P1000 New Springs on Your Fox Shocks

3

301

Well-Known Member
Jun 21, 2018
175
493
63
Kansas
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
You won’t need any sort of assistance removing/installing the retaining cup on the fronts. Once you loosen the preload rings all the way, the cup can be removed/installed by compressing the spring a small amount by hand.
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
You won’t need any sort of assistance removing/installing the retaining cup on the fronts. Once you loosen the preload rings all the way, the cup can be removed/installed by compressing the spring a small amount by hand.
Cool 301. That makes sense, given that the fronts can be preloaded by hand. It'll be nice to not have to do the whole strap routine 8 freaking times (twice for each shock, remove spring, install spring.)
 
Rayger143

Rayger143

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Aug 5, 2020
3,106
27,301
113
Winfield, BC Canada
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
Thank you @P1K5Dave for the thread. I have received my fronts and waiting for my rear fox shocks. I did learn a lot with what you have wrote and now know how to set them up. I am still all stock as far as suspension and tires go so I will set it up with the progressive springs for now. With upgrades in the future at least I know how to change springs if I decide to do it. Thanks a bunch. Well done.
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
@301 , be sure to come back and report your before and after experience with your spring upgrade, as well as your chosen springs and such.
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
One of the things another member mentioned about these Fox QS-3's vs Elka, Walker, etc is that some of us are dropping another $300 or so on new springs for our Fox's. That's a valid point, and definitely something I'd take into a cost analysis.
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
Quick note - the "2.0" in the name of these springs refers to the 2-inch diameter of the shock body. Fox builds a s***-ton of 2.0's and they go up to 2.5" and above for heavier applications like full size trucks and racing shocks.

Both the front and rear Fox's on your Pioneer 1000 are 2.0's, even though your front springs are 2.5" ID and your rears are 3" ID.
 
3

301

Well-Known Member
Jun 21, 2018
175
493
63
Kansas
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
@301 , be sure to come back and report your before and after experience with your spring upgrade, as well as your chosen springs and such.
I’m running the same weight springs as you only in black. I’m also swapping tire size from 28 to 30 so I’ve got a lot going on that I need to sort out but I’ll report back once I get it dialed.
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
I mentioned tapping the preload nut around with an old heavy screwdriver and a hammer...of course, there's a tool designed to do this - it's called a Spanner Wrench, but I don't have the appropriate one for these shocks.

I've shopped them, but everything I've seen raises my suspicion that I'll blow money on a special tool, and it won't work well in the confined spaces I'm working in.

So tap tap it goes.

If any of you has one that works really well, especially in the rear where there's little room, I'd be interested.

Edit - with the installation of the new springs, I found I was able to turn the whole spring and nut together by hand (with the machine up on the air and no load on the suspension, of course) so I didn't even need a wrench, no tapping.
 
Last edited:
TripleB

TripleB

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 13, 2018
15,362
137,643
113
Caryville, Tennessee
Ownership

  1. 1000-3

  2. 1000-5
Spanner wrenches work well in confined spaces. If you don’t want to spend the dough on a special tool, a brass drift works better than a screwdriver and doesn’t make your rings look like s***.
This is the 1 i use. I've got 3 different ones and this works the best when the shocks are on the machine.
 
advertisement
Tramguage1

Tramguage1

Texan
Moderator
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Club Contributor
Jul 2, 2015
7,479
30,613
113
Somereset, Texas
Ownership

  1. 1000-5

  2. 1000 6 Crew

  3. Talon X

  4. Talon R4 LV
Just installed #250 springs on the front and #300 on the rear. Doing an overland in a few weeks. Lets see how it goes.
If you lift the wheels of the ground and remove the bottom shock bolt ,you can just twist the lower eyelet and adjust preload quickly. Then snug up the locking nut. WAY easier than a spanner wrench!
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
This is the 1 i use. I've got 3 different ones and this works the best when the shocks are on the machine.

Funny that it says it's not for preload. Do you have the one they say *is* for preload? I'm guessing it works better because of the short handle? Looks like it could get in there around the rear shock.

I've seen the one that takes a 1/2" ratchet, some say it works and I can't imagine how. Any experience with that one?
 
TripleB

TripleB

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 13, 2018
15,362
137,643
113
Caryville, Tennessee
Ownership

  1. 1000-3

  2. 1000-5
Funny that it says it's not for preload. Do you have the one they say *is* for preload? I'm guessing it works better because of the short handle? Looks like it could get in there around the rear shock.

I've seen the one that takes a 1/2" ratchet, some say it works and I can't imagine how. Any experience with that one?
I never noticed it saying that lol. Never seen the ratchet one. Never tried what tram said but that will probably work.
 
Last edited:
3

301

Well-Known Member
Jun 21, 2018
175
493
63
Kansas
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
If only a guy could afford 4 XTrig adjusters.
1631847162102
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
@snuffnwhisky
That unit's small enough to get into the 2.5" spring and hold it nicely? I may have to pick one up, especially if I decide to learn how to rebuild these shocks myself. The straps are a major pita, but good enough if you're only swapping the spring once.

I borrowed a set from Advanced Auto, too big and clunky to do the job.
 
snuffnwhisky

snuffnwhisky

Village Idiot
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Sep 21, 2016
3,308
18,181
113
Cullman, AL
Ownership

  1. 1000-5

  2. Other Brand
@snuffnwhisky
That unit's small enough to get into the 2.5" spring and hold it nicely? I may have to pick one up, especially if I decide to learn how to rebuild these shocks myself. The straps are a major pita, but good enough if you're only swapping the spring once.

I borrowed a set from Advanced Auto, too big and clunky to do the job.
Yes
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
That's a nice tool @Tramguage1

I might consider something like that if I was going to take on a lot of shock work, for sure.
 
P1K5Dave

P1K5Dave

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Jul 11, 2020
2,247
8,430
113
Petoskey, MI
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
This is as good a place as any to bring up the topic of the valve/puck thingy on the Fox shocks.

I've been reading that a number of guys like to replace that puck (which uses a needle to add nitrogen like a basketball) with schrader valves. My buddy with a Polaris had a bad shock, and I told him about the valves. He took his shocks to a guy down in SE Michigan, and this guy says there's no reason to replace the pucks, they work as well and are as durable as the schrader valves.

Now, of course people will have opinions either way, but this guy supports four racing teams with his shock business. I don't think I'm going to worry so much about replacing those pucks, unless anyone can make a more convincing case that you should...
 
advertisement

About us

  • Our community has been around for many years and pride ourselves on offering unbiased, critical discussion among people of all different backgrounds. We are working every day to make sure our community is one of the best.

User Menu

Buy us a beer!

  • Lots of time and money has gone into making sure the community is running the best software, best designs, and all the other bells and whistles. Care to buy us a beer? We'd really appreciate it!

    Beer Fund!

    Club Membership!