hoped for the best.

I tried to drill first using the HSS-G 3,5mm drill bit, which made a painful noise and failed the job, as it had rounded off edges at the tip/nose. With the HSS-Co it went much smoother, alltough things started smoking and i made some stops and sprayed cool water on it, so i wouldn't start a fire.

ghetto workbench setup

My workbench with all the utensils i used for this. You can see the burn/mark the hot 6mm bit left in the wooden clamp in the bottom left of the picture.

out of focus pic of the 6mm allen key part with a 3.5 mm hole trough it

Very out of focus picture of the finished product

6mm allen key part with a 3.5 mm hole trough it

Here's that said 3,6mm hole in the 6mm "bit". I tried to drill as straight as i could, but it just turned out somewhat straight.

ghetto fix thingy

Maybe i makes sense now.

So without further hesitation, i tried to fit my ghetto x2 fix tool to the fox x2.

finished ghetto fix 1

finished ghetto fix 2

Now i could hold on to the 6mm HSC adjustment while turning the 3mm LSC adjustment.
I had to kinda fiddle it in but it atleast fitted pretty good.

ghetto fix in action

Here's the fix in action.

Now: i had to hold the 6mm HSC adj. fix while turning the 3mm LSC adj. anti-clockwise to loosen it. So the LSC was constantly completely closed.
Now i could move the two adjustments independent from each other. The ghetto fix worked.

Conclusion:
After i tuned the shock with a setup close to the one Mike Kazimer used in his Fox X2 review, the ride was much, much smoother. i could go fast down steep stairs and it was very smooth. Braking bumps were qiute smoothed out too.
It was actually pretty easy to make this fix, and it's not that expensive either.
If anyone has this problem and feel save about working on your own bike, you should definitely try this instead of sending the shock back to YT and paying for shipping and tax duty and waiting an unknown amount of time. Anyway, i hope this helps somebody out there.

I posted this in the 'YT Capra Owners' Forum too, just so more people find it.
flag robd420
Posted: Mar 17, 2016 at 7:50 Quote
I personally would have sent the shock in for repair or replacement. A new shock should operate properly, as intended. Everything should work without a ghetto fix if new.
flag zeera
Posted: Apr 22, 2016 at 12:54 Quote
Funny thing. I have some other number of clicks))
HSC - 32, LSC - 23
flag chappers998
Posted: Jan 11, 2017 at 4:53 Quote
zeera wrote:
Funny thing. I have some other number of clicks))
HSC - 32, LSC - 23
The easy way to avoid the stuck adjusters is to cover the adjusters with either duct tape or blutack to stop the dirt/water getting in as that is what causes the issue, Poor design IMO.
I've had X2 and DHX2 and never had an issue with either doing that.
flag IllestT
Posted: Nov 15, 2017 at 6:40 Quote
Ahhhh, I suspect this is the same problem I'm having.
Thanks a million for the tips - I'm gonna make a similar tool
flag OneOcean
Posted: Nov 22, 2017 at 10:13 Quote
Fox includes a simple plastic tool to do this with their 2018 X2s. Part # 398-00-746.
flag chunky-tech-doctor
O+
Posted: Aug 5, 2019 at 3:11 Quote
That plastic pos strips out in seconds I'm making the same thing tonight
flag Branmuffin
O+
Posted: Nov 21, 2019 at 5:15 Quote
megadethe99 wrote:
That plastic pos strips out in seconds I'm making the same thing tonight
. Must really be stuck because the plastic pos should only be holding the 6mm in place while you turn the 3mm with an Allen. Should be nearly 0 force on the plastic.
flag chunky-tech-doctor
O+
Posted: Nov 24, 2019 at 17:55 Quote
Yeai sent it into fox and had them replace the high speed dampener and service the shock for 170$
flag bencika
Posted: Aug 28, 2020 at 3:59 Quote
The problem occured to me as well, I noticed that my shox was working a bit to stiff.. tried to open it and noticed the same thing..

The DIY is great, awesome job.
I managed to get it loose with some WD40 and by holding the Propedal lever
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