Customer Review: Fox SLS Orange Coil Spring

In this review, one of our customers reviews a Fox SLS (Super Light Steel) Coil Spring for his Transition TR500 downhill bike. The Fox SLS springs use steel that has undergone additional surface treatments allowing the material to handle higher stresses. With that, Fox is able to use a smaller wire diameter with less coils creating a lighter spring. The SLS springs are also lighter than the equivalent titanium spring at a more affordable price.

I bought this to replace a much stiffer steel spring on a new bike. Using Fox’s online spring rate calculator, I grabbed a 425lb spring for my Transition TR500’s DHX2 shock. Installation could not have been easier. Once you remove the original spring off the shock. Simply remove the shock from the bike, unscrew the preload collar, remove the retention clip, take old spring out, put new spring in. This task was made more complex for me since the original owner had on a 3.25” stroke spring, where it was supposed to be only 3”. Because of the extra spring length, it took 2 guys, a vice, and lots of sweat to compress the spring enough to pop that retention clip off. Hopefully you don’t have to share the same experience...

What amazed me the most was the weight - the combined weight of the DHX2 with the SLS spring felt lighter than the weight of the standard steel spring alone!

I found the spring rate from the calculator to be spot on for my weight (180lbs with gear) - it got me exactly 30% sag. The color really does add something to the appearance of the bike too. Although the functionality is exactly the same as a steel spring of 1/4 the price, if you’ve got a few extra bucks lying around, if you’re a true weight-weenie, or you love the color orange, you can’t go wrong with a Fox SLS Coil spring.