Press Release

Convert Your FOX 36 Fork to a Coil Spring with the PUSH Industries ACS-3 Kit 22

PUSH Industries creates forking magic with coil spring kit combined with pneumatic bump-stop.

bturman
7/18/2017 8:33am
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Introducing the PUSH Industries ACS-3, a coil spring conversion kit from PUSH Industries designed to transform front suspension performance. Built in-house with PUSH’s hallmark attention to detail, the ACS-3 replaces the stock air chamber of a FOX 36 or RockShox Pike with a proprietary coil spring mated to a pneumatic bump-stop. The result? Supple, linear suspension throughout the early and mid-stroke of the fork with an air cartridge to prevent bottom out at the end of the fork’s travel.

Purpose-built to dramatically enhance small bump performance and full-range tuneability, the ACS-3 can be tailored to offer specific performance characteristics throughout the entire range of travel. The kit comes standard with a precision-wound coil spring available in seven different rates while the pneumatic bump-stop can be adjusted between 5 and 50psi. These options along with the spring’s ability to rotate without binding allow unprecedented control without any stiction.

“The popularity of the Elevensix rear shock lit a fire under us to offer that same level of performance to the front end of our customers’ bikes,” offers PUSH’s Darren Murphy, “The ACS-3 takes two already noteworthy products, and then adds yet another level of performance. It makes the awesome awesomer.”

Coil Or Air Spring? Yes.

Whether coil or air, each type of spring presents known pros and cons. Air springs typically save weight, but the high pressures required for them to function effectively create stiction – the undesired friction drag between pressurized sealing surfaces. A negative factor that must be overcome or mitigated, harshness is noticeable early in a suspension component’s travel, especially on smaller impacts.

Coil springs perform admirably in the early stages of travel and when encountering small bumps, yet their supple feel can end abruptly as they reach the limits of their compression.

PUSH’s ACS-3 combines the supple, more responsive ride of a precision engineered coil spring with a pneumatic bump-stop, effectively mating the best qualities of each method. In doing so, this markedly broadens a fork’s range of action, freeing it up to more smoothly absorb impacts across the entire spectrum of travel.

The Details

  • MSRP $389, supplemental spring MSRP $80
  • Manufactured entirely in the USA
  • 2015 through 2017 FOX 36 Float or Talas 160mm travel kits are available NOW
  • FOX 36 140, 150 and 170mm travel models and 2018 140-170mm kits arrive in late July
  • RockShox Pike kits coming soon
  • RockShox Lyrik/Yari will NOT be offered due to the small inside diameter of the stanchion tube
  • Spring rates to accommodate riders from 125 to 230-pounds in 15-pound increments
  • Tailored to your riding style

Installation

 

But Wait...

While the ACS-3 is BIG news for PUSH, the company remains firmly rooted in its desire to make ALL suspension perform at its best. To that end, PUSH is placing the tools to do just that into the hands of all riders. PUSH’s new suspension service kit, the Complete Lower Leg Service Kit, offers a turnkey and value-driven solution that allows riders to perform service work themselves.

The kit includes new fork seals, a seal driver (made in Colorado with the same care and attention to detail as all PUSH suspension components), and enough fork oil and grease for five services. Switching to PUSH seals effectively doubles the service interval of any fork – allowing riders the freedom to go twice as hard for twice as long between services.

Lower Leg Service Kits retail for $105, while future seal-only kits are just $36. There’s no better time to deploy this service kit than when upgrading your fork to the ACS-3.

“We created this kit to make it easier for home mechanics to service their own equipment,” adds Murphy. “By keeping your seals clean and fluids topped off you’ll keep your fork running smoother. Plus, our seals double the service interval time compared to stock ones.”

PUSH Who?

PUSH Industries was founded in 2003 by Darren Murphy on the heels of an extensive career in suspension spring and damper manufacturing. PUSH quickly developed a reputation in the two- wheeled sports world (and specifically mountain biking) for quality tuning and exceptional customer service. Along the way, PUSH-tuned suspensions helped some of the biggest names in UCI downhill racing find their way to the podium. Following a relocation from Southern California to Colorado in 2005, PUSH began manufacturing all suspension service and tuning components in-house. Inevitably, the accumulation of suspension tuning knowledge and ready access to CNC machines evolved into the release of the highly regarded Elevensix rear shock in February of 2015. The ACS-3 is the next step in that evolution, bringing that same level of performance to the forefront of riders’ bikes.

Visit www.pushindustries.com for more details, and be sure to also check out the new chamferless sockets.

Related:
Forks
PUSH
22 comments

View replies to: Convert Your FOX 36 Fork to a Coil Spring with the PUSH Industries ACS-3 Kit

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JMHV
7 years ago
Does the lower spring bearing assembly really just run into the bump stop shaft during travel? I guess if it works, it works. But that seems smashy.
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jeff.brines
7 years ago
The bottom out feature is pretty slick. Otherwise, I'm surprised somebody else hasn't brought a coil to market for a lot less. I know, Push's quality and R&D process leaves little to be desired - top rung company through and through. But yeah, this is pricey AF.
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silvbullit
7 years ago
Perform basic air spring maintenance clean and lube, remove volume reducers. Plush, linear feel. Boom. Saved $400.
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jeff.brines
7 years ago
I do think its funny how everyone wants a coil fork but I'll often ask that same person and they are running maxed out volume spacers with respect to their current air fork.

Personally, I've found myself getting better traction and more usable travel, in most trail riding/race/non-sendy situations running zero tokens and more pressure. Yeah, maybe its not quiet as nice off the top but overall it works better for me. I'm not 19. I don't send everything in site anymore (or anything in site anymore )
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Salespunk
7 years ago
Running tokens allows you to lower pressure while maintaining bottom out resistance. It should make the fork more plush through 50-60% of the travel until the crossover point during the ramp up.

Removing volume reducers means you have to run more pressure in the beginning, but you will get to full travel more easily. The fork will be less plush through the first 50-60% of travel if you have the same bottom out resistance.
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jeff.brines
7 years ago
Oh, I'm well aware of how volume spacers work. I'm suggesting those who are all about coil-like performance would do well to remove the spacers in their fork as a test. Generally speaking, higher volume will yield more linear spring rate curves. This is absolutely true in a Lyrik or 36.

Is this for you? Well, that depends on what you are after, where you are riding and the amount of travel you have. With a 160mm+ fork, riding chunky terrain on longer (2-3K+) descents I need all the help I can give my hands. In this situation, zero tokens and less sag keeps the fork high in its travel but the fork is able to move more (compared to a token'd out fork) for these medium sized bump forces.

Confused? Think about it this way, though my higher PSI more linear setup takes more force to move the fork 2" (anecdotal numbers picked here), it takes less force to move the fork 5" as the fork does not ramp up nearly as abruptly (just like a coil!). This results in less feedback to my hands and more grip in situations where the wheel is taking bigger impacts (again, think square edged bumps in succession - like a flatter, rougher, desert trail)

Downsides to the more linear setup, in theory, is the bike is less responsive to rider input (fork is likely to go through more travel when rider really goes to load the suspension), fork is firmer off the top (compared to a softer setup with tons of tokens) and, depending on your riding style and damper setup, the fork can be prone to diving in steeper terrain. Oh, and as you implied, it likely has less bottom out resistance (but I can't remember the last time I bottomed out my fork running 10% sag).

The idea of running the fork significantly softer with more tokens is one I often see - to get the "plushest" setup. But for more aggressive riders, this doesn't really work as the rider will immediately push through the soft part of the travel, riding up against the firm portion (where its ramping up). This translates to a firmer feeling fork with less available travel even if it feels "awesome" in the parking lot.

For shorter laps, a more "playful" setup (more pop), steeper terrain, getting uber sendy or if I'm *really* riding well, a spacer or two (in a 160-180mm fork) can bode well for me, but I don't drop PSI all that much from my token-less setup (maybe 5psi) or again, all that happens is my ride height is lower (less available travel) and I sit up against the firmest part of the travel.

I get that sometimes we want to limit suspension movement with the idea of "floating above" the chop or staying out of holes. This can work, without a doubt, but for those looking for the "plushest" setup (EG, fork eats a certain type of bump best), linear may very well be your ticket. Again, lots to consider...

But yeah, what I was really getting at is coil-like = zero spacers.

EDIT: In shorter travel forks, throw all this out the window - but I'll explain that later.
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erik2k10
7 years ago
I agree with most of your analysis, but I will add some thoughts. I think control and comfort are somewhat mutually exclusive on today's forks unless they are custom valved to your weight. Riders like plush off the top for comfort because over a course of a ride that will wear your hands less as fast and progressive on big hits because that helps with control.
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adrennan
7 years ago
the general performance is one thing. one of the reasons to like coil (that you don't mention) is how it handles over sustained descents/long days/etc. I notice the air suspension gets a bit more rugged at the end of a day at trestle. my coil out back? still begging for more at the end of the day. I want my fork to desire the same beating that my shock does.
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ridedontslide
7 years ago
@jeff.brines my experience and tuning are the same, your synopsis is pretty spot on. Also I find if you run less tokens and get the balance just right, you can reduce the LSC and increase HSC to achieve a even smoother and supported ride. Faster rebound too, which goes against normal damping theory. I'd take the coil for breakaway force, reliability, consistency and its linear rebound characteristics
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pAz
7 years ago
@jeff: well said. did the same with my 36 170mm. zero tokens, more air, nearly no HSC and some LSC and it works well for me. with 1/2 tokens i didn't like the feeling in steeper parts of the track with to much diving on the front.
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jeff.brines
7 years ago
adrennan,

Simplicity and losing a few seals is another point, for sure, that I failed to mention. However, don't plan on neglecting your fork the same way you can neglect your coil-over rear shock.

The reason is two fold...


First, and more importantly, there is a much smaller sliding surface on your rear shock (only the piston that goes into the damper) when compared to a 34-36mm stanction'd fork. With a fork, the surface area is much greater. Greater surface area = more friction right? To add, a fork's surface area, specifically the bushings, are often under lateral load, unlike your rear shock (well, unless your bike is from 1999 ). This means if things aren't kept clean and lubed, you are far more likely to feel it in your fork than your rear shock.


Second, and perhaps less importantly, the leverage ratio of your fork is 1:1 as opposed to the rear shock being 1:2.5(ish). This swingarm-induced leverage ratio helps overcome some of the rear shock's stiction that may be prevalent as a result of dust, grime etc. This is an additional reason your coilover rear shock (or any rear shock) seems to stay smoother after a day at the bike park than your front fork, which absolutely will lose sensitivity.

...clearly, I am bored at work eh?
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krisrayner
7 years ago
As good as air forks have gotten, the 2011 Van coil Kashima fork I had has been by far the smoothest and plushest fork I've owned.
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