Fox vs. King Shocks

[freeze]

Here's an interesting article based on specs on the comparison of the two shocks.

Take a look:

http://www.offroad-engineering.com/foxvsking.html

http://site.offroad-engineering.com/images/foxvsking/foxvs.king003.jpg

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Here's an exerpt:

Fox on left. King on right

http://site.offroad-engineering.com/images/foxvsking/foxvs.king030.jpg

KING: The material used would not be disclosed but we believe the shafts to be made of steel and hard chrome plated. A nice advantage of King shocks is the chamfered edge where the seal assembly slips over. This makes for easy reassembly without galling the wiper seal.

FOX: 17-4 Stainless steel shafts are utilized on all Fox Shocks except for the 1.25" and 1.625" shaft air shocks. The shafts on the 2.5 shock pictured is .875" in diameter.

[oriontaco]

Good write up. So it would seem that you are paying more not just for the Fox name.

The pic above with the two shafts pictured, the king shaft has some serious pitting on it. They mention that if it were to get anyworse then it would tear seals out of it.
I would say that the shape it is in would tear/allow fluid to bypass your piston wiper. Chrome will oxidize much easier then stainless that is constantly being wiped clean and immeresed in oil.

[freeze]

Yeah I like the write up because it was all straight specs.

Great to see the two side by side. Also Fox's stock PSI setting for the Nitrogen is 200PSI where King is at 150PSI Max. Fox can go 200-500PSI... but that's crazy pressure!

[Krazie Sj]

Excellent find. I always wondered about King coils.

[Dante's Taco]

Now I really can't wait for my Fox's to come in....

G

[Heeltoe989]

You can have kings built with SS shafts, or anyway you want for that matter. I'm going to be doing kings this year and have them custom built for my application. That's one thing I like about king. Have your shocks any way you like. Valving, oil, spring rate, doesn't matter, its all the same price at the end of the day.

[Heeltoe989]

Yeah I like the write up because it was all straight specs.

Great to see the two side by side. Also Fox's stock PSI setting for the Nitrogen is 200PSI where King is at 150PSI Max. Fox can go 200-500PSI... but that's crazy pressure!

Depends on the king shock.

Kings go from 150 to 400psi depending on shock. Also as some of you know me and talked to me in person, I'm not much for FOX. I've just seen too many blow up in baja. From Super high end trophy class to the low end buggy classes.

On dirt bikes and sleds for sure!!! On trucks, I think they still have some work to do on the high end front. At the end of the day you can't really go wrong with either one in our applications.

I know Freeze hasn't had any issues with the Fox on his on his truck and I think he would recommend them.

[hazardhat]

Had no idea that they looked so similar. Never seen them just laid out like that.

[freeze]

Depends on the king shock.

Kings go from 150 to 400psi depending on shock.

This is for the 2.5's.

I dunno... they must be doing something right?!

FOX Racing Shox Dominates 2009 SCORE Baja 1000 Overall Victory and 10 Individual Class Wins
http://utvweekly.com/index.php/2010/01/fox-racing-shox-dominates-2009-score-baja-1000-overall-victory-and-10-individual-class-wins/

I don't really care about the brand as that was the only option at the time for the 2" wider LT kit. So far they've held up great against some really horrible road conditions through many mountain passes in Alberta and BC, they've been through the Rubicon/Moab, and drifted many rutted gravel backroads while having logged over 50,000 KM's.

How was Baja when you went?

[Heeltoe989]

This is for the 2.5's.

I dunno... they must be doing something right?!

FOX Racing Shox Dominates 2009 SCORE Baja 1000 Overall Victory and 10 Individual Class Wins
http://utvweekly.com/index.php/2010/01/fox-racing-shox-dominates-2009-score-baja-1000-overall-victory-and-10-individual-class-wins/

I don't really care about the brand as that was the only option at the time for the 2" wider LT kit. So far they've held up great against some really horrible road conditions through many mountain passes in Alberta and BC, they've been through the Rubicon/Moab, and drifted many rutted gravel backroads while having logged over 50,000 KM's.

How was Baja when you went?

As for Fox Winning lots of classes, that's fine, as there are many classes in baja and I'm sure King won a few, Bilstein won a few and Icon won a few.

King 2.5 depends on the series take 150-200psi. I have a set of OEM series here in the shop that are pressured to 200 psi like my Icons.

I'm not saying Fox are not a good shock, they areand nathan I know the milage you have racked up on yours and there working great!

I'm just going on what I have seen in the past 2 baja 1000.

Andy and Scott McMillin — Trophy Truck and Overall winner - Sponsored
Heidi Steele — Class 6 - Sponsored
Josh Hall — Stock Mini - Sponsored
Chad Hall — Stock Full - Sponsored


When people are sponsors they have obligations to use the product they were given. Companies shop different companies to get sponsorship or have a name behind them (Halls) very big name!, so that a company like Fox or King will give them products to use and pay a fee to have the name and the shocks on the truck which in turn Fox can use the rights in advertising saying they have had class Victories, but what happened during the race, did they blow out, did they have to change out a shock. The only thing that will tell you that would be to follow the team for the whole Baja and I guarantee that the Fox or King engineers will be following to see what breaks.

We have a Weld wheel as a sponsor for our truck, and we had broken a wheel in the first baja, which in turn Weld can by check out the wheel, gave use a new one and away we went. When we took 4th in the last baja weld wanted to use use in a bit of advertising, but because we can in 4th ( blown Turbo ) It wouldn't make the image look good.

As for trophy truck - Fox or King, I don't think anything can take that punishment, and I know for a fact that King's and Fox's have been changed out during the race, due to blown out seals.

I think at the end of the day, this discussion is like trucks, no winners, we all like what we like, but we're all here to wheel! :cool:

my 2cents, but what the hell do I know.

[FeeVer]

I like the Fox shocks are they the same as the ones on the Ford Raptor? However when it comes to me buying shocks I prefer Bilstein, have them on my race car and when something went wrong with one they flew a guy here 2 days later with a new one and he installed it. Thats service, and I have never had a problem since. So next year when the FJ needs shocks I am going Bilstein.

[the_kernel114]

problem is that bilstein just doesn't make a nice set of coilovers for our trucks.

[freeze]

You know what would be top..... Ohlins! They do make a set for the Tundra

[FeeVer]

problem is that bilstein just doesn't make a nice set of coilovers for our trucks.

Will the 7100 series or the 9100 series not work? Trust me when they say they make each shock by hand according to your specs thats what they do.

[the_kernel114]

they would work in the rear but have no coilover replacement for our trucks, only a strut replacement which is the preload adjustable 5100 series.

[Krazie Sj]

Get some Eibach coils to go with them.

[Doc McCoy]

You know what would be top..... Ohlins! They do make a set for the Tundra

There are some guys on TTORA that had Ohlins mock up test coilovers for the Tacoma but I have no idea how this has turned out. I'll try and find the link when I'm back in the good hemisphere.

I too thought Ohlins was top dog but after reading about the extensive problems on Charlie Boorman's bike on the "Long Way Down" expedition ... I've had second thoughts.

[freeze]

Haha. Chaaaaaalie Boooooorman. I think there might have been an overloading issue with their rear shock?

[Doc McCoy]

The interesting thing was that the stock coils held up much better on the camera mans bike (name I can't remember) which would be loaded with more gear. The camera man was running the stock BMW shocks.

[Winch]

While I realize that this thread only compares Fox and King, I just thought that I would mention Sway Away's Racerunner shocks (SAW's). To my knowledge, they have been around a bit longer than both of the above, have been proven extensively in the Baja, are a bit cheaper, and just as good if not better. They are completely adjustable and rebuildable as well. I've run my SAW's now for 5 years and have been extremely happy with them in every way, and while I doubt that I would ever have to replace them, if I do, it will definately be with another set of the same.