[MikeD]

Just got a new 2003 Vanilla 100R for an XC bike...feels very plush, but bottoms way too easily. Is there any way to increase progression, or will I just need to get a stiffer spring? The owner's manual says nothing about a progression adjustment, so I suppose I'm SOL, but I figured I'd ask.

Does anyone else of 165-170 lbs weight find the stock springs undersprung?

MD

 

[rjw]

They should come with 3 different springs as standard.

Other than that, you could run a little more oil in the right leg.

 

[MikeD]

Got it from Cambria Bikes off Ebay...it's new, but it didn't come with extra springs. I had no idea they were supposed to...that's a cool idea on Fox's part. Just wish I'd known before I bought the fork.

From reading the instructions, I didn't get the idea that more oil would equal more progression like a Marzocchi. (Similar to a Manitou, which has a min and max amount of oil, but performance is equal as long as it's within the required amount.)

Have you adjusted the oil height on one yourself before? It'd be pretty cool if that did work...

 

[Jeremy R]

If you got it and it did not come with any extra springs, then there is no telling if it even has standard springs in it. At 165, the stock springs should be about right, or they are in the 125 model. I weigh 170, and got the stiffer spring for mine, and it was way too stiff for trailriding.
So, I just ride it with the stock springs and the compression ramped.
It works fine, but the KNOCKING is enough to drive a man to tears.
I rather hear Joan Rivers yelling in my ear, than hear that thing knock everytime it touches a root. Having been spoiled by the 888, I am waiting on
Zokes 05 line to see which fork would match up the best with my 5-spot.
Or I will just pick up a Z1.
Oops, sorry about stinking up your thread, but that knock was killing me yesterday. Can you still hear the knocking Clarice?

 

[rjw]

If you increase the oil height a bit, you should increase the progressive nature of the fork, however you can end up restricting the travel. I inadvertantly over-filled mine last time I serviced them and it still worked well, but cut the travel slightly.

As for the knocking, there is no knocking on my first-generation Vanilla R forx.

Try making sure that the plastic cover is in the middle of the spring and hasn't wandered to the top or bottom.

 

[ssaddict]

Heavier oil? Otherwise you need the RLC to adjust compression, but honestly the compression adjuster doesn't have much of an effect anyhow, or I just can't notice much on my 125 RLC.

Let me know if you need new springs I have one that is too heavy and too light, and i'm 165. I'm thinking the heavier one might be what you need, but I cannot remember what color it is.

 

[MMcG]

Man - Cambria seems shady at best to me. I wonder if the fork you bought was an OEM fox that they pulled off a bike or something.

Luckily I bet there are a lot of Monkeys with extra springs that they might let you use (ie. ssaddict).

And the Fox Forx "clunking" is pretty annoying - I got that clunkiness with my Talas too.

 

[MikeD]

Kyle, have a yellow spring? That's the 45 in/lb one intended for 175-200 lb riders at 100mm travel.

Maybe a heavier oil, too, hmmmmmm....by the way, do you really need a new crush washer every time you change oil? What a PITA; guess I'll just get a few at a time from Fox.

Edit: Don't think it was OEM...if it was, the steerer was never cut for some reason. But it was a display model or something, because they sent it with the wrong instruction manual (2004) in non-original packing and without the springs.
Actually, I'm going to go tear the package apart and actually check for the springs. I never knew it was supposed to come with them!

MD

 

[Rockland]

One of my riding buds was missing items from his Fox packaging when he recieved it. Mine came with the instructions, 2 extra springs, star nut, and little rubber plugs to repace the brake studs. Cambria swiped the bits or somethin.

 

[Acadian]

As for the knocking, there is no knocking on my first-generation Vanilla R forx.

mine does...

 

[T-Pirate]

Mine knocked when I first got it, it quit though, and my dad has it now and it still does not knock. As for compression, you have the R, so you would have to have the rlC to get the compression adjustment right?

 

[ssaddict]

Kyle, have a yellow spring? That's the 45 in/lb one intended for 175-200 lb riders at 100mm travel.

Maybe a heavier oil, too, hmmmmmm....by the way, do you really need a new crush washer every time you change oil? What a PITA; guess I'll just get a few at a time from Fox.

Edit: Don't think it was OEM...if it was, the steerer was never cut for some reason. But it was a display model or something, because they sent it with the wrong instruction manual (2004) in non-original packing and without the springs.
Actually, I'm going to go tear the package apart and actually check for the springs. I never knew it was supposed to come with them!

MD

I'll check when I get home, I might cause I got mine from Yeti (and for some reason I think he may have needed stiff springs )

If I do you can have them.

I haven't changed my oil, but I think it comes with really light 5w or 7.5w. I'll bet some 10w would slow things down enough for your liking without changing small bump performance.

 

[MikeD]

Kyle, thanks...

T-Pirate, compression and progression are two different things. And a compression damping adjustment is a fine-tune; your spring rate is the main factor in how the fork feels.

MD

 

[Kornphlake]

I never replaced the crush washers on mine. It knocked, it was buttery smooth over small bumps (Clatter, Clatter, Clatter,) if I drove up a mountain and then back down I had to take off the top caps to relieve the pressure that would build up inside to get full travel, Fox didn't give me very good customer service when I called with questions, it started leaking A LOT of oil after about 1 year, new seals didn't fix the problem, I sold it to buy a Super T...

About the oil height, yes you can raise the oil height slightly to make the fork more progressive, or just don't bleed off the pressure that builds up inside over time. I found I wanted lighter springs than the lightest with the travel set at 125mm, but the lightest was okay at 100mm, but then again I was about 150 at the time. The box those forks come in is kind of tricky, there's a compartment where things are stuffed like springs, spacers to change the travel and a star nut, if the box doesn't rattle around when it's empty there's probablly not any springs in there.

 

[MikeD]

Thanks...yeah, it didn't come in the factory box, and there are definitely no springs in there.

I don't get why Fox seems to be such a love/hate fork. I got it because I figured it was the stiffest 3-4" QR fork I'd find, and it was a decent price...hope it ends up working OK.

Gonna go ride it now. It's on my new "downhiller's XC bike."

MD

 

[MMcG]

Thanks...yeah, it didn't come in the factory box, and there are definitely no springs in there.

I don't get why Fox seems to be such a love/hate fork. I got it because I figured it was the stiffest 3-4" QR fork I'd find, and it was a decent price...hope it ends up working OK.

Gonna go ride it now. It's on my new "downhiller's XC bike."

MD

Nice Bike! Looks very versatile!

 

[Jeremy R]

Thanks...yeah, it didn't come in the factory box, and there are definitely no springs in there.

I don't get why Fox seems to be such a love/hate fork. I got it because I figured it was the stiffest 3-4" QR fork I'd find, and it was a decent price...hope it ends up working OK.

Gonna go ride it now. It's on my new "downhiller's XC bike."

MD

I hope you get it worked out and it is fine!
I did not mean to say so much negative about a product that you just got (I hate when people do that to me), but that knocking is absurd.
I knew full well that they were known for being noisy before I got it, but little bike noises have never bothered me (I rode an M1 for 2 years ), but this constanly sounds like a VERY loose headset. Knocking is not the right word, it is more like a metal rattle. It does not sound at all like the springs hitting the fork leg, I have other forks do that, and it is no big deal, this sounds like it comes from up top.

 

[Rockland]

I hope you get it worked out and it is fine!
I did not mean to say so much negative about a product that you just got (I hate when people do that to me), but that knocking is absurd.
I knew full well that they were known for being noisy before I got it, but little bike noises have never bothered me (I rode an M1 for 2 years ), but this constanly sounds like a VERY loose headset. Knocking is not the right word, it is more like a metal rattle. It does not sound at all like the springs hitting the fork leg, I have other forks do that, and it is no big deal, this sounds like it comes from up top.

Yup, I probably adjust my headset 3 times a week, just to make shure I'm not crazy, since running the fox.

 

[MikeD]

Huh. There's already a metal rattling sound...I thought it was the Hayes Comp brake lever blades rattling up and down...I even put some thin rubber under the fixing bolt head to prevent them from bouncing...didn't help. Maybe it's my fork already! Cool! Fork seems stiff in use, though. The sound I can live with.

MD