Fox Racing Shox has had a big week, first with the all-new 36, followed by the new 32 Step-Cast AX gravel fork, and now the complete rework of their other forks and shocks.
As with the 36, the FLOAT 32 SC and 34 forks get bigger negative air chambers with the EVOL air spring. And if you notice in the pic above, there’s no more regular 32 fork being promoted. Fox’s rep says they’ll sell it for old bikes with options for 9mm QR dropouts, a straight 1-1/8″ steerer and 26″ wheels. But if you want anything more than that, you’ll either get a 100mm Step-Cast 32, or move up to the 34.
For EVOL, the amount of increased negative air volume varies by the fork, with longer travel forks seeing more of an increase. Regardless of model, though, the positive air chamber stayed the same, only the negative chamber got bigger. For some, this happened by simply decreasing the size of the top out bumper, and for others it meant reworking the layout.
For the FIT4 equipped forks, they also get an updated tune for more sensitivity with usual support. This is done by altering the shim stacks to make them more responsive to small inputs without flopping open to easily. Fox’s rep said it’s a natural progression based on continual testing and learning. That, combined with the EVOL’s more linear progression through the first 25% of travel, makes for a fork that’s far more sensitive to small bumps without flopping about in the rough stuff.
For 2018, the 32 SC forks get Factory and Performance builds, but the 34 joins the 36 with the all-black Performance Elite option because people wanted the murdered out look. So you get all of the best internal tech, just not Kashima coated stanchions.
2018 Fox Rear Shocks
For the rear shocks, each model gets updates, so we’ll bullet point those by shock first, then explain what it all means at the bottom of this post. When the metric shock sizing standards came into being last year, Fox made what OEM partners needed, but now that it’s taken root, they’re offering more metric and trunnion shocks as aftermarket options, too.
The Fox FLOAT DPS inline air shock gets a new one-piece EVOL air can, which saves a few grams over the original two-piece sleeved design. This also lets them better tune each shock length and size for its intended application.
The Fox Float X carries over virtually unchanged.
The FLOAT X2 (above) and DHX2 (below), however, gets a redesigned air piston seal to reduce friction.
Save for the FLOAT X shock, all of them get a number of other internal updates that add up to big claims of improved performance. They are:
- The DPS (Dual Piston System, which separates the lockout shim stack from the Medium/Open stack) changed the oil flow path to help it move through the shim stacks better in the Open and Medium modes, but provide a stronger lockout in Firm mode.
- The ports and flow paths for the oil were also improved, helping it move more freely through the circuits. For smaller, lighter riders, this means the shock will feel more open and supple.
- The Float X2 and DHX2 get a lighter oil, which gives it a more useable range, particularly in the Open setting.
- In particular, the lighter weight oil won’t ramp it up as quickly, so it feels more linear.
- There’s also more bushing overlap on rear shocks on trunnion and metric shocks, which helps them resist flex when suspension linkages put lateral or bending stresses on the shock body.
