I read in an older mag about air pressure readings on the floats. They said there is about 3 to 4 psi in pump hose when getting a reading. So if you pump to 50psi and read that number you acually have about 46 psi in shocks. Ive tried checking pressure right after i put in and get same reading as i pumped at guage. I kwow the air release when taking off is just from hose, but wondered about accual pressure readings. Wondered on anyones thought on this. thanks.
stoutner
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
TJRTX said:
If your guage reads 50psi then the hose has 50 psi of air. The hose will have a "volume" of air at 50 psi just like the shocks. You won't lose any or not much psi when you unscrew it.
Even if you lost 5 psi, you and your sled wouldn't know the difference.
LJ 452
TY 4 Stroke God
Here's the deal,
As stated above the pressure you read at the gauge is the pressure in the shock (accurate enough anyway). The situation you are referring to is that when you connect the pump to the shock and it says 50 PSI you actually had 52-53 PSI, If I remember it was 2-3 PSI difference, but it really doesn't matter and heres why. The reason for the difference is that you have increased the volume, as with any vessel; everthing else constant, if you increase the volume the pressure decreases. Also when you unscrew the pump nothing is lost as the schrader valve is closed before the pump seal is released. The air you hear is from the pump itself, not the shock. So when you adjust your shocks just screw on the pump, set it to the pressure you want and don't worry about it, just remember if you put on the pump and it reads 50 then you remove the pump, then deside to check or adjust again the second time you use the pump it will likely read 47-48.
As stated above the pressure you read at the gauge is the pressure in the shock (accurate enough anyway). The situation you are referring to is that when you connect the pump to the shock and it says 50 PSI you actually had 52-53 PSI, If I remember it was 2-3 PSI difference, but it really doesn't matter and heres why. The reason for the difference is that you have increased the volume, as with any vessel; everthing else constant, if you increase the volume the pressure decreases. Also when you unscrew the pump nothing is lost as the schrader valve is closed before the pump seal is released. The air you hear is from the pump itself, not the shock. So when you adjust your shocks just screw on the pump, set it to the pressure you want and don't worry about it, just remember if you put on the pump and it reads 50 then you remove the pump, then deside to check or adjust again the second time you use the pump it will likely read 47-48.
Thanks for the info. That expalains it a lot better than the mags put it. The reason I even brought it up considering a couple psi doesnt make much difference is just how low some people are running the floats at,so was interested in what accual reading in shock would be. Thanks again.
rightarm
TY 4 Stroke Master
TJRTX said:
There’s a good number of sleds out now that have the FOX FLOAT Airshox on the front suspension. While they have proven to be light and durable, they do require service and inspection.
One of the main benefits of this shock design is the ability to vary the airspring pressure with the use of a hand pump. The air pressure of each shock should be checked on a monthly basis through the winter. When you check the air pressure, you MUST do so with the front of the sled off the ground (the shock must be in an unloaded condition with no pressure being applied). Failure to unload the front suspension will lead to an incorrectly high pressure reading due to the shock being compressed.
Most of the FLOATs are shipped with 70 psi of air in them; their operating range is 50-150 psi. Changes should be made in 5 psi increments, with testing performed at each change to determine the result.
Remember that by attaching the air pump, it will take about 3-4 psi to fill the chamber in the pump and gauge so the shock will read this much lower than what it was really operating at. For example, you attach the pump and gauge to the shock and read 57 psi. This means you had about 60 psi in the shock to begin with.
If it was too soft (too much or frequent bottoming), pump it up to read 65 psi (you won’t lose any air when disconnecting the pump). If it was too firm (excessive harshness and suspension never bottoms out), reduce the pressure to read 55 psi (for the 5 psi change target) and try it.
It is best to set the shock air pressure at the temperature the unit will be operated at, or as close as possible. Ideally. If not, realize that a 50 degree change in temperature will change the air pressure by about 5 psi, and a 100 degree tremperature swing will amount to about a 10 psi swing in air pressure. If you set the shock to 60 psi in an 80 degree shop that the sled has been sitting in all day, it will be operating at about 50 psi when used at -20. Keep this in mind, the temperature swing can be enough to render your 5 psi change useless.
After each season, the outer air sleeve and seals should be cleaned. This service is safe for sled owners to perform, as long as they understand the high-pressure nature of the inner shock body and do not attempt to open it, or the pressure valve on the inner shock body. The internals of the shock should be rebuilt by a trained technician every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
As for the air sleeve yearly service, a person of average mechanical ability should be able to handle it. No special tools are required, and detailed instructions to do so are included in the FLOAT owner’s manual (that comes with every sled so-equipped).
