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Fox has updated the 40 downhill fork for MY27, bringing a revised GRIP X2 damper, new GlideCore air spring and a redesigned chassis.
2027 Fox 40 | What’s new
The updated 40 brings a revised GRIP X2 damper, a new FLOAT EVOL GlideCore air spring, and a series of chassis updates aimed at improving how the fork moves under load. Fox continues to highlight features like bleeders, bypass channels, a 20mm floating axle and 203mm of travel, but the direction here is more about how those elements work together.
That lines up with what Fox repeated in the presentation as a more ‘damper-forward approach’. The idea is that the fork should get its damping from the damper itself, not from friction, binding or pressure build-up elsewhere in the chassis. So this update isn’t just about improving the damper. It’s about reducing resistance across the entire fork.
From the presentation and sales material, Fox is targeting that in a few key ways. The GlideCore air spring is designed to move more freely when the fork is twisted or loaded off-axis. The bypass channels have been repositioned on the 29in model to reduce friction as the lowers flex.
And Fox has gone back to a simpler MCU bottom-out bumper, after finding riders preferred a more natural end-stroke feel over early hydraulic intervention.
40 | GRIP X2 damper
The updated 40 uses the revised GRIP X2 damper, bringing the same internal changes aimed at improving oil flow and reducing damping lag.
These renders show how the damper itself has evolved. The previous GRIP X2 used a more conventional round-valve layout, while the updated version reshapes the rebound valves and mid-valve housing to open up the oil path through the system.
In a fork damper, oil is forced through ports and shim stacks to control how fast the fork compresses and rebounds. By reducing restriction and giving the oil a cleaner path through the damper, Fox is aiming to improve how quickly and consistently the fork reacts to impacts.
In practical terms, that should help the 40 feel smoother through repeated hits and less prone to spiking under high-speed compression, while maintaining the support expected from a downhill fork.
Fox 40 | What riders upgrading should expect
We’re yet to ride the 40, though we can assume that if you are coming off the previous 40, the changes are likely to show up in how the fork behaves when it’s under load.
First, it should feel freer off the top. That’s where the GlideCore spring and friction-reduction work are aimed, helping the fork move more easily in the early part of the travel.
Second, it should feel less busy when pushed hard, particularly through braking bumps, compressions and off-camber sections where a downhill fork is rarely moving in a straight line. Fox isn’t positioning the new 40 as dramatically firmer or softer.
The clearer way to frame it is that it should feel smoother and more consistent under load, with less binding, less pressure build-up in the lowers and a more natural use of travel.
A new chassis, not just new internals
Visually, the changes to the 40 are significant, particularly on the 29in version. The fork gets a completely revised lower leg and arch design, with a more sculpted shape that reflects Fox’s updated approach to structure and load management, similar to what we’ve seen in the 34SL, 36 and 36SL, i.e. holes in the arch.
The new chassis allows Fox to reposition internal features like the bypass channels and refine how the fork manages pressure and lubrication inside the lowers.
The overall aim of the update is to improve how the fork tracks the ground and manages repeated impacts. Fox is targeting increased sensitivity at the start of the stroke, while maintaining support deeper in the travel.
Reducing friction and damping lag are key parts of that approach, particularly for high-speed riding where consistency becomes more noticeable.
A refined update to a core product
From what we’ve seen, this isn’t a reinvention of the 40.
Instead, Fox has focused on how the fork behaves under load, targeting friction, binding and consistency rather than adding more adjustment or features.
If the changes land as intended, the difference should show up in how calm and controlled the fork feels when things get fast and rough.
Fox 40 MY27 | Key features
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- Updated GRIP X2 damper
- New FLOAT EVOL GlideCore air spring
- Revised lower leg and arch design (29in models)
- Updated bypass channels and bleeders
- 203mm travel (190mm air shaft option)
- 29in and 27.5in options
- DH Boost 20mm floating axle
- Up to 230mm rotor compatibility
- Fox 40 Factory | $3199 AUD
The post Fox 40 updated for MY27 | New Chassis, GRIP X2 damper and Glidecore air spring appeared first on Flow Mountain Bike.
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[[{“value”:”Fox has updated the 40 downhill fork for MY27, bringing a revised GRIP X2 damper, new GlideCore air spring and a redesigned chassis. 2027 Fox 40 | What’s new The updated 40 brings a revised GRIP X2 damper, a new FLOAT EVOL GlideCore air spring, and a series of chassis updates aimed at improving how
The post Fox 40 updated for MY27 | New Chassis, GRIP X2 damper and Glidecore air spring appeared first on Flow Mountain Bike.”}]] Read More Flow Mountain Bike
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