Fox Fork CSU Creak / Snapping Noise

Recently I started suffering from a severe cracking or creaking noise coming from the front end of my 2019 YT Capra 29er 😭
I cleaned the bars, stem, fitted a new headset (it was due on anyway), checked the frame, wheel and brake for damage and couldn’t find anything... Still making the noise this left just the fork to be the potential problem.
I contacted YT and sent the fork back for a potential warranty issue. The fork was then passed onto Fox who sorted the issue and returned it back to YT who then returned the fork back to me... all sorted 👊
I have seen a few people online suffering from a similar problem and struggling to find the cause... I hope this helps
This is not a problem specific to Fox suspension. It can occur with other brands and wheel sizes
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[@benharding8021]

I got a YT IZZO a few moths ago and this is happening,I've tried lots of stuff thank you. thank you!!

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no (The Izzo looks 😍) gutted this has happened to you but glad this video helped 😊

[@YoSoyMountainBiker]

You can see how I fixed the problem at the link below kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJWlmH-Xdr9nptk

[@danielnicholson1774]

Good info thanks. What country are you in? I have the same problem with my capra and YT just told me to sort it myself directly through fox which seems a bit shitty. I wonder f it is because I am in Canada?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Thank you 😊 I’m in the UK. They just said to sent it back to them. They didn’t even mention me sorting it out myself. maybe they think that is the fastest way? Hope you get it sorted!

[@aleksandarpetrov3563]

I do not believe that it is exclusive to fox forks. I myself have a 29er with a 100mm fork and it makes the same noise, i have had the bike for about 5 months now and it started doing the sound about a month ago. I am not able to get the stanchions and the crown replaced. What should i do? Should i save for a new fork?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Hi Aleksander, unfortunately this is not exclusive to Fox, other brands also suffer from this. Personally I would want this either fixed or replaced, as I hate the noise and it will only get worse. However I have never heard of anything getting worse than a noise. I have never heard someone say this has led to the fork failing. There may be a way of fixing the issue without replacing the CSU, but as of yet i do not know of a permanent solution.

[@marekwitas4778]

It seems like I have a same problem with my Rockshox Recon. It's not so bad so I am just wondering if it's safe to ride on?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Hello Mark, unfortunately other brands also seem to suffer from this issue. The noise doesn’t seem to be an issue in terms of rider safety. Thankfully, I haven’t yet heard of anyone having their fork fall off/fall apart and cause an injury. If the noise isn’t so bad on your fork then I imagine it will be fine to ride on. However, personally I would take your bike to a local bike shop and get a professional opinion. Sorry I can’t give you a definitive answer, but it would be best to check. Last thing I want to do is say it will be fine and then the fork cause an injury.

[@marekwitas4778]

@@JakeBrookesBiking Yeah of course, I understand. Thank you!

[@cajeroautomatico]

Very (!) common with Fox forks. All of mine (29er forks) developed the snapping noise at some point. Best scenario is it happens withing 1 year of purchase and you can get a warranty replacement. In my case it usually starts just about after one year so I'm stuck with the snapping noise. Fun. Definitely looking at a Zeb for my next bike.

[@ryanpowley118]

My fox 36 180m forks came in a bike I purchased 1 year and 4 months ago. I recently had the same problem with the cracking noise. I sent them away to fox and to my surprise they replaced the stanchions under warranty and upgraded to gold kashima. Even though The bike was 4 months passed its warranty of 1 year. So it’s always worth sending them away and trying.

[@garpur44]

What country are you in? If it’s an EU country you get 2 years warranty! I’m interested to see how many CSU’s I can get through in 24 months. 12 in and I’m on my 4th

[@kevingulik1552]

it's quite the simple fix. You can press your stanchions back in you crown with a press like multible people already put in the comments. or you can buy a new crown pice with clamps around your stanchions, like for exmple with a fox40.

[@sideswipe8714]

Does the noise affect the performance? or is it just gonna be making noise the entire for me

[@mihaicort]

I have the same problem on a sektor 140mm solo air, can I still go like this or is it serious, can I fix it without changing the csu? thanks

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Sorry to hear you are suffering from this. I have never heard of someone breaking their fork because of this noise but personally I would get it fixed professionally ASAP. I got mine fixed ASAP as I wasn’t sure if this movement (causing the noise) could cause further damage. I’m not sure on a solution other than this unfortunately.

[@midlifesendermtb2178]

Did you have trouble with bad vibrations aswell...through the fork?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Mid_Life_Sender MTB no I don’t. I have spent a while setting up the fork and it doesn’t vibrate

[@henrywildon2451]

my fox 34 started doing this. my bike is from 2017 so isn't covered under warreny anymore. did you try fix it?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Hi Henry, sorry to hear you are suffering from this. No I didn’t try to fix it myself, I got straight in contact with Fox and they sorted it out for me. Even if your fork is out of warranty, I’m sure they will be able to help you, I’m not sure on the cost though. I’m not sure there is a permanent fix other than Fox replacing the CSU. If you find one please let me know 😊

[@henrywildon2451]

@@JakeBrookesBiking its a pet peeve of mine for sure, no other noises apart from my tyres or my suspension compressing, everything else must be sorted! il email them now to see if they can help, thanks for your reply (impressive after 2 years of posting)

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@henrywildon2451 I’m the same, I only want to hear my tyres and suspension 😊 Anytime Henry, hopefully you get it sorted soon. Please Subscribe 👍

[@sumodream9173]

You had a non kashima fork now it’s kashima. How did you get that?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

No idea. Maybe it was just what they had? I’m not complaining

[@topihintikka9805]

I'm not sure if mine has that same problem cause it does a similar noise but it started doing it after I sent it to be checked and they swapped the stefas and oil

[@jacksondean5593]

This apparently is exclusive to fox as my friend who rides really hard and has rockshox does not have the same problem. Its happened to all my friends that have fox forks aswell as myself sadly

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Jackson Dean thank you for the info. I’m hoping they have solved it with the new range 🙏

[@MatTancock]

Unfortunately that isn't true, some forks start to creak after a while, there's also rockshox forks that are creaking, I ride like a retard and have my fork click when I try to manual and it drops.

[@jacksondean5593]

Mat Arshad I guess there’s no escape then 😫

[@MatTancock]

@@jacksondean5593 Indeed, I know RSF Suspension from the UK has fixed creaky crown steerer units, my pike is creaking but I'm pretty sure it's from the steerer, some people have dropped loctite in there and it's been fine. Mine isn't so bad so I don't mind it for now.

[@joshuac1364]

My rockshox creak and they’re only a few months old. Really disappointing. Definitely not sending it in to wait over a month to ride again

[@The.JZA.]

I've been trying to track down a cracking sound on my new Mondraker Crafty with a Fox 38. I tried loosening the headset, making sure it's all seated properly and then re-tightening it but the sound persists. Maybe this is it? I'll take it to the shop and see what they think. I bloody hope I won't have to have my bike out of action for weeks.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Hopefully if this is the cause it is sorted quickly for you! It could also be your stem on your steerer tube or bars on the stem. It’s worth taking them off and giving them a quick clean before refitting. A little grit between 2 parts can cause a noise. If anything it’s piece of mind it’s not the cause.

[@The.JZA.]

@@JakeBrookesBiking Thanks bro. I'll try the bar-stem, stem-steerer tube clean and see if that helps.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@The.JZA. Anytime 😊 hopefully you find the issue and it’s sorted quickly 👌 Please subscribe

[@dudsmtb447]

My bike makes this exact noise. I have had new forks and it still makes it 😂😂

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

DudsMTB ohh no! Have you contacted fox? If they are new forks I’m sure they will sort them

[@dudsmtb447]

1JBrookes they are rockshox pikes :(

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

DudsMTB ohh, I haven’t heard of many RockShox forks doing this. If they are in warranty I would definitely get them sent back soon as! Failing that I’m not sure there are any cheap fixes other than sending them off for a new CSU, which isn’t cheap

[@richardambler8629]

@@JakeBrookesBiking i've heard of a fix that uses green loctite kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXfWiolvhpVmq8U&ab_channel=JedMTB

[@willridesmtb7768]

glad you got quick service with YT. i am still waiting a reply after 5 emails

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no. I hope this gets sorted soon for you 🙏

[@samb2334]

Bro u got a free kashima upgrade!

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

I was very lucky haha

[@kiranfelix5799]

I used to practice skills long back , but that was on a threaded stem. Maybe after 8years I'm getting back to mtb and trying to revive what i learned and learn more. The question is does things break frequently on these new stuffs frequently or is it just for me? Because i choosed a mtb of bad quality .

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

To be honest I haven’t really noticed newer parts breaking more easily or not lasting as long. However newer products are getting lighter and lighter and part of that (i guess) could mean they have less material in them and may be more likely to break maybe? I have had this issue on my forks twice now but it seems to be fixed now (I hope) I hope that answers your question 😊

[@noireblackheart7483]

hey i like your mudguard on front .what do you call that or what brand is that

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Hi Noire. It is a Rapid Racer Products Proguard. Here it is kzbin.info/www/bejne/an6aoqOtl7eci7c

[@garpur44]

It’s a known issue particularly with the longer travel forks as they csu cant deal with the load under a slack head angle. It’s frustrating that Fox have known about the issue for so long but failed to address it. I got a new Nomad last October and I’m currently waiting on my 4th CSU replacement under warranty (Fox 36 170mm) If it goes again cut out the middle man and send your Fork back to Fox yourself. There is a U.K. service centre and it takes about a week to get them back. Once the warranty period is over I’ll be swapping it out for a RS or an Öhlins. I can accept that products have issues what really irks me is the fact they’ve failed to do anything about it, it’s fine to keep replacing them under warranty but it doesn’t make up for the lost time on the bike

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

I completely understand. I believe it can happen on a lot of forks but it seems more common on longer travel single crown forks and 29inch wheels. I wasn’t overly bothered about the issue of having to send them back but I was bothered about the time missed on my bike. I hope they get this issue sorted soon!

[@garpur44]

@@JakeBrookesBiking like I say mate, if you get the issue again just send them straight back to silverfish and you’ll have em back in a week rather than 5. It is mad frustrating all the same

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@garpur44 thank you mate, I hope it doesn’t happen again

[@zachphelps6211]

Is it only when you brake hard on your front or is it when you just squish on your fork

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

For me it started on harder hits and when riding fast but then it started doing it most of the time. A gently squish on the fork could also cause the noise, yes.

[@harrydestcroix5516]

1JBrookes shit I have the same problem 🙄🙄 bikes 15 year old and I’ve had it 5 months cracked the frame and forks are falling off

[@justinmcnab5585]

Do they charge for anything? And do they cover shipping?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Everything was free of charge for me as I was covered by warranty

[@absolutemtb6696]

I have the same issue new bike scott ransom 910 😩😩😩 wtf fox what should i do

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

No way 😨😫 I hope you get this fixed soon! I hate the noise!

[@absolutemtb6696]

@@JakeBrookesBiking how I don’t know how and I can’t return the bike cause of Covid and borders are closed cause I live in Morocco 🇲🇦 someone suggested that’s only I didn’t fit the wheel properly and the pinch bolt is making the lower leg of the fork moving to the side of the hubs than can cause a squick

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@absolutemtb6696 ahh I see. Check the pinch bolt, wheel bearing, head set, stem and bars for any play or wear. If it’s none of them, it’s points towards the fork. Other than contacting your local fox supplier or the bike shop you bought it from I’m not sure what to suggest. Maybe posting just the fork back for a warranty claim? Sorry I can’t be of any more help

[@nutnaa]

you got Kashima instead of black anodized??

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Yes I did, I was very fortunate 😊

[@nutnaa]

@@JakeBrookesBiking sweet bro!! Hope my start to crack.. 🤣

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@nutnaa haha if they do I hope your as lucky as me haha

[@themidens]

Have the same sound on a helm 29 canecreek. Got a new upper part, crown but still same sound 😤

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no, have you checked headset, stem, bars etc? It’s worth taking them all off and rebuilding. Sometimes a little bit of grit in your stem can make a similar noise.

[@benbalazs4526]

Big help thanks.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

I’m glad it was useful 😊 Thank you for the feedback

[@kbeightyseven1783]

I have given up with fox forks, unless you have the money to replace them every 1.5 years, stanchion creaking, bushings with play, steerers cracking…

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no, I presume you have suffered from all of these?

[@kbeightyseven1783]

@@JakeBrookesBiking I have, I’m not usually a person for brand bashing or saying one is better than the other, but I can say I have no issue with my current rockshox lyrik

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@kbeightyseven1783 it does seem to be more common with Fox forks but not exclusive to Fox. I’m glad your Rock Shox forks haven’t had this issue. Since mine have been fixed, I haven’t had this issue return, hopefully it will stay that way.

[@jonasvyy]

Hey Man! I have a 2020 Capra with Fox 36 Rythm and I have exactly the same problem. I cleaned the headset, regreased it, tried untightening it completely, however the problems persist... probably the same issue. Thanks for the video!

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Jonas Vyšniauskas anytime, glad the video was useful. I hope you get it sorted 😊

[@jameswood1695]

I have the same bike and same fork and funnily enough, same issue! Out of warranty for me now I’m guessing. Did you get this solved?

[@jonasvyy]

@@jameswood1695 yeah Man, Fox replaced the CSU unit for me:)

[@jameswood1695]

@@jonasvyy glad to hear man! Did you go through Fox or YT?

[@wheatthinbecker]

Is this a thing with DVO forks? I may have the same deal with my Diamond D1. Stripping the headset tomorrow to investigate 🧐

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ethan Becker it may be possibly, although I haven’t had any experience with DVO forks before. Let me know how you get on please 😊

[@giannisstamatiadis1735]

I thought that the sound was coming from the headset too, so I regreased the bearings twice without any results, so I did some research and found that I am not the only one with this problem. In the end I found another video which says that by applying loctite 638 in the place where the stanchions are pressfit into the crown, solves the problem and judging by the comments of that video, that trick should work

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Giannis Stamatiadis I hope it solves it for you... not sure it lasts long from what I hear. Please let me know 😊

[@wheatthinbecker]

So far: today i stripped the hesdset AND CROWN RACE and cleaned everything well with isopropyl alcohol. Regreased everything with PPL-1 (a thin coat on everything) and tightened it up. Took it for a test ride for less than 5 minutes out front and the noise was gone! I don’t want to get my hopes up tho, as I’m taking a longer trail ride this weekend and its possible it’ll come back with extensive use. After my ride on Saturday I will update here on the results. (BTW I hav an Ibis Ripmo AF 2020)

[@giannisstamatiadis1735]

Ethan Becker I had a pretty bad crash about 2 months ago and when I rode it for the first time after one and a half month, at first there was no creak but eventually the creak returned. I also have a carbon saracen kili flyer X and for a short period of time I thought the sound was coming from the frame. However after checking it I figured out that it probably was the fork. Actually I haven’t tried the loctite trick but I have high hopes and even if the solution is not permanent, I will be ok with having to repeat the procedure periodically.

[@Rsquirres]

Does this on my first ride with marzocchi bomber z1

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no! Have you managed to get this sorted?

[@Rsquirres]

Never,ind I cracked my headset@@JakeBrookesBiking

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@Rsquirres Ohh, that’s not good, but I’m glad you found the issue and that’s better than needing a new set of forks 😊

[@teodorsimeonov8752]

This may be the stanchions and you will need to remove them off the crown clean them very good and use special glue and get them back this is what i know but the easy way is to send it to your local bike shop and they do it for you

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

It was the stanchions and it was fixed by fox on warranty 😊

[@teodorsimeonov8752]

Oh nice dude you didn't have to pay 😁

[@jonasbergmann211]

I have a rockshox lyrik and have the same creaking noise... so not only fox but also rockshox has this problem

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Thank you for sharing this! Gutted to hear you are suffering from this too. How old are your forks?

[@Nosloveingneko]

I bought a 2020 Stumpy used and about 2 months into owning it this same noise started happening. I don't have the original receipt for the bike so I don't think I can get them warrantied. I have yet to find any information that would indicate this is anything more than an annoying sound and not a legitimate problem though.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Me too, I don’t think it’s such a huge problem but my fear was that it may have led to a bigger issue in the long run. The noise is so annoying though 😡😂

[@alex72829]

Yep! Same problem!!!

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no 😞 it’s so annoying to ride with. Are you covered by warranty?

[@alex72829]

I don’t think so, it’s and old 2011 model.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@alex72829 ahh gutted! Please let me know how you fix it! Please Subscribe too 😊🙏

[@olliewilkinson5034]

Always wandered what this sound was

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

It took me a while to find the noise too 😂

[@flyingnorseman]

same thing happened to me. Went with a Marz Z1 air for to replace it. Way better.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Brilliant. No issues with the Marzocchi Z1?

[@flyingnorseman]

@@JakeBrookesBiking so far, no. I actually prefer it over the Fox Performance 34 it replaced. Pretty much same functions just a lot stiffer. Rides higher in travel while remaining good on small bumps as well.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@flyingnorseman Great! Good to know you have a reliable replacement that you are happy with 😊 I presume you are running the same sag etc?

[@thegnarlycyclist1091]

Dude!!! I have the same issue with my capra to🤦🏽‍♂️

[@thegnarlycyclist1091]

Is it easy to connect with yt costumer service?

[@zachphelps6211]

Does it only happen when you just brake hard on your front

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

The Vinshow Vlogs yes it was a very easy and simple process through their website

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Zach Phelps yes it only happened when using the front brake

[@jameswood1695]

Is this dangerous to ride with?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

I don’t think it’s dangerous but I don’t want to give you a definite answer. I have never heard of a crown actually failing or coming apart. Plenty of people ride with this issue.

[@jameswood1695]

@@JakeBrookesBiking appreciate the reply mate. I’m riding BPW in 2 weeks and that isn’t enough time to get this sorted unless I buy new 38’s 😣

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@jameswood1695 ohh no. I hope it doesn’t get worse for you… the noise is so annoying 😳 I hope you have a good trip to BPW!!! Let me know how you get on 😊

[@alexbals1999]

Same here. Fox shock after one year. Creaking badly

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no. I hope you got it sorted Alex! Worst noise ever!!! 😭

[@JustAGlitchFL]

I need to take mine to the bike shop. Only 1 month in.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no. That’s not good. 😭😭😭

[@filipraseta7603]

Is this bad for the bike?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Filip Rašeta the bike will still work but the noise can be loud and very distracting. It eventually will get worse but I doubt the fork will fall apart.

[@filipraseta7603]

@@JakeBrookesBiking Thanks. I was worried fork will stop working but if it's just sound for now that's not a problem for me

[@jamble7k]

bad for your nerves

[@waldchiller4695]

Been there it will just come back again and again makes no sense fixing it.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Hello, thank you for your comment. Since I have had this fixed (the second time round) the noise hasn’t come back 😊 However the results do seem to vary

[@harmoneelanado5400]

Nice bike....do have extra?

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Just the one bike and one set of forks

[@harmoneelanado5400]

Can I have the fork? . . . . . . . . I tried to fix my fork and it still have a sound.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@harmoneelanado5400 ohh no, seems to be the only real fix is to send them back to fox... but not sure if this will happen again or not

[@harmoneelanado5400]

My fork is a budget fork. Sr suntour epixon and it has a sound same as yours and my fork is not good play when I trail my bike. But thank you for your replying my comment. . . . . . . . . . . Your bike is really cool, how do I get that bike? Im just 15 years old and i dont have a idea how to get that bike. Can you tell me how did you get that bike, atleast when I have a job, have a idea to how to get that bike like yours.

[@michab.3076]

I had the same problem :( after first ride.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ahh no... that’s very unlucky after just one ride 😭

[@mosaclipz6549]

My lyrik seems to be doing this

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh no, sorry this is happening to you. Are your forks on warranty?

[@MyBonio]

5 weeks hahaha

[@GurthBrooks619]

I have a Capra… same issues….

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@GurthBrooks619 ohh no! Are you going to just live with the noise or are you going to try and get them fixed?

[@GurthBrooks619]

@@JakeBrookesBiking Im trying to figure that out as I believe the fork is out of warranty.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@GurthBrooks619 I have heard of some people turning the bike upside down and feeling loc tite into the seal between the fork crown and upper fork legs. However results seem to vary. Might be worth a try - there are a few videos on KZbin showing how people have done this. I hope this helps

[@GurthBrooks619]

@@JakeBrookesBiking when I reached out to YT they pretended like they’ve never heard of the issue before

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@GurthBrooks619 ohh, that’s strange. Did they do / say anything to help?

[@wa67jr]

I've had it happen twice within 6 months...

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Ohh man that’s not good! I hope you got it sorted easily both times!

[@jackbeames7643]

Got some free kashima tho

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

I was lucky 🍀 please subscribe bud 👊

[@mariogomes8688]

I have a 2019 Jeffsy Pro Race (Fox fork) and it sounds just like the attached video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXfWiolvhpVmq8U It's a great fix, especially if your fork is out of warranty.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

Fantastic, thank you 😊