If this video was helpful and saved you time and/or money, consider supporting the channel by hitting the "Thanks" button above to leave a tip.

Fun channel guys! I would just say to anyone that is new to this, do NOT remove your fork from the bike. It is not necessary and would add an hour to a 4 minute procedure.

For all you Canadians, Canadian Tire has a flat socket kit with 24-26-28 and 32mm sockets for $30.

Great video guys! The only other thing I might add is one last step: you will want to slowly stroke the fork through its travel to normalize the pressure between the positive and negative air chambers before testing it on a ride. Not doing this could make the fork feel very strange at first and someone might think that the change is due to the token rather than the lack of balance between the air chambers.

This is the first time air spacers have been explained to me in a way that makes sense Thanks for catering to clueless idiots like myself. Not enough people do that.

Tip: You can grind a "normal" socket flat on a belt sander in a few seconds.

Great video, my one beef with bike repair really is the amount of specialty tools you need to purchase to get into the game. Whenever I need to make a repair there is always a great video showing you how easy the repair is... as long as you have all of the proper specialty tools. I guess what I'm saying is... hey bike manufacturers, make bike repair more accessible.

THE BEST MTB MAINTENANCE TUTORIALS ON KZfaq!! Thank you guys

The other reason for adding volume spacers is if your fork is not compliant enough on small hits. Volume spacers also allow you to run lower pressures for better small bump compliance without blowing thru the travel or having your fork sit too low in the travel.

Another good video thanks! I especially liked the explanation and diagrams of when and why a volume spacer might be appropriate :)

Love your videos this one was no exception. While I had already done this, it confirmed what I did was the correct move. I never had issues setting up suspension until I bought a 2017 Santa Cruz 5010. No matter what I did I got nowhere near 130 mm of travel with the Fox 34 Elite fork. Bought a flat face 6 point socket from the local hardware store for $11 and opened it up. Inside were 3 green 10 cc volume spacers, I removed them 1 at a time, test riding the bike adjusting the pressure etc. I ended up removing all 3 and fairly happy with the setup. I'm around 170 with gear, I try to ride light and smooth, not into big jumps. FWIW I did not remove the fork to do this, just put the bike in a stand, that saves a ton of time when you are removing them 1 at a time to test it out.

Just discovered this channel recently - I love it! Great info, great dialog, and excellent videography. Keep them coming :-) :-)

Thank you so much for the video. Other YT channels have explained this and it went right over my head, this video actually made it make sense to me.

Great video! I agree with the two main reasons: countering weight and absorbing big hits. Specially the countering weight part, people think that by just setting the sag that is enough, but there is more than that.

Love this video. It’s only a simple task once you know and you’ve demystified it. Thanks guys.

I’m all sorted with fork maintenance but I always enjoy your videos so I watched anyway 😉

Terrific diagram and explanation. Made this seem like the kind of thing a regular rider might be interested in instead of just being a subject of interest solely to pro’s and wannabe’s.

Would love to see a “how to setup your fork correctly”

That was perfect... Saw what I needed to and didn't get a bunch of fluff that I wasn't interested in. Thanks

Smashing video! Really nice to hear you mention female / lighter riders, the other info I've come across is all 'add, add, add' so it's refreshing to hear that's it's appropriate to remove spacers too ;)

I don't have a vise so what I use to hold the fork is my bike work stand. It also makes adjusting the height and position of the fork very quick and easy.

Nice video. I find it much easier to leave the fork on the bike since it's a pretty quick job. You can even get some light and thin fork specific aluminium spanners and change your tokens on the side of the trail!

that vice looks awesome, I just ordered it

This helps me out a lot because I. Looking to get a full suspension in the future and I only weigh 130 sometime 135 so figuring out if I need a spacer or not would really help after the fork and shock are set up properly

The best thing about this was when you added the motion fork graphics. That helps to illustrate so much esp. for visual ppl like me. Pls include graphics in fork vids in the future. Thx

Hello . My goal is to make a 2016 Yari 160mm fork soft for a rider who only weighs 40kg. Maybe you can suggest something else?

AHH!! Finally a succinct explanation of this. This also applies to tire liners (CushCore).

Thanks for the vid, I’ve never even heard of this. 🍻🍻

I like the explanation of tokens. thanks

DON’T remove the fork or even the wheel from your bike unless you wanna have much more work, recenter the brake caliper, and what not. Although a general clean up is a good thing from time to time LOL

You guys are so awesome :)

Nice video. You should do one for shocks. While similar it is a slightly different process which I find slightly more difficult but still rather easy.

Hi guys love watching your videos and probably anticipate yours more so then any others. That being said think would have been cool if you would have shown a before you put that second volume spacer in and after. To see how much if any of difference it made. Love your videos keep it up.

Love your channel! When putting the top cap back on, do you need to use a torque setting? I though I remembered reading this somewhere.

Am watching all this content and not having any of this products but a least i will khow this stuff when i get some products like this

I find they help on the mid range forks with no low speed compression. The tokens allow you to run lower PSI for more sag which can soak up small bumps and then getting that ramp up on the bigger hits.

Note: Some Fox 34s take a 28 mm socket. Others take a 26.

For the flat socket, you might have success finding a similar flat socket for automobile oil filter sockets. Some are flat while some are tapered like Syd’s Chrome example.

Average sized guy hear just waiting for the suspension setup video :-) Nice job as always!

I got all excited because I knew I had a 32mm socket and was going to see what is in the "new to me" fox fork. Busted out my calipers after seeing it was wrong and it is a 26mm on a fox 34.

Thanks for the video and explanations. I'm not sure it is obvious in the video (I know you mention it briefly and smelt it!) that you MUST release all the pressure before removing the fork top with the socket. Not a complaint but I think newbies may watch as well.

Next video: Syd laces and builds her own wheelset.

Literally just removed a spacer out of my Fox 36 last weekend. light 125lb rider that doesn't do any giant drops or jumps so I'd always have travel to spare. (also didn't remove fork.. just held it stable with my legs around the wheel)

I need all the tokens! They are the only thing that make air forks somewhat tolerable to me (still like the feel of coil). I use tokens primarily to get the beginning of the stroke softer for a plusher initial stroke. Also... just to pick on you. Usually after tokens are installed... usually it requires less pressure with more tokens so don’t go to the same pressure without checking.

Thanks I've just got one because of this video. I'm pretty light but I'm learning to do bigger drops. My fox 34 rhythms don't like that 🤣 hopefully this will stop me from bottoming out on the big drops. 2019 carbon levo 🤙

When is the video online how to setup your suspension? Thans.

"You can use a vise just don't be dumb" lmao Thank You! could not have said it better myself

I hope I have a fox fork like that 😁

Running thru my travel tokens is my fix. My LBS says no!! Lol warranty on the fork. But I just did it myself. At first I was just running way too much air to "fix it"

The fox specific socket not only is flat but shallow and 3/8” drive. I don’t use them (because I’m cheep) I just buy a socket and grind it flat… but ordinary sockets are taller and more commonly a 1/2in drive.

Yep, the effect is basiclly a spring preload. And the subsequent effect is also the same, if you add too many the spring hardly works

Thanks for the video. I've come to the conclusion that maybe I should take out an air spacer from my fox 34, after all, I only weigh 65kg! :-D

Hi Syd/Mackie - riding a new 21 Pivot Switchblade, Fox Factory 36, heavier rider at 230lbs. I’m running 100psi with stock Fox settings and it never seems like I’m getting anywhere near full travel. I’ve dropped a few PSI a ride and now at 90 and still just getting about 3.5” of travel on most rides. It seems like if Add a token, it would get worse?

Whats the torque value you need to tighten that?

Grinder will fix any socket

Tokens are possibly for everyone. Depends on body weight, desired feel, fork travel, etc.

Be very careful, my mate changed mine exactly the same with the larger spacer. When the shock failed they blamed the spacer so didn't warrant the failure. I will avoid FOX at all cost from this point on. I have always used them but they have shown their true colours. Not how did we fail but what did you do to it !!! Best to get your LBS to do the work.

Hi Sid and Macky! Love all your tutorials, I have a question regarding my suspension, I was under the impression that tokens would reduce the travel but now I don't think that's the case according to your explanation. My suspension travel (small size bike) on the spec sheet says 100mm instead of 120mm on all the other sizes. If the fork is stock, how do they vary the travel? Thanks!

Is the Syd method for pumping up forks a required step? I want to make sure I do it all correctly :) ?

Did you have to cut the head tube down? I’m looking to get this same fork. How has it been performing?

“A smaller person might need to take one out and a larger person might need to add one” needs to be explored in more detail

I'm I right in thinking if you are on highestest rebound setting and you need more rebound. A token will help?

Thank you for the simple information. Is it possible to add a smaller sized spacer? For example if you have a 36 fork can you add the 34 or 32 sized spacer below it? The reason why I ask is because my fork says it came with 1.5 tokens per fox tune ID number and I can't find any website with a 1/2 sized token for my fox 34 fork.

Hi :) Can all forks me modified in this fashion (do all have an air valve even?) I have a Cube brand hybrid bike with front shocks that have no lockout. They are still softer than I prefer even tightened to the maximum adjustment. Are adjustable shocks able to be modified with inserts the same way as these ones you work on? If I can increase the firmness further I would be very pleased :).

So, to be clear, the most important takeaway I get from this video is the "why" part. I was never quite clear as to why one would need to add volume or take away the volume spacers. I always wondered if I needed them. But I'm not doing a lot of big stuff on my bikes right now, so I don't think I need to do either. Thanks for the tip! Hey, I have a question for you. It's totally unrelated to this video, but maybe this would be a good AMA topic? I just went through the process to wax two chains for my bikes. I'm curious if either you or Macky wax your chains, and why or why not? Thanks! Stay upright and keep the rubber side down!

🥇

Any idea if the 32mm socket is also used for 38?

I read somewhere that Marzocchi Bomber Z2 is practically identical to FOX 34 series, so I bought 28mm and it is too big. It is 26mm.

Hi do you have a junk frame can i have it to the to build my dream bike cause can i afford to buy a frame f ok to you im from philippines i love to watch your video cause i learning do you have a parts out can i can use

if you ride coil setup you don't. I like coil setup a lot, no air pressure adjustment needed, more consistent. of course it weighs more. I haven't experimented with volume spacers yet, as I went from a air fork right on a too smal blike to a new bike with coil. but I know what volume spacers do. but my previous bike had Fox 23 with a long volume spacer it was about 10cm long and was not this type you have here it was one solid part. and on regular rides if I had the fork as plus has would be optimal it would bottom out on the rougher trails but fork had 130mm, so it was setup bit too harsh, I set it up with just enough pressure to not bottom out but still use full travel. but now I ride coil and 170mm travel, so not an issue anymore anyway even if I had it setup with air chamber, I have a air chamber but not experimented with it, as I love the coil setup.

Is there a torque value for the damper and air side when tightening?

it's look easy to see in video you have Fork out first. What i air you normal need ?

Can anyone explain how they get those bottle caps as their stem caps!?

What if my fox fork's valve doesn't have a flange at the bottom to slide a token on it? Mine is just a cylinder?

Do you need to take your fork of or can you still do it with it on

you did not need to take the fork off, but if you did service on it it makes sense, but if not there is no need to do it, just keep it on the bike, make sure bike and fork is clean and let air out install or remove volume reducer, do test run, and repeat if necessary. simple really.

When hitting jumps and landing, the fork seems to want to dive, would adding tokens take care of this, I’m a heavy rider

If you're a heavier rider you'd actually look out to remove them. Tokens affect the stroke until SAG little to not at all so a heavier rider will add pressure to reach the correct SAG, but with a lot of pressure and tokens you will eventually ramp up much too soon and not use your travel as you could with less tokens.

“Don’t be dumb”. It’s like you have been watching me work....

So I'm a heavy Rider 105kg .... I prefer no tokens but more pressure ... Im still at 25% sag and always left with a safety inch ....

Some Fox 34 forks take the 26mm socket, like mine.

😎👍

I wanted to add tokens just the way you did it, so I took up the plastic topcap. Then my father came into the garage and asked me what I was doing, if I needed anything. I told a socket wrench would be fine. He got it, but in the meantime I left for a moment the bike with him alone. And that ""eager idiot" unscrewed open the fork without slowly releasing the air from inside before. So I assume that now negative and positive chamber pressurers are not equal. Travel distance I can see from outside is about 120mm instead of 140mm, the fork is absolutely soft and linear, althought there are two tokens inside now. From Fox factory there were no tokens. I don´t think that I can equalize the pressures by myself . So I took the bike to a local shop. But a service man is going to be there next wednesday. Do you think the problem is that my father unscrewed the cap/nut before letting the air out before? Can I somehow manage to equal the pressures, if that is the problem. Or the problem could be something else? I've had problems with tuning of the Marzocchi fork and Fox Float DPS evol. performance 2021 shock since the day I've bought them. Although I set the pressure for sag right and also number of clicks for rebound according to FOX specifications. Both fork and shock were too soft and dived deep even on small bumps and jumps. That is why I decided to buy tokens for the fork and shock. I haven´t installed tokens into my shock yet. My brother has the same bike as me - Orbea Occam H30. He has never had these problems with his bike. I am interested in one more thing. How is that, this fork can have shafts for travels 120-140mm with 29" and 150mm for 27,5". It is because of the geometry of the bike. With 150mm and 29" the angle would be too low? I also wonder how can you say precisely pressure on analog fork pumps? You can just guess difference of 5 PSI. For precise pressure setting you need a pump with a digital manometer. I hope you can help me to identify the problem and how to solve it. Thanks Mirek, Czech Republic.

Ok maybe I missed it does adding a spacer decrease your wheel travel ?

You don't have to remove the fork from the bike to add tokens. You don't even have to remove the front wheel.

can I remove all the tokens in my 34 sc?

What is the average weight they use? Google says the average US male is 197 pounds. That would mean they come setup pretty close for me at 185. Are they really set for someone that heavy stock?

the link to the flat socket doesn't work. which model it is?

You do not need to remove the fork. Just loosen the stem bolts. Twist the bars out of the way. Straddle the front tire between your legs to keep it from rotating as you apply torque to loosen the air pressure cap. It's nice that you did this for the video, but it is completely unnecessary if doing this at home. I can literally add/subtract tokens in 5-10 minutes using this method.

For anybody that has a lot of different forks to wrench on, an economical option are the wrenches from Epic Bleed Solutions. Easy to store, economical, color coded, work great epicbleedsolutions.com/collections/tools/products/flat-socket-spanner-fox-rockshox-forks. Also, for anybody interested in the diy side it’s not hard to remove the chamfer from a standard socket, if you have the right tools. So, while you can accomplish it without the “official” tool, definitely don’t try a standard chamfered socket.

Talkative cameraman

First step for some would be: clean the crown of the fork. You do not want debris to fall in.

you should add the same amount of volume spacers on both sides, right?

Stumped as to why you reckon it's best to remove the fork?!

I am 45kg with absolutely correct fork settings and still bottoming out

Shimano Di2 installation 😬

Do it the sam pilgrim way.

Putting tokens in arcade games is way more fun.

Bottle cap top cap how to video??

So a rider that farts to lighten hard landings doesn't need tokens.