FLOAT AirShox

Conventional shock absorbers found on the front suspension of snowmobiles use coil-over springs to store and release the energy of bump impacts, with the shock absorber actually controlling the rate of energy absorption and subsequent release of the energy stored in the springs. While this has proven to be an economical method of providing isolation from the bumps, steel wire coil springs weigh anywhere from four to six pounds on a typical snowmobile, and this is unsprung mass we’re talking about.

The new AirShox from Fox Racing Shox eliminates the heavy coil springs and uses an internal “air spring” to replicate the function, but without the vicious weight penalty.

Initially introduced to the racing community, Fox Racing has a complete line of front ski shocks calibrated specifically for the enthusiast rider, available for many popular late model trail and mountain sleds. The patented design of the FLOAT (Fox Load Optimizing Air Technology) offers a ride that is basically like floating on air, because it is!

The FLOAT AirShox features a mono-tube aluminum hard-anondized body, adjustable air volume sleeve, race-proven piston design, adjustable force-sensitive shim damping system, and a hard-chrome shaft. They are, of course, revalvable and rebuildable. The FLOAT design also incorporates FOX’s exclusive “Samurai Wiper” with patented scraper-lip technology that virtually eliminates the entry of water contaminating the oil in the shock, which translates to fewer rebuilds and more riding time.

The big attraction here of course is the weight reduction; a four to six pound reduction in unsprung mass, which means a quicker reacting suspension and improved acceleration. Another advantage of this design is the innovative progressive spring rate design that starts off soft and gets progressively harder into the travel, providing small bump compliance and big bump bottoming resistance. Most front ski shock applications only require 40 to 80 psi of air pressure to achieve the ideal spring rate. The Fox “HP Air Pump”, included with every set of AirShox purchased, allows the tuner to customize (adjust) the effective preload and spring rate (together, not independently) with a few strokes of the pump - you can infinitely adjust the spring rate and preload with air pressure to accommodate any riders’ weight and/or riding style. Integrated right into the pump is a pressure gauge, with the unit so small it can easily be stored or carried with you if you so choose for in-field tuning! The HP Air Pump has a range of 0-300 psi, so you can tune ‘till the cows come home.

All FLOAT AirShox will come with a FREE 90-day revalving guarantee and a 1-year limited factory warranty. Each FLOAT AirShox system will include two front ski FLOAT AirShox (with mounting hardware) and a FOX HP Air Pump.
These shocks are just now becoming available to the public, and were first introduced at the Jackson Hole Hill Climb this past March on hill climb sleds piloted by Tucker Hibbert, Kirk Hibbert, and Rick Ward.

Versions are currently available to fit Yamaha RX-1 models, Arctic Cat Firecats & Mountain Cats, Polaris Pro-X, RMK and XC models, as well as Ski-Doo Summit, MX Z, as well as some GT, Touring and Legend models. Retail pricing is expected to be right around $895 per package. To order contact your authorized FOX dealer (Carver Performance at 888-349-7469 / www.carverperformance.com) or call 1-800-FOX-SHOX
(www.foxracingshox.com).