New 2018 Fox DPX2 Shock and more...

Fox Racing Shox has just released a new rear shock for their 2018 lineup. The DPX2. Like the current X2 shock, the DPX2 uses a recirculated oil or ‘twin-tube’ damper. With this it’s said to run with low internal pressures for improved small bump sensitivity. It also allows them to offer a wider range of tuning options.

While it doesn’t mirror the X2 (a shock that offers independent low and high speed adjustments on both rebound and compression), it does provide 10 clicks of high speed compression tune as well as a three position tool-free adjustment for the low speed compression which can be tweaked on the trail. On the rebound side, the DPX2 has a low speed adjuster and the air spring is adjustable via air volume spacers too.

The DPX2 incorporates a redesigned EVOL air spring that runs a single walled air can for reduced weight and better heat dissipation—a feature that you’ll now see across the board on the 2018 Fox rear shocks.

While the DPX2 utilises similar technology to the X2 shock, it’s a good deal more compact and lighter—something that means it’ll fit onto a broader range of bikes and in some cases this may allow you to fit a water bottle too. It basically replaces Float X shock in the existing Fox lineup. An average length X2 shock weighs around 600g while the new DPX2 should be approximately 100g lighter.

For aftermarket applications the DPX2 will only be offered in the top-end Factory model. It’s expected to sell for $829 and should be available by mid-July.

 

Aside from this new DPX2 shock, Fox has a range of tweaks and updates for their 2018 range. All rear shocks will have an updated version of the EVOL air spring. The EVOL system uses a larger volume negative air spring to make the shocks more supple initially but for 2017 the negative air is housed in the pronounced bulge that you see near the seal head. The remainder of the air can uses single wall construction to make the shocks lighter and cool faster.

New fork models now incorporate an EVOL air spring too. They’ve managed to increase the negative air spring volume by tweaking the internals on the compression rod. As with the rear shocks, this is said to make the air spring more supple initially. This update applies to the 34 and 36 models as well as some 32 forks (the 2017 Step Cast 32 already included the update).

With these changes to the air springs, Fox has also tuned the compression damping to match with the goal of maintaining a supportive ride, even with the improved initial suppleness. They’ve also introduced category specific damper tunes. For example, XC and marathon oriented models have firmer damping support initially to provide a stiffer feel whilst pedalling. The firmer DPS settings will also be more solid. Trail and all-mountain suspension products will have more linear damping with a more active feel in the open modes.

Check out the Fox site for more info on the 2018 lineup.