Stripped preload collar - Fox 3.0 Live Valve

[ryan505]

Hey all,

Wondering if anyone else bought the new 3.0’s from Fox, and had difficulties adjusting preload once mounted.

Truck is full droop. Managed to get the driver side about .5 inch preload before it got too stiff by hand. It’s like mega stiff, and I can’t see how anyone can get a couple inches without taking them to a shop and compressing the spring first.

So I switched to passenger side, and I hardly made an eighth of a turn before I heard a snap and realized the collar skipped over the thread and that’s all she wrote.

And yep, I’m using the Fox 3.0 spanner wrench, as well as a 5/16ths punch to turn the thing because you can’t get the wrench into the tower for all turns. You can actually see the collar spanner holes warping while trying to add preload. I don’t think there’s much chance of me undoing the preload at this stage either.

I’ve got zero miles on them. Pretty bummed right now. I’ve emailed Fox but not sure how far I’ll get with them.

If you look close at the first pic you can see the sheared thread.

Would love anyone’s observations that say I’m an idiot or that the collars are garbage. Or both!

 

[ryan505]

I really wish the passenger side was reverse thread. There’s no way to make progress with this pinch bolt design and hose location. You cannot get a spanner wrench on this at all.

 

[Deleted member 12951]

You have to use a spring compressor to take stress off the collar. Fox uses a pinch collar and you will strip the threads almost every single time. The only one I know where you can do it without compressing are the ICONs because they use a solid collar.

If you damaged the collar threads to the point where they will not hold, you will need to get hold of where you go them and see what they will charge you for replacement parts as that typically will not be a warranty item.

If they will still grab and only the threads on the shock were damaged, I would buy a quality two part coil springs compressor and do it while on the truck and see if you can turn the collar down and tighten to hold.

 

[ryan505]

You have to use a spring compressor to take stress off the collar. Fox uses a pinch collar and you will strip the threads almost every single time. The only one I know where you can do it without compressing are the ICONs because they use a solid collar.

If you damaged the collar threads to the point where they will not hold, you will need to get hold of where you go them and see what they will charge you for replacement parts as that typically will not be a warranty item.

If they will still grab and only the threads on the shock were damaged, I would buy a quality two part coil springs compressor and do it while on the truck and see if you can turn the collar down and tighten to hold.

Got it. So I’m an idiot! Live and learn. Greatly appreciate your insight here.

Question - any recommendations on “two part coilspring compressor”? I’ve got my old compressors which were fine for my Jeep springs but obviously won’t fit this shock style.

 

[ryan505]

Maybe this?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6L1QA6/?tag=fordraptorforum-20

 

[1BAD454SSv2]

Do the instructions say anything about taking the tension before adjusting? You would think it would . Maybe you can get the one broken thread out of there and there is still enough meat on whats left of the threads. May still be salvageable. Sucks man hope you get fixed quick

 

[Deleted member 12951]

Don’t go cheap. I have a set of craftsman but I used them on my GEN1. I will eventually find out if they will fit a GEN2 as I have planned to upgrade the live shocks myself.

 

[ryan505]

Do the instructions say anything about taking the tension before adjusting? You would think it would . Maybe you can get the one broken thread out of there and there is still enough meat on whats left of the threads. May still be salvageable. Sucks man hope you get fixed quick

There’s really no instructions beyond the install. Had no problems with install, just ran into this snag when I decided to dial it in a bit.

 

[Dustan]

I put a spring compressor on the spring while it was loaded and then let it droop. Plenty of space between shock and collar. Turned very easy. Hopefully just the collar is messed up and that’s all you need to replace. Good luck

 

[Deleted member 12951]

Even the instructions for the GEN1 doesn’t talk about compressing them when adjusting

https://www.ridefox.com/fox17/dl/truck/manuals/605-01-071-revb-co-raptor-web.pdf

Its just from experience that anyone who has done it will tell you not to just loosen the pinch bolt and start cranking.

On the GEN1, the pinch bolt was in the back on the driver side so once you installed them you couldn’t get to it. So experience taught you to loosen the bolt and turn the retainer ring so you could reach it before they were installed.