2027 FOX 38 Fork: Tech Info, Impressions & Discussion

This forum is to discuss anything related to the latest FOX 38 fork released in March, 2026. We will update the initial post as we conduct further testing.  

First Ride Review - 2027 Fox 38 Fork

The 38 is revered by many as one of the best single-crown, gravity forks. Stout, stable, unwavering. It's a fork that lets you hit stuff hard with minimal consequence. Of course, popularity breeds critique. Some have found the 38 a bit stiff, inconsistent, and harsh at times. The changes that came in 2024, namely new bushings, bypass channels, and the Grip X2 damper, remedied most of these gripes. There haven’t been any glaring shortcomings since, and by most accounts, the 38 has been a great fork.

So how do you move the needle forward when something is already so good? If you’ve paid attention to what FOX did with its other forks, then the changes hitting the 38 should come as no surprise—new generative designed lowers, a new Glidecore airspring, and a revised Grip X2 damper. The result is an all-new 38 with updates in a few key areas, with the intent of creating an overall calmer, better tracking, and less fatiguing fork.

Highlights

- New generative-designed lower legs
- Updated Grip X2 damper
- New Glidecore air spring
- Updated bleeders and relocated bypass channels|
- New mud guard attachment points (uses same mud guard as 36 / 36 SL)
- Offset: 44mm (37mm OE option)
- Travel: 160, 170, 180mm
- 15x110mm floating axle
- PM200 - 29” / PM180 - 27.5” (230mm max rotor size)
- Colors: shiny black (29”, 27.5”), orange (29”)
- Starting at 2,200g (4.85 lb)
- MSRP: Factory Series - $1,369 // Performance Elite Series - $1,259 // Performance Series - OE only

As a heads-up, many of the technical changes hitting the 38 have already been discussed in our 36 and 40 articles. There are a few changes unique to 38. But the majority are carryover features. The theme of this generation 38 focuses on improving the fork's ground feel and comfort by reducing friction and binding while building the confidence and control riders have come to expect.

New Chassis

The 38 now rocks generative designed lowers with strategic speed holes to balance weight and flex. FOX was aware that stiffness was high at times for some riders, and lowered torsional stiffness by 6.8% to make the fork easier to handle and steer. This should also help the front wheel to track the ground better. Bushing overlap has increased by 20mm (from 120 to 140mm), and the bypass channels have been relocated from the back to the inside of the lowers. Combined, these changes have increased fore-and-aft stiffness by 9%, an update that FOX says has the biggest impact on increasing the 38’s consistency throughout its travel.

Updated bleeder valves are now easier to press and allow air to flow out around the bleeder nipple.

Due to the increased bushing overlap, the stanchions are longer than before, and the floor of the lowers is deeper. This means the new air spring and damper are not backward-compatible. It also means that the rebound adjuster and air spring foot nut hang a touch lower than they did before.

Glidecore Air Spring

The most predictable change found in the new 38 is the switch to FOX’s new Glidecore airspring. For those that don’t know, Glidecore uses a flexible joint between the piston and shaft, allowing the shaft to move laterally as the chassis flexes. This keeps unwanted forces from being transferred to the piston, resulting in less binding and more consistent performance. It also gives the shaft a small amount of vertical compliance, reducing breakaway force and increasing fork sensitivity and comfort.

Glidecore uses a more traditional design, sliding along the inside of the stanchion rather than being tube-in-tube like the previous EVOL air spring. There is also a new MCU bottom-out bumper that will soften the last 5-10mm of travel.

For all you tweakers out there, FOX now offers 5cc volume spacers in addition to the 10cc spacers to further dial in your spring rate.

The air cap now sits a few millimeters higher to increase the positive air volume and achieve the desired spring rate FOX wanted, while maintaining the same axle-to-crown height. The new spring rate is more linear than before, and FOX said most riders will benefit from using fewer volume spacers than they would have in the previous 38. Unlike the 36 and 40 models, which switched to a cassette lock ring interface to remove the air spring top cap, the 38 continues to use a shallow (ish) 32mm socket.

Grip X2 Damper Changes

The 38 is now rocking the new Grip X2 damper that was launched with the 40 last week. Funny enough, the new damper actually debuted in the Podium last year; FOX just decided not to disclose it back then. They also let us know that 36 forks will come with the new damper moving forward.  

Grip X2 reshaped how you could apply damping to FOX’s forks when it launched two years ago. You could actually use compression damping without making the fork feel harsh, and damping control was greatly improved at varying shaft speeds. This go-around changes focus on improving the damper's sensitivity while keeping all the control and tunability. It’s not a major overhaul, but there are a few meaningful updates.

The main change is that the rebound valves are no longer round; they are cut to create a more direct flow path to a new mid-valve piston that has larger ports. As you hit bumps, more oil passes the main piston more easily, increasing damper sensitivity and offering better ground feel. There is also a new VVC plate that improves oil flow and provides more consistent damping steps between each click of high-speed rebound. On the compression end, there is new valving that’s a bit heavier-damped to match the friction reduction from the new air spring and chassis.

Like before, you have four external adjustments (LSC, HSC, LSR, HSR) with the same number of clicks—8 for high-speed compression and rebound, 16 for low-speed compression and rebound.  

FOX will offer the 38 with their simpler Grip X damper as a spec option for brands, but not aftermarket to riders. If you really wanted a Grip X in a 38, you could buy one and install it. A few updates are coming to Grip X, but we have to hold that information for now as it's still under embargo for a few more weeks.

Models and Pricing

There are three tiers of 38 models—Factory, Performance Elite, and Performance Series—available in 160, 170, and 180mm of travel for either 27.5 or 29-inch wheels. There is also a 170mm E-optimized model.

All models feature the same generative-designed lowers, Glidecore airspring, and Grip X2 damper. Performance Series forks will not have the bleeder valves installed, but they can be purchased as an aftermarket upgrade. 29-inch forks now use a PM200 rotor size (before it was PM180), while the 27.5-inch model still uses a PM180. Both have a maximum rotor size of 230 mm.

Price has increased slightly: Factory forks retail for $1,369 (+$50), and Performance models retail for $1,259 (+$60).

For those trying to figure out how the Podium and 38 coexist within FOX’s lineup, consider the differences in weight and price between the two. FOX is pushing the Podium as the ultimate descent-focused fork for riders not on a budget (MSRP is $2,000 USD) and not fussed about the ~500 gram weight penalty. The new 38 aims to deliver similar descending performance while fitting a wider range of bikes and rider budgets.

First Ride Impressions | The Story So Far

Ready to go on a journey? My time with the new 38 has been eventful. It started at a two-day press camp in Finale. The weather was ideal, the jet lag was monstrous, and the content creators were abundant. I’m sure you can find all kinds of crazy coverage from those days spewed across the internet.

The goal was to leave Italy educated on all the tech deets and a base setup so I could further my impressions on home trails. Oh, the optimism! Day one, lap two, my fork started making a knocking noise right off the top. It did it when you would drop the fork on flat ground or when rolling over small chatter. It didn’t sound that concerning, and it didn’t happen once the fork was compressed. The bigger issue was that it was accompanied by a lack of consistency and a level of feedback that was way off from what I have experienced with FOX’s recent forks.

We check my headset, the fender screws, the cable guide, the rebound knob, my caliper, my rotor, the pinch bolt, and the cables around my bars. We even checked my hearing. But the knock persisted, and so did the subpar performance. FOX wasn’t sure what was wrong and didn’t have time that evening to tear it apart, which was totally fine. Stuff happens.

Day two, I got a new fork, and we were back in business. No noise, more consistency. My day zero notes on the 38 run to the tune of:

- Lovely balance of comfort and composure.
- Stays higher in travel and holds a more consistent ride height, which makes it easy to maintain weight transfer over the bike
- Super light breakaway and really supple for the first ~25% of travel. Gives the fork a planted feel, but isn’t to a degree that feels dead or vague.
- Still has a progressive, responsive feel. Feedback still exists, but isn’t harsh. Makes for an engaging ride.
- The chassis feels definite and unfazed. Lots of confidence during high-energy moments. Still feels a touch stiff during the occasional angled impact or if riding too lazy.

Clearly, I was having a better day. The fork was steadily climbing the ranks of enduro forks I’ve ridden, with a trajectory set to pass the previous 38. More time was needed, but I was impressed.

Initial setup was straightforward, but varied slightly from the previous 38. Because the positive chamber is larger, you run a bit less pressure. At 172 pounds (78 kg), the recommended pressure was ~72 psi, but I ran 80 psi. In the past, I’ve run 98-102 psi, even though the recommended pressure was ~89 psi. So don’t be afraid to go above the sticker recommendations.

For damping, I went heavier on low-speed compression (7 clicks vs. 10-12 before) and lighter on both rebounds (5 HSR, 9 LSR vs. 4 HSR, 4 LSR before). More LSC added a platform to push against to match how light it was off the top. Less rebound felt needed as the stock tune seemed heavier than before. FOX recommended a 2:1 LSR:HSR setup as a good starting point.

When I returned home, testing commenced as planned. Four rides deep, the only changes I had made were backing off LSC 2 clicks to gain some traction (it no longer rains in SoCal, FYI), and going from 15cc to 20cc of volume spacers to give the fork support on bigger hits. All my notes from these rides went to a similar tune as my last day in Italy—the fork hugs the ground like velcro, is very supported through travel while rarely feeling harsh or firm, and has a responsive ramp that keeps it lively for a bigger/heavier fork. Consistency was high, damping was controlled, and there wasn't much tweaking required.

Then came the fifth ride, and things took a familiar, but unfortunate, turn. During a long descent, the fork started to feel notchy throughout travel and firm off the top. Sometimes it would flutter through success hits and feel smooth, while other times it felt like something was binding. And the knocking had returned. Was I back in Italy?

This happened just a few days ago, which didn’t leave much time to fix the issue before writing this super long article you’re currently reading. I tried pulling the fender off, installing different front wheels, re-torquing my headset, and making sure the foot nuts and brake bolts were tight. Nothing fixed the noise or friction. I don’t have a seasoned background in suspension servicing, but I questioned whether I should drop the lower and start pulling things apart, or send it back to FOX for a thorough dissection.

Having two forks present the same issues is strange. Yesterday, I chatted with everyone’s favorite influencer and FOX suspension guru, Jordie Cortez, to make sure I wasn’t looking past a simple solution. He assured me that, genuinely, he had not heard of anyone else having similar issues. I guess I’m special. He had some ideas of potential causes, but without tearing the fork apart, there wasn’t an obvious cause.  

For the purpose of this first ride article, I wanted to relay the good and bad that’s come with testing the new 38. I’m sending the fork back to FOX to diagnose, and will provide updates when I have them. We also have a fork going to another tester for long-term testing, which will be a nice addition to validate if the issues persist.

Due to the rollercoaster I’ve been on with the new 38, my bottom line on its performance hasn't been set yet. When the fork was working correctly, it was superb. It reminded me a ton of the previous 38, which is a huge compliment—FOX set the bar high with the last 38 that few forks compete with. Time will tell if this generation of 38 resets the bar, and I’m eager to hear how other riders interpret its abilities.

Feel free to ask questions below, leave helpful tips for setup/service, or provide on-trail notes about how the fork has worked for you.

View key specs, compare forks, and review the new FOX 38 in the Vital MTB Product section.