P1000 New Springs on Your Fox Shocks

[301]

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]

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]

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]

@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]

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]

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.

 

[301]

@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]

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.

 

[301]

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***.

 

[TripleB]

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***.

Fox Shock Crossover Collar Adjustment Spanner Wrench 2.0 2.5 Performance Podium | eBay

THIS WRENCH IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE USED AS A "PRELOAD" Spanner wrench! That wrench is made from thicker material for that specific task. cross-over-collars on our "STANDARD" or "RACE" hardware dual-rate spring kits for FOX Podium 2.0 & 2.5 shocks on UTV's.

rover.ebay.com

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

 

[Tramguage1]

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]

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]

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.

 

[301]

If only a guy could afford 4 XTrig adjusters.

 

[snuffnwhisky]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071DQJG24/?tag=sxsweb24-20

 

[P1K5Dave]

@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
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

 

[Tramguage1]

A little pricy, but makes short work of spring replacements.

 

[P1K5Dave]

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]

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...