Help needed with fox fork rebuild

[ishaw]

I bought a set of fox floats a while ago. They were disassembled when I got them, previous owner had pillaged the wiper seals and removed the air spring assembly.

I've fitted new wiper seals and given the air spring a good clean and lube ready for reassembly but I'm not quite sure how to do it. If it were a rockshox, simples.

The air spring slides in fine, it is the circlips and end plate I'm struggling with (pictured).

I can see a couple of indents which look like they hold the clips, but I can't figure out how to get the silver one on.

I've surfed the net and not come up with much. The best I've found is an exploded diagram of the whole damper.

32mm Part Information | Bike Help Center | FOX

www.ridefox.com

This suggests that the black circlip goes in first and sits in the farthest recess. Fine, I can do that.

Next should be the silver washer looking part. This has a slight recess which I face inwards, assuming it sits within the black circlip. Again, fine here.

The last piece of the puzzle should be the silver, double thickness circlip. However, I have 2 issues.

1. It seems too thick the seat in the stanchion recess when on top of the silver cap/washer

2. I can't work out, even if it did fit, how on earth to compress it so I can actually get it small enough to fit inside the stanchion.

Anyone know how to do this or even if I'm right?

Thanks

 

[old_coyote_pedaller]

I'm sure if it's supposed to fit in it will. The way I fit circlips like the black one is to spiral it in after locating the square end of circlip in first. Then as I push down on circlip I hook the other end with the cutout inwards reducing it's diameter till it's possible to gradually push it down till it's all in.
With the silver circlip I'd use same method, the difficult part is getting it started with it being 2 turns. Carefully separate it so you can push the square end in then hopefully it should fit in OK. Remember to have end with cutout on top or you won't get it out again without difficulty.

 

[ishaw]

Thanks. I've had the black one in, no problem, it's the silver one that I'm struggling with. I've just had a double hernia op so not using too much force. Maybe I'll wait a bit until I've got a bit more strength back

I assume both foot nuts require crush washers?

 

[old_coyote_pedaller]

I recently changed the fork wiper seals on a Fox Float RL fork. Got seal kit off ebay and it came with crush washers as well as the foam rings and a travel indicator o-ring. There were 3 crush washers, 2 black ones same size and an aluminium one slightly bigger if I remember correctly. My fork needed both black ones, the aluminium one is included in kit as some forks with an adjuster on bottom of leg need a bigger one.

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Not much info there if you want to rebuild forks, I found videos on Youtube to help with that.
I also now fit a small mudguard, the thin plastic type that are flat when not fitted, to protect stanchions from mud/dirt.
Bought one off ebay that is on the Fox Float, 26", but made a bigger one to fit to Revelation that's on my hardtail that's got 650b+ wheels with 2.8 tyre on front. Never used to run guards except to protect rear shock on my Cannondale Super V, the Lefty on front is sealed anyway.
The one I made was from an old plastic table mat, pattern off 'tinternet, sprayed it black, stuck on Crud, Rockshok decals, freebies from some MTB magazine from years ago. Looks OK, does the job.

 

[ishaw]

So, had a go and can't get the silver clip to seat properly. Anyone successfully fitted one? How?

 

[old_coyote_pedaller]

You can't get it in or you can but it's not sitting fully in place? Can't remember ever fitting a similar one but I'd still do it the way I said earlier.
Being able to get the end in then use the inner face of fork tube to push the circlip inwards reducing it's diameter as you push it down, closing up the spiral you created by stretching it out. Just make sure when stretching it out into a spiral you haven't permanently changed it's shape.

I know it's easy for me to say when you are faced with actually having to do it.

 

[ishaw]

Thanks. I can get it in but it doesn't want to stay seated, it is as if the double thickness of the clip is too much for the recess it is supposed to sit in, and once the double thickness is in play, it unseats on the opposite side.

 

[old_coyote_pedaller]

My engineer's head says if it's the one that came out, it should go back in but there's always the possibility because it was in bits when you got it that the previous owner distorted it's shape levering it out if all he was concerned with was nicking bits off fork.

 

[ishaw]

I'm with you, though it doesn't appear distorted at all.

 

[old_coyote_pedaller]

If out of the round maybe that would cause it to ping out but looks OK in pics, if distorted vertically like a coil spring, once "forced" in the edges of groove and it's own tension should hold it in place. If you can get hold of a new one maybe that might help. Out of ideas not being able to get my mitts on it, there's things I'd try knowing I might terminally damage circlip. One being bending the offending end that is pinging out, out of the round, make it slightly bigger in diameter, give it more outwards tension. Or if I could get another 2 of the black circlips try fitting them in with open slots 180degrees apart. There's a reason they use the double spiral circlip. Did I say I was an engineer? Bodgineer actually.