Eyelet Hardware Maintenance
WARNING: Always wear safety glasses and protective gloves during service to prevent potential injury. Failure to wear protective equipment during service may lead to SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
WARNING: FOX products should be serviced by a qualified bicycle service technician, in accordance with FOX specifications. If you have any doubt whether or not you can properly service your FOX product, then DO NOT attempt it. Improperly serviced products can fail, causing the rider to lose control resulting in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
There are 5 styles of eyelet hardware for FOX shocks: 2-piece reducer, 3-piece pin and sleeve, 5-piece flanged bushing, Bearing Mounting Hardware, and 7-piece Crush Washer Hardware.
Click the photo below that best matches your eyelet hardware setup to view its service procedure.
Your rear shock eyelet hardware should always provide a snug fit between your shock and bike frame. When excessive play develops, this condition can lead to costly damage to your shock eyelets if not serviced appropriately. Preventative maintenenace of the eyelet hardware can help prevent damage to your shock.
2-Piece Reducer
The two piece reducer hardware assembly is made up of two reducers, pressed into either side of a DU bushing that is pressed into the shock eyelet.
Step 1
Use a standard bolt extractor (EZ-Out or similar) to remove the two reducer pieces. Press the bolt extractor into either reducer with a counter-clockwise twisting motion, then pull while continuing to twist counter-clockwise to remove. Repeat for the second reducer.
Step 2
Remove the reducer from the bolt extractor by gently clamping the reducer and rotating the tool clockwise. If planning to reuse the reducers, make sure to avoid clamping them too tightly in your vice to keep them round.
If your reducers fit tightly in your DU bushings and remain round after removal, they can be reused. Small internal marks on the reducers from the bolt extractor are fine.
For information guiding you through the replacement of the DU bushings in your shock eyelet, please go to: DU Bushing Replacement »
Step 3
Start pressing the reducers into the new DU bushing by hand. Use a soft-jawed vice to fully seat the reducers in the DU bushing.
3-Piece Pin and Sleeve
The 3-piece pin and sleeve assembly is made up of a single hollow pin that is pressed through the DU bushing in the shock eyelet. The two sleeves mount over the pin from either side and keep it centered. Q-rings are located between the sleeves and the shock eyelet to prevent contamination and premature DU wear.
Step 2
Use a soft-jawed vice to push the pin as far out through one side of the shock eyelet as possible.
Step 3
Use a soft-jawed vice and a socket small enough in diameter to pass through the DU bushing, to push the pin the rest of the way out.
For information guiding you through the replacement of the DU bushings in your shock eyelet, please go to:DU Bushing Replacement »
Step 5
Reposition your shock in the soft-jawed vice so one side of the eyelet is resting against the vice jaw. Continue to press the pin into the DU bushing until the shock is centered on the pin.
Step 6
Use the two sleeves to verify that the pin is centered in the shock eyelet. Remove the sleeves, install the Q-rings, then reinstall the sleeves.
5-Piece Flanged Bushing
The 5-piece flanged bushing eyelet hardware assembly is made up of two beige colored flanged bushings that are pressed into the shock eyelet. A hollow pin is pushed through the flanged bushings and centered by black Delrin spacers on either side of the eyelet. Thin o-rings go between the spacers and flanged bushings to prevent contamination and premature bushing wear.
Step 4
Use a small punch or other similar tool to drive out the flanged bushings from the center. Support the shock with your hand during the bushing removal.
Step 5
You can use part of the DU bushing removal tool (PN: 803-00-046-A) to help remove the second flanged bushing from the shock eyelet.
Step 6
Start installing the new flanged bushing by hand, then finish with your soft-jawed vice. Be careful not to press the bushings in with too much vice clamping force to avoid damage to the new bushings.
Step 7
Start installing the pin into the flanged bushings by hand and finish with your soft-jawed vice. Center the pin in the shock eyelet.
Step 8
Install an o-ring into the recess in each flanged bushing, then install the black Delrin spacers.
Bearing Mounting Hardware
The Bearing Mounting Hardware assembly is made up of two black Bearing Housings that are pressed into the shock eyelet. Two Roller Bearings are pressed into the Bearing Housings with a silver Bearing Spacer trapped between the two Bearings. Black Bearing Spacers go on the outside of the Bearings to center the assembly and prevent contamination.
You will need the Mounting Hardware Bearing Assembly Install and Removal tool (PN: 803-01-406) to remove this style hardware once installed.
Bearing Mounting Hardware is only available for certain applications and is only compatible with the shock eyelets listed in the chart.
NOTE: 2016-2021 X2 shocks all have the same restrictions concerning eyelet and Bearing Hardware compatibility. Please see the chart for details.
Step 1
Remove the two black outer Bearing Spacers. Insert the Press Pin tool into one Roller Bearing while resting the opposite Bearing Housing in the Press Plate as shown.
Step 2
Squeeze the Press Pin and Press Plate together in your vise to remove the first Roller Bearing. Take care not to damage any portion of the shock by allowing it to contact the vise. After pressing out the first Roller Bearing, remove the silver Bearing Spacer.
Step 3
Reinsert the Press Pin tool into the empty Bearing Housing while resting the opposite Bearing Housing in the Press Plate as shown. Squeeze the Press Pin and Press Plate together in your vise to remove the second Roller Bearing.
Step 4
Thread one of the Housing Pullers clockwise into an empty Bearing Housing so the hex feature faces out, away from the eyelet. Thread the second Housing Puller clockwise into the other empty Bearing Housing. Adjust the Housing Pullers with a 5mm hex wrench until they are centered and touching eachother.
Step 5
Use a 5mm hex wrench to turn one of the Housing Pullers clockwise until you have pushed the opposite Bearing Housing out of the eyelet. Remove the Housing Puller tool from the Bearing Housing that you've just removed.
Step 6
Adjust the tool remaining in the eyelet so the shoulder below the 5mm hex feature is flush with the inside of the Bearing Housing as shown. With a plastic faced mallet, carefully strike the solid end of the Housing Puller tool to drive the remaining Bearing Housing out of the eyelet. Do not rest any portion of the shock on any surface while applying careful mallet strikes.
Step 8
The following steps guide you through the installation of the Bearing Mounting Hardware.
Coat the inside of the shock eyelet bore and the portions of the Bearing Housings that press into the eyelet with a thin film of waterproof marine grease (Sta-Lube SL3125).
Step 9
Install both Bearing Housings into the shock eyelet by carefully pressing in with a soft-jawed vise.
Step 10
Install one of the Roller Bearings into one of the Bearing Housings by carefully pressing it in with a soft-jawed vise.
Step 11
Install the Bearing Spacer through the empty Bearing Housing, making sure to align it properly with the installed Roller Bearing inner race.
Step 12
Install the second Roller Bearing into the empty Bearing Housing ensuring that the Bearing Spacers is properly aligned between both Roller Bearing inner races. Press the second Roller Bearing in with your soft-jawed vise.
Step 13
Install the Outer Bearing Spacers with their protrusions aligned with the Roller Bearing inner races. You can use a zip-tie to hold everything together until installing onto your bike.
7-Piece Crush Washer Hardware
Step 1
The 7-piece Crush Washer eyelet hardware assembly is made up of two beige colored flanged bushings that are pressed into the shock eyelet. A hollow pin is pushed through the flanged bushings and centered by black Delrin spacers and Crush Washers on either side of the eyelet. Thin o-rings go between the spacers and flanged bushings to prevent contamination and premature bushing wear. The Crush Washers have raised domed portions that are depressed before installation and take up any play found between frame and hardware.
Step 3
Remove the two o-rings then push the pin out of the flanged bushings. You may use a socket or other tool to push the pin out if you cannot do it with hand pressure alone (DU removal tool shown PN: 803-00-046-A).
Step 4
Use a small punch or other similar tool to drive out the flanged bushings from the center. Support the shock with your hand during the bushing removal.
Step 5
You can use part of the DU bushing removal tool to help remove the second flanged bushing from the shock eyelet.
Step 6
Start installing the new flanged bushing by hand, then finish with your soft-jawed vice. Be careful not to press the bushings in with too much vice clamping force to avoid damage to the new bushings.
Step 7
Start installing the pin into the flanged bushings by hand and finish with your soft-jawed vice. Center the pin in the shock eyelet.
Step 8
Install an o-ring into the recess in each flanged bushing, then install the black Delrin spacers followed by the Crush Washers with thier domed protrusions facing out.
Step 9
Use your soft-jawed vise to compress the domed protrusions of crush washers. Tighten the vise fully as it will stop when it hits the Pin. Remove the completed eyelet hardware assembly from the bike then install onto the bike.
DU Bushing Replacement
Step 2
Insert the pusher portion of the DU removal tool through the DU bushing in the shock eyelet. Install the receiver portion of the DU removal tool onto the exposed portion of the pusher.
Step 3
Use your soft-jawed vice or a press to squeeze the two ends of the DU removal tool together until the DU bushing is driven out of the eyelet and into the receiver portion of the DU removal tool.
Step 4
Install a new DU bushing by pressing it into the shock eyelet with your soft-jawed vice or press.