17
Changing Oil
Changing Oil – Vanilla Forx:
The following tools and supplies will be needed: 26mm 6-sided socket, 10mm socket, torque wrench, 2mm hex key
wrench, 1.5mm hex key wrench, plastic faced hammer, small screwdriver, oil drain pan.
Quantity
Part Number
Partname
1
025-03-004-A
1 qt. bottle of Fox Suspension Fluid (7.5 wt.)
2
241-01-002-B
crush washer
Step 1 - Place the bicycle or fork in a bike stand. Using a 26mm socket wrench, remove the left side Preload Topcap.
Remove the spacer(s) that are on top of the coil spring (2 on 125mm, 1 on 100mm, 0 on 80mm).
Step 2 - Using a 10mm socket wrench, unscrew the LEFT side bottom nut 6 turns. Place a clean dry oil pan under-
neath the left side of the fork. Tap on the bottom nut with a plastic faced hammer to disengage the plunger shaft from
the lower leg. Unscrew and remove the bottom nut and washer. Push up on the shaft with a thin screwdriver and let
the oil drain.
Step 3 - Use a thin screwdriver to carefully guide the plunger shaft back down through the hole in the bottom of the
lower leg. Install the NEW crush washer. Thread on the bottom nut and torque to 50 in-lb.
Step 4 - Removing the Damper Knobs:
On R models: Unscrew the right side Damper Topcap with a 26mm socket wrench.
On RL, RLT & RLC models: You will need to remove all of the right side Damper topcap knobs before you
can unscrew the Damper Topcap.
a) Hold the red rebound knob firmly and remove the flathead screw with a 2mm hex key wrench. Lift off the
red rebound knob.
b) With a 1.5mm hex key wrench, unscrew each of the 3 set screws on the blue lockout lever 1 ½ turns. Lift
off the blue lockout lever.
Note about the 3 chrome balls in the lockout lever: The 3 chrome balls are held in by a dab of grease. Do not go
beyond 1 ½ turns on the set screws or the chrome balls may move outward in the side holes beyond the pointed set
screws. If this happens, push with a 1.5mm hex key wrench thru the side holes to get the chrome ball back towards
the center of and inside of the set screw.
c) On RLC models, lift off the Low-speed compression knob. Look at the bottom of the Low-speed knob.
The 1/8” diameter chrome detent ball might be stuck to the bottom of the knob from grease. If this happened,
grease the detent ball and put it back in the hole in the recess of the damper topcap. Press on the detent ball
with a small screwdriver and you should feel it spring back.
d) With a 26mm socket wrench, loosen and unscrew the damper topcap from the uppertube.
Step 5 - On RLT and RLC models: Use a 2mm hex key wrench to loosen and remove the “Lockout Threshold Knob”
on the lower right side of the lower leg.
On all models: Use a 10mm socket wrench to unscrew the RIGHT side bottom nut 6 turns. Place a clean dry oil pan
underneath the right side of the fork. Tap on the bottom nut with a plastic face hammer to loosen the plunger shaft
from the lower leg. Loosening the bottom nut 6 turns will make the nut lower than the small Lockout Threshold shaft
and protect it from damage while tapping out the damper out shaft. Unscrew and remove the bottom nut and washer.
Push up on the shaft with a thin screwdriver and let the oil drain.
