On the damping front, check this out. This is a publicly available video that requires no “dealer login” or anything like that:
Take that with the technical assembly/rebuild manual that is on their website, and the exploded parts view from their parts catalog (check out pages 64-67), and you now have all the knowledge you need to completely mess up your shock. You also now have everything you need to do whatever you want to the RC3 to suit your own personal preferences—after the fact—regardless of what you actually bought. This is huge to me. And I may be wrong, but I don’t think that any other shock manufacturer puts this much info out there to the average consumer. Just from looking at the parts selection closely, you can change the main piston tune and the reservoir piston tune.
I’ll admit, I’ve been holding off on this because I don’t have some of the necessary tools, but now that the snow just started flying in Tahoe, it’s going to be a mission. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little tentative about the process, but with all the info out there, I don’t think it should be too tough. But if this kind of thing looks too intimidating…don’t do it.
Other than the minor issues of leaking air and wanting just a little depth in the rebound damper, this shock has completely transformed the ride of my bike. Why Turner doesn’t stock these things on their frames, I have no idea. But it works extremely well, and I’ve been impressed with the performance out of the box.
And I’m looking forward to digging into it a bit to go after some more rebound damping. I couldn’t find the info on Fox shocks to even begin to do something similar (although to be honest, I’m sure the basic layout of air shocks is similar enough that I could figure it out now.) The difference is: RockShox puts it out there. RockShox needs to toot their own horn a little more about this; in my opinion, it’s an asset worth talking about.
In the meantime, I’m happy to do some of that tooting for them. I haven’t ridden them all (most notably anything from Cane Creek or X-Fusion) but this is certainly about the best air shock I’ve ever ridden on any trail bike. It’s about damn time air systems started working this well. And if I need to tweak it, I now know enough to do something about it.
I appreciate that the review followed a process of learning in. Nice one.
Turner has specced a lower compression tune (and a low volume cannister) in their more recent offerings due to the issues you described. Which would point to the shock spec rather than the specific model. Also, the air spring rate and the INTERNAL damper tune of the shock must match the characteristics of the frame linkage design and the rider’s intention for a shock to sing. IME, off the shelf shock swaps are rarely a bolt-up-and-your-done situation as the article outlines so well. A Push or other custom tuner is the ticket.
Can you tell I’ve played off-the-shelf shock roulette?
The Monarch does have a larger piston than a Fox Float for more oil control.
A few side notes:
– Fox’s air chamber spacers allow you to tune both large volume and small volume air chamber
– I wonder if the single wall air canister will have more effect on temperature than a piggy back, the double wall large chamber acts as an insulator as would the rubber bands. I’ve had my body fatigue before my damping broke down due to heat on an inline single wall shock, but we are all different.
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Wow. This is a great review and very interesting to hear about going through the complex series of tuning a shock to a frame. I have one of the RT3s on my 29er with a 4 bar linkage and it runs great! I set it on firm for climbing(sometimes on medium) and open it wide up for descending. Most of the time I don’t realize it’s working. I mean this in a good way. It just flows with the bike.
I have a Yeti AS-R with an RP23 on it. Granted, it’s a different linkage system but it feels like the shock is always bobbing around. I’m considering either getting an RT3 with a medium compression or getting the RP23 Pushed. I really would love to get an RT3 or even this RC3(though a 4″ travel bike hardly merits one) instead of having it Pushed. I’m just not a fan of Fox much anymore. They seem overly complex and near impossible to tune how one wants it. Plus, it would give me the same servicing when I service the shocks.
Interesting to hear about the rubber bands. I’d never heard that mentioned before. Thanks!
Great write up, after reading this i put an order in for a 2014 RC3 PLUS for my 5 spot. I had my RP23 PUSH’ed about 6 months ago and it took all the small bump harshness out of it and for a couple of months i was happy. But when i got into the mountains i found the shock lacked something i just couldn’t put my finger on initially. But after a bit more riding i found it was just getting harsher and harsher on long sustained descents. Great shock for trail riding but if you are looking at pushing yourself and the bike more and more then i felt i needed something a bit better.
Im still waiting for it and it is getting tuned for me from a specialist company here in the UK so when i get my mitts on it ill hopefully have the final piece in my bike jigsaw :-)