First Ride: Fox Releases New Grip X & Grip X2 Dampers

Apr 9, 2024

New dampers, new chassis details, and a new naming convention. Fox is dropping a swath of updates to their XC, trail, and enduro forks, aiming to improve the performance of the products without reinventing the wheel. It’s not a total overhaul though, as the 34, 36, and 38 forks all remain essentially the same, save for the damper updates and some improved bushing designs. If anything, it’s a solid lesson in the differences that changes in damping can make to the overall system, even when air spring and chassis remain the same.

The lineup is simple, but the updated monikers might be a bit confusing at first. The breakdown is as such:

• Grip X2: Gravity & Enduro | Fits Fox 34, 36, 38, 40
• Grip X: Trail & All-Mountain | Fits Fox 34, 36, 38
• Grip SL: Cross Country & Gravel | Fits Fox 32TC, 32SC, 34SC

All of these damper updates are backwards compatible with the existing fork models, though there are some chassis updates that will roll out in tandem.

The Dampers

There are some pretty major changes to the damping philosophy on the Grip X and Grip X2 forks, but all the changes are piggybacking on the existing Grip architecture. In broad strokes, the goal of the updates was to increase the effectiveness of end-user tuning, improve traction and ride height, and balance pressure within the damping system.

Grip X2 Updates

Grip X Updates

Both forks feature a much larger base valve – allowing for more oil to flow through the system – with many more shims in place to control that flow as you wish. Conceptually simple, but packaging was the real challenge here, as it’s quite a bit more to fit in the existing chassis. The damping philosophy was heavily influenced by Sergio Avanto, the Product Performance Manager on the GripX2 project, who has a serious pedigree in Supercross suspension tuning. Those philosophies bled their way into the mountain bike side of things, and resulted in the changes you see here.