You are here: Important Safety Information

Important Safety Information

Forks

WARNING: DO NOT use FOX bicycle suspension products on any motorized bicycle, motorized cycle or motorized vehicle, or on any vehicle carrying more than one operator/rider, such as a tandem bicycle. Any such misuse may overload the suspension and may result in failure of the suspension. Suspension failure may cause a crash and result in property damage, SERIOUS INJURY, OR DEATH. Misuse of FOX suspension products voids all FOX warranties.

WARNING: FOX suspension products contain pressurized nitrogen, air, or both. Suspension misuse may 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 voids all warranties, and may cause failure of the fork or shock, resulting in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

WARNING: Make sure that your wheels and wheel axles are securely fastened before riding, in accordance with the bicycle owner’s manual instructions. Either wheel separating out of the bicycle frame can cause a loss of control, resulting in property damage, SERIOUS INJURY, OR DEATH.

WARNING: Before riding, verify that the brakes on your bicycle are installed and adjusted correctly in accordance with the brake manufacturer’s instructions. Improperly installed and adjusted brakes may cause a crash and result in property damage, SERIOUS INJURY, OR DEATH.

WARNING: To avoid potential disc brake failure that could result in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, the disc brake caliper mounting bolts must 1) always have 10-12 mm of thread engagement with the fork and 2) be kept torque wrench tightened to the manufacturer’s specification. In all cases, the disc brake caliper mounting bolt tightening torque level must never be less than the manufacturer’s torque specification, or exceed 90 in-lb torque.

WARNING: If mounting the bicycle in a carrier designed to hold a fork by its dropouts, avoid tilting the bicycle to either side, to avoid causing structural damage to the fork. Be sure your fork is fastened securely with the quick-release mechanism (the 15QR, 20QR and 40 pinch axle, with the bike carrier’s thru-axle mount), and the rear wheel is properly secured. If the bicycle ever tilts on or falls from a bicycle carrier, do not ride it until it is examined by a qualified bicycle service technician, Authorized Service Center, or by FOX Racing Shox. A structurally damaged fork leg or dropout failure can cause a sudden loss of control, resulting in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

WARNING: When using a quick release mechanism to secure the front wheel into the FOX fork that is equipped with open dropouts and a disc brake system, be sure that you adjust the quick release mechanism properly before closing it. A maladjusted quick release mechanism can lead to the sudden separating of the front wheel from the bicycle at any time including when the front brake is applied. Front wheel separation may result in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

If your fork loses oil, tops out excessively or suddenly makes unusual sounds, immediately stop riding and contact FOX Racing Shox or an Authorized Service Center for inspection.

NOTE: Some sounds (such as oil flow, minor clicks, and spring rattle) are normal.

WARNING: A broken or malfunctioning damper cartridge may cause loss of vehicle control and result in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

CAUTION: Use a torque wrench to tighten the pinch bolts and axle on the FOX 40 to 19 in/lb. (2.15 Nm).

WARNING: Never attempt to remove or replace the steerer or upper tubes independently from the crown. Modifying the integrated crown, steerer, or upper tubes can cause an assembly failure, resulting in a loss of control of the bicycle and SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

WARNING: Never attempt to cut threads into the threadless steerers of FOX forks. Cutting threads into a threadless steerer can cause the steerer tube to fail prematurely, resulting in a loss of control of the bicycle and SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

WARNING: If the steerer tube has any nicks or gouges, the crown/steerer tube assembly must be replaced. A nick or gouge can cause the steerer tube to fail prematurely, resulting in a loss of control of the bicycle and SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

CAUTION: The total height of spacers used on a FOX steerer tube should never exceed 30 mm.

NOTE: FOX forks do not include reflectors for public road use. FOX forks are designed for use in competitive off-road riding and racing. Proper reflectors meeting the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) requirements should be installed if the fork will be used on public roads.

NOTE: After riding in salt-abundant areas (ocean coasts, desert salt flats, salted roads in winter), completely rinse off your bicycle to prevent corrosion.

Rear Shocks

If the shock ever loses oil or makes unusual noises, stop riding and have the shock inspected by a qualified technician.

WARNING: A broken or malfunctioning shock may cause loss of vehicle control and result in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Do not modify your bike frame or shock. Use only genuine FOX Racing Shox parts.

WARNING: Modification, improper service or use of aftermarket replacement parts voids the warranty and may cause the shock to malfunction, resulting in loss of vehicle control and SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Follow service maintenance recommendations. Shock service should be performed by FOX Racing Shox in the USA or an Authorized Service Center outside the USA. The exception is air sleeve maintenance and mounting hardware service, which can be performed by the consumer or a dealer.

FOX Racing Shox contain a nitrogen charge. Do not pry out the white nylon (plastic) plug at the body eyelet end of the shock. The charged portion of the shock should only be opened by a FOX Racing Shox technician.

WARNING: Opening a nitrogen pressurized shock is dangerous and can result in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

On air shocks, the portion of the shock charged with nitrogen does not need to be opened to perform air sleeve maintenance.

WARNING: Attempting to pull apart, open, disassemble, or service a shock that is in a “stuck down” condition can result in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

A “stuck down” condition results from a failure of the dynamic air seal located between the positive and negative air chambers within the shock air sleeve, resulting with the negative chamber retaining a higher air pressure than the positive chamber. To test whether the shock is in fact “stuck down”:

Remove the air cap and depress the Schrader valve to completely release air pressure from the positive air chamber of the shock.
If shock body retracts into the air sleeve near bottom out after air is released from positive air chamber, attach a FOX Racing Shox high pressure hand pump and pressurize the shock to 250 psi/17 bar.
If the shock does not fully extend, it is in fact “stuck down”.

WARNING: Any improper servicing procedure with FOX air shocks in the “stuck down” condition can lead to SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. Contact FOX Racing Shox or an Authorized Service Center for repair service.

After riding in salt-abundant areas (ocean coasts, desert salt flats, salted roads in winter), FOX recommends completely rinsing off your bicycle to prevent corrosion.