SHORT TRAVEL. HARD HITTING. ALL TRAIL.
The lightest 36 ever, the sub-1800g FOX 36 SL injects plushness and steering responsiveness into a true Trail fork. An evolution of the 36 chassis optimized for 120mm to 140mm of travel, the 36 SL gives modern Trail riders the confidence to go big without the weight.
WHY CHOOSE?
Trail riders have long had to choose between over-forking for stiffness or under-forking for lower weight. The 36 SL supplants the 34 with 20% additional torsional stiffness, while minimizing the weight increase to just 100 grams. At 1755g (29” 140mm GRIP X), with a host of ride feel improvements, the 36 SL easily beats out its predecessor, and the competition.
ARCH ABOVE THE REST
Generatively designed and optimized by FOX engineers, the new 36 SL arch and crown increase torsional stiffness of the fork by a full 20% over the previous Trail fork, the 34. Cutouts and lightening bores at strategic locations help minimize weight.
AIR SPRING COMPLIANCE IN ACTION
A large enough bending force—such as hitting a large rock or root at high speed—can cause the air spring to bind to the inside of the stanchion when the fork is compressing through its travel.
The redesigned and compliant FLOAT air spring decouples the stanchion from the air shaft, allowing the piston to move with the fork while under these bending loads, rather than resisting them.
The result? Smoother suspension action overall, especially when the fork is experiencing high loads from speed or rider weight.
MORE BUSHING OVERLAP
As the fork is loaded sideways (such as running over an obstacle on the trail), that bending force is translated from the lower leg to the stanchions through Teflon-lined sleeves called bushings.
“Bushing overlap” refers to the distance between upper and lower bushings in each leg. Greater overlap reduces friction between the stanchions and lower legs throughout the stroke. The 36 SL has 20mm additional bushing overlap over the 34, resulting in a smoother-feeling fork overall.
GRIP X — UNCOMPROMISED ALL-MOUNTAIN PERFORMANCE
Trail riders no longer need to choose between a descent-focused damper or a lightweight endurance damper. GRIP X exudes the exemplary descent performance of GRIP X2, refined for less weight, easier setup, and an easy-access firm mode for pedaling efficiency.
INBOARD BYPASS CHANNELS
Bypass channels help curb pressure ramping for increased small bump sensitivity, as well as recirculating oil to lubricate bushings and seals. By relocating the bypass channels from the aft side of the fork to the inboard side, they are now out of the fore-aft load path to further reduce friction throughout the fork’s travel.
ADDED UTILITY
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Low Profile Bleeders: Grooved design allows pressure to escape around your finger as you press the bleeder.
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Air Spring Top Cap: Now uses the common Shimano cassette tool for easy volume adjustments.
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Mudguard: Mounts to seal flanges and arch instead of bleeder ports. Refined aesthetic, durability and seal protection. Available in long and short styles.
At 1755g (29” 140mm GRIP X), the 36 SL is 125g lighter than the equivalent 36. It gains these weight reductions by using the Kabolt SL axle, a lighter steerer tube, shorter stanchions, and improved lowers optimized for the 36 SL’s travel range of 120mm to 140mm.
