OWNER'S MANUALS

FORK- 2025 AWL/AWL Sport and AWL HD/AWL HD Sport

For general information and installation instructions click here »

Before You Ride

Step 1

Make sure that your fork is ready to ride

  1. Check that quick-release levers are properly adjusted and tightened.
  2. Inspect the entire exterior of your fork. The fork should not be used if any of the exterior parts appear to be damaged. Contact your local dealer or FOX for further inspection and repair.
  3. Check your headset adjustment. If loose, adjust it accordingly to your bicycle manufacturer's recommendations.
  4. Check that all brake cables or hoses are properly fastened.
  5. Test the proper operation of your front and rear brakes on level ground.
  6. Before every race or ride, clean the outside of your fork with only mild soap and water, and wipe dry with a soft dry rag. Do not spray water directly into the seal/upper tube junction. Do not use a high pressure washer on your fork.

Setting Fork Air Pressure

AWL and AWL Sport maximum air pressure is 140psi

AWL HD and AWL HD Sport maximum air pressure is 120psi

NOTE: Pressure measured at an ambient temperature of 70-75F. Normal operating temperature range for FOX products is 20-140F.

Step 1

Sag should be set to 15 - 20% of total fork travel

To achieve the best performance from your FOX suspension, adjust the air pressure to attain your proper sag setting. Sag is the amount your suspension compresses under your weight and riding gear. Sag range should be set to 15–20% of total fork travel.

 

  1. Unscrew the air cap on top of the left fork leg counter-clockwise to expose the Schrader valve. 32-34-sag-range.jpg
  2. Attach a FOX High Pressure Pump to the Schrader valve.
  3. Pump your fork to the appropriate pressure as listed in the 'Suggested starting points for setting sag' table below, then remove the pump.
  4. Using your forks sag setting o-ring on the left upper tube (or temporarily install a zip tie to the upper tube), slide the o-ring (or zip tie) down against the fork dust wiper.
  5. Rotate the compression lever to the Open mode (fully counter-clockwise).
    • If you have a Remote fork, set the fork to Open mode.
  6. Dressed to ride (including a filled hydration pack, if you use one), position your bike next to a wall or table to support yourself. Mount your bicycle. Assume your riding position for at least 10 seconds, allowing the suspension to fully settle. Make sure you distribute your weight evenly between the saddle, handlebars and pedals.
  7. While in your riding position, slide the o-ring (or zip tie) down against the fork dust wiper.
  8. Dismount your bike without bouncing, to avoid further moving the o-ring or zip tie. Measure the distance between the dust wiper and the o-ring or zip tie. This is your sag measurement. Suggested sag measurements are listed in the table below.
  9. Add or remove air pressure until your sag measurement is between 15-20% of your forks total travel.
  10. Repeat steps 2-8 and recheck sag measurement.
  11. When sag measurement is correct, screw the air cap on clockwise until snug.

 

     

 

 

 

Suggested Starting Points for Setting Sag- 34mm AWL and AWL Sport Forks
Rider Weight Air Pressure
(lbs) (kg) (psi) (bar)
120-130 54-59 65 4.5
130-140 59-64 70 4.8
140-150 64-68 74 5.1
150-160 68-73 80 5.5
160-170 73-77 85 5.9
170-180 77-82 90 6.2
180-190 82-86 96 6.6
190-200 86-91 101 7.0
200-210 91-95 106 7.3
210-220 95-100 111 7.7
220-230 100-104 116 8.0
230-240 104-109 121 8.3
240-250 109-113 126 8.7

 

Suggested Starting Points for Setting Sag- 36mm AWL HD and AWL HD Sport Forks
Rider Weight Air Pressure
(lbs) (kg) (psi) (bar)
120-130 54-59 71 4.9
130-140 59-64 76 5.2
140-150 64-68 81 5.6
150-160 68-73 85 5.9
160-170 73-77 90 6.2
170-180 77-82 95 6.5
180-190 82-86 99 6.8
190-200 86-91 104 7.2
200-210 91-95 109 7.5
210-220 95-100 113 7.8
220-230 100-104 115 7.9
230-240 104-109 117 8.1
240-250 109-113 120 8.3

 

Suggested Sag Measurements
Travel 15% sag (Firm) 20% sag (Plush)
100mm/ 3.9 in 15mm/ 0.6 in 20 mm/ 0.8 in
110mm/ 4.3 in 17mm/ 0.7 in 22mm/ 0.9 in
120mm/ 4.7 in 18mm/ 0.7 in 24mm/ 0.9 in
130mm/ 5.1 in 20 mm/ 0.8 in 26mm/ 1.0 in
140mm/ 5.5 in 21mm/ 0.8 in 28mm/ 1.1 in
150mm/ 5.9 in 23mm/ 0.9 in 30mm/ 1.2 in
160mm/ 6.2in 24mm/ 1.0 in 32mm/ 1.3 in

Adjusting Rebound

Step 1

Rebound controls how fast the fork extends after compressing

The rebound adjustment is dependent on the air pressure setting. For example, higher air pressures require more rebound damping.

Use your air pressure to find your rebound setting. Turn your rebound knob to the closed position (full clockwise) until it stops. Then
back it out (counter-clockwise) to the number of clicks shown in the table below.

  

 

Suggested Rebound Settings- 34mm AWL and AWL Sport
Rider Weight (lbs) Rider Weight (kgs) AWL/AWL Sport Rebound Setting
120-130 54-59 10
130-140 59-64 9
140-150 64-68 9
150-160 68-73 8
160-170 73-77 8
170-180 77-82 7
180-190 82-86 7
190-200 86-91 6
200-210 91-95 5
210-220 95-100 3
220-230 100-104 2
230-240 104-109 1
240-250 109-113 1

 

 

Suggested Rebound Settings- 36mm AWL HD and AWL HD Sport
Rider Weight (lbs) Rider Weight (kgs) AWL HD/AWL HD Sport Rebound Setting
120-130 54-59 13
130-140 59-64 12
140-150 64-68 11
150-160 68-73 10
160-170 73-77 9
170-180 77-82 8
180-190 82-86 7
190-200 86-91 6
200-210 91-95 5
210-220 95-100 4
220-230 100-104 3
230-240 104-109 2
240-250 109-113 1

 

 

Adjust rebound until when tested, the fork returns quickly but does not top out.

Top out is felt when a fork fully extends too quickly and comes to an abrupt stop when it reaches full extension (you will hear/feel a small noise). Top out should be avoided through proper rebound setting.

Adjusting RAIL Compression Damping

Step 1

2-Position Sweep Adjust: The 2-position lever is useful to make on-the-fly adjustments to control fork performance. Use the positions between OPEN and FIRM modes to fine-tune your compression damping.

  

RAIL-comp-dial.jpg

Remote Installation

Step 1

 

The remote can either be installed under the handlebar on the non-drive side, where a front shifter would typically be placed, or installed above the handlebar on the drive side. The remote can be used with two cables to control the fork and shock simultaneously.

 

RAIL PUSH-TO-LOCK DAMPERS


1. Install the remote lever onto your handlebar. Do not exceed 1.7 N•m (15 in-lb). Less torque may be needed for carbon bars. Refer to the handlebar manufacturer’s instructions for use with carbon bars. Make sure to check for clearance between the remote lever and any brake or shifter controls.


2. Route the cable housing from the fork topcap, around the rear of the crown, to the remote lever and cut to length. Install a ferrule on the end of the housing at the remote lever and at the fork topcap.


3. Install a short piece of housing with one ferrule between the in-line barrel adjuster and the remote lever body.


4. Push the larger remote lever to its actuated position, this is FIRM mode. Make sure that the cable head is completely seated in the remote lever.


5. Use a 5 mm hex wrench to turn the remote pulley clockwise to approximately 0.56 N•m (5 in-lb). While holding the 5 mm hex and pulley in this position, push on the fork to see if the blow off force is sufficient for your preference. Adjust the pulley clockwise for more FIRM mode force, counter-clockwise for less FIRM mode force until you find your desired setup. Note the position of the pulley set screw for your desired setup.


6. With all cable housing fully seated and no slack in the system, lightly lubricate the inner cable and thread it through the cable housing and around the fork remote pulley. With the 5 mm hex wrench still holding the remote pulley in the position for your desired FIRM mode force (from Step 5), tighten the pinch bolt to 1.13 N•m (10 in-lb).


7. Release the 5 mm hex wrench from the remote pulley. Test the remote actuation to make sure it is functioning properly. Then cut off the excess inner cable and crimp the end.


8. The in-line barrel adjuster may be used to change the lockout blow-off force. Clockwise barrel adjustment increases blow-off force, while counter-clockwise adjustment decreases blow-off force.

 

 

RAIL PUSH-TO-UNLOCK DAMPERS


1. Install the remote lever onto your handlebar. Do not exceed 1.7 N•m (15 in-lb). Less torque may be needed for carbon bars. Refer to the handlebar manufacturer’s instructions for use with carbon bars. Make sure to check for clearance between the remote lever and any brake or shifter controls.


2. Route the cable housing from the fork topcap, around the rear of the crown, to the remote lever and cut to length. Install a ferrule on the end of the housing at the remote lever and at the fork topcap.


3. Install a short piece of housing with one ferrule between the in-line barrel adjuster and the remote lever body.


4. Leave the actuation lever in its un-actuated position, this is FIRM mode. Make sure that the cable head is completely seated in the remote lever.


5. Note that the Push-to-Unlock damper is in FIRM mode by default. Push on the fork to see if the FIRM mode blow off force is sufficient for your preference. If so move to Step 6. If not, use a 5 mm hex on the pulley to adjust the pulley slightly (clockwise for more FIRM mode force, counter-clockwise for less FIRM mode force) to find your desired setup.


6. With all cable housing fully seated and no slack in the system, lightly lubricate the inner cable and thread it through the cable housing and around the fork remote pulley. If needed (from Step 5), with the 5 mm hex wrench still holding the remote pulley in the position for your desired FIRM mode force, tighten the pinch bolt to 1.13 N•m (10 in-lb).


7. Release the 5 mm hex wrench from the remote pulley. Test remote actuation to make sure it is functioning properly. Cut off the excess inner cable and crimp the end.


8. The in-line barrel adjuster may be used to change the lockout blow-off force. Clockwise barrel adjustment decreases blow-off force, while counter-clockwise adjustment increases blow-off force.

Using the 2-Position Remote

Step 1

The 2-position remote is designed to be used in place of a front shifter, under the handlebar on the rider's left side. The 2-position remote can be used with 2 cables to control both the front fork and rear shock simultaneously.

 

2-pos-remote.jpg

 

The 2-Position Remote lets you to switch between the OPEN and FIRM modes while riding.

  • Push-to-Lock – Push the actuation lever to set the fork to FIRM mode. Push the release lever to set the fork to OPEN mode.
  • Push-to-Unlock – Push the actuation lever to set the fork to OPEN mode. Push the release lever to set the fork to FIRM mode.

                                               

Tuning with Air Volume Spacers

Step 1

Changing volume spacers in the AWL and AWL HD forks is an easy internal adjustment that allows you to change the amount of mid stroke and bottom out resistance.

  • If you have set your sag correctly and are using full travel (bottoming out) too easily, then you could install one or more spacers to increase bottom out resistance.

  • If you have set your sag correctly and are not using full travel, then you could remove one or more spacers to decrease bottom out resistance.

 32-34-air-spring-curves.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

34mm AWL and AWL Sport Volume Spacer Configuration
Travel Volume Spacers Factory Installed *Max Volume Spacers
150 mm 2 4
140 mm 3 4
130 mm 4 5
120 mm 4 5
110 mm 5 6
100 mm 6 6

 

36mm AWL HD and AWL HD Sport Volume Spacer Configuration
Travel  Volume Spacers Factory Installed *Max Volume Spacers
160 mm 3 6
150 mm 4 7
140 mm 4 8
130 mm 5 9

 

 

*DO NOT EXCEED THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF VOLUME SPACERS LISTED ABOVE!  

 

1. Remove the air cap.
2. Release all air pressure from the fork by depressing the Schrader valve.
3. Carefully unthread the topcap from the fork with a six-point chamfer-less 32 mm socket.
4. Pull up to remove the topcap assembly from the fork crown.
5. Slide the air volume spacer or spacers horizontally to install or remove them from the topcap.
6. Reinstall the topcap assembly into the fork crown and tighten to 24.8 N.m (220 in-lb) with a six-point chamfer-less 32 mm socket.
7. Add air pressure to your desired setting using a FOX high-pressure pump. Set the sag according to instructions online at www.ridefox.com.

WARNING: Never attempt to modify air volume spacers, as this can damage your fork causing a loss of control of the bicycle leading to SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH.

WARNING: FOX suspension products contain pressurized nitrogen, air, oil, or all 3. Suspension misuse can cause property damage, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. DO NOT puncture, incinerate or crush any portion of a FOX suspension product. DO NOT attempt to disassemble any portion of a FOX suspension product, unless expressly instructed to do so by the applicable FOX technical documentation, and then ONLY while strictly adhering to all FOX instructions and warnings in that instance.

WARNING: Modification, improper service, or use of aftermarket replacement parts with FOX forks and shocks may cause the product to malfunction, resulting in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. DO NOT modify any part of a fork or shock, including the fork brace (lower leg cross brace), crown, steerer, upper and lower leg tubes, or internal parts, except as instructed herein. Any unauthorized modification may void the warranty, and may cause failure or the fork or shock, resulting in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Service Intervals

Step 1

Make sure to properly maintain your fork

To best maintain the performance and durability of your product under normal use, FOX recommends that you have regular fork and shock maintenance performed according to the service intervals listed below.

2015 fork service intervals.jpg

 

*Suspension product will require more frequent servicing the harder they are worked. For those who ride lift-accessed DH, Park, or Extreme Freeride or in extremely wet/muddy or dry/dusty environmental conditions where trail debris is sprayed onto the fork or shock while on the trail, or e-mtb's, FOX encourages riders to perform maintenance earlier than recommended above as needed. If you hear, see, or feel something unusual, stop riding immediately and contact a FOX Authorized Service Center for proper servicing.