fox racing shox new float
Amsnow
If any of you are a mountain bike rider months, you most likely are aware that Fox Shox is a leader in "air" spring shocks. That technology that has proven so popular with mountain bikers is working its way to snowmobiling.
The concept of using air pressure to control rebound and damping action is relatively simple. Achieving it successfully in an environment that sees 100-degree temperature swings is not. That's why Fox Racing Shox has been carefully plodding along with its snowmobile air shock design. The company wants to get this design right.
Fox Shox' FLOAT AirShox features a patented adjustable progressive air-spring that works in unison with a nitrogen gas-velocity sensitive oil damping system. The end goal of the shock design is to provide the perfect balance of lightweight, control, and progressive bottomless performance.
Fox Shox claims the advantage of its FLOAT AirShox lies in its patented and innovative adjustable progressive air-spring chamber. The idea is that you can infinitely adjust the spring force with air to accommodate any combination of rider weight and type of riding. Fox Shox expects most applications will require 40-80 psi. Obviously, there is a special pump required to "inflate" the shock's internal settings. That's why each FLOAT AirShox is supplied with a FOX HP Pump that allows you to easily adjust the spring force in your shock.
The possibility of a contaminant getting introduced into the oil or other inner shock workings can lead to the destruction of any shock. That is why you will frequently find some type of "wiper" device on most high end shock absorbers.
The wiper is supposed to clean the external "skin" of the shock's action pieces before they rebound inside the main shock housing. Since snow and ice can build up on shock and spring surfaces, snowmobiling created a unique concern for Fox Shox engineers. After careful study, Fox Shox engineers developed a proprietary sealing system that virtually eliminates the possibility of water contaminating the oil. The FLOAT design incorporates Fox's exclusive New Samurai Wiper with patented scraper-lip technology keeps water, snow, and dirt out while increasing the shock's long-term durability and service life.
Snowmobilers looking for improved ride and adjustability from this shock design will find an extra bonus in Fox Shox' new design. There is claimed to be a huge weight saving! According to company spokesmen, a set of FLOAT AirShox will shave 4-6 lbs. off your snowmobile compared to stock coil-over shocks. Of course, one obvious reason you save weight is because you no longer need the coil of the coil-over-shock design.
Like everything in snowmobiling, the new design shocks require a certain amount of maintenance. A lot of it you can do yourself. When you look to replace your sled's shocks, you might want to seriously consider and compare these 10 key features of the FLOAT AirShox to what you already have:
1. Patented Adjustable Progressive Air-Spring
2. Ultra Lightweight Design (2.8 lbs. @ 18.0")
3. Forged Aluminum Body Cap
4. 6061-T6 Aluminum Hard Anodized Mono-Tube Body
5. Billet High-Flow Fade-Free Aluminum Piston
6. Adjustable Velocity Sensitive Damping System
7. Reduced-Stiction Low Temperature Seals
8. High-Quality Stainless Steel Spherical Bearings
9. Exclusive FOX Samurai Wiper
10. Internal Floating Piston