FOX and Polaris have developed the next evolution of semi-active shock design for the all-new RZR Pro R Ultimate and Turbo R Ultimate high-performance UTV platform. Building off the incredibly capable FOX Live Valve Internal Bypass shocks found on the Polaris Turbo’s top-of-the-line trim levels, FOX and Polaris have replaced the previous generation electronically controlled, semi-active compression damping adjuster with 3.0 Live Valve X2 technology, giving Polaris’s new DYNAMIX Dual Valve (DV) system independent control over compression and rebound.
The 2022 Polaris RZR Pro R Ultimate and Turbo R Ultimate are bigger, more powerful, and more capable than any UTV before, requiring an innovative approach to suspension. Innovation requires breaking boundaries.
In the past a comfortable vehicle was different from a rock crawling one, which was different from a short track racer and a wide-open desert vehicle. But today, what was once four different vehicles – and four differently tuned shocks – has become one vehicle with one set of shocks.
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RZR TURBO R ULTIMATE VIRTUAL SHOWROOM
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In some shocks there’s a dependency between compression and rebound adjustments. When the oil flows back and forth between the body and the reservoir, it moves through the same path. This means any adjustment to one technically affects the other.
For the first time in the UTV industry, FOX found a need for a 3-inch diameter front shock to control the RZR Pro R Ultimate and Turbo R Ultimate’s increased power and travel. For the rear shocks, FOX built its longest UTV shocks to date with a massive 15.6 inches of stroke. Building off its race-winning Live Valve platform, FOX integrated its X2 technology so that compression and rebound could be adjusted independently of one another by the Polaris DYNAMIX DV system.
Read “Next-Gen FOX Live Valve Takes Off-Road Race Tuning To New Heights“
How Live Valve X2 works
In some shocks, compression and rebound adjustments aren’t truly independent, because oil flows through the same path. So, any adjustments to one technically affects the other.
But with Live Valve X2, the oil flows through one path during compression and a different path during rebound. So, each adjustment works independently. Combined with DYNAMIX DV, adjustments to compression and rebound are done electronically and independently — real-time data from accelerating, braking, steering, and inertial sensors are gathered every few hundredths of a second — and all four shocks are then independently-adjusted to the optimal setting for your ride.
Highlights include:
- First FOX Live Valve shock with independent compression and rebound control using FOX’s proprietary X2 dual base valve technology via DYNAMIX DV
- Industry first 3-inch diameter shocks front and rear
- Rear shocks have a massive 15.6” of travel, the longest UTV shocks that FOX has ever built
- Lightweight aluminum bodies provide the best possible heat dissipation
- Reaction time: fraction of a second
- The best available traction and stability
- Tested to perform in and survive harshest environments
- COM-12 spherical bearings: front (top eyelets) and rear (top and bottom eyelets)
Background
From the start FOX and Polaris knew the goal was to design a suspension system that performed even better than the current generation of FOX Live Valve Internal Bypass shocks. The obvious — but also most challenging — choice was to replace the single electronic compression controlling semi-active base valve with two: compression and rebound.
By combining Live Valve’s electronic control and X2 dual base valve technology on each shock, a new evolution in shock performance was born. Polaris’ DYNAMIX DV system and algorithm independently controls compression oil flow and rebound oil flow. Now, when the onboard ECU receives inputs from multiple sensors, it can adjust the shocks in real time like never before even when compared to the groundbreaking previous generations of Live Valve and DYNAMIX.
Getting a system like this to work seamlessly in the background while you concentrate on driving flat out required FOX and Polaris to work together over the past four years during many testing trips and tuning sessions to perfect Polaris’ proprietary onboard electronics and FOX’s proprietary shock technology.
An incredible ride isn’t worth much if the shocks don’t last. This is where FOX’s experience in design and testing really came into play, taking a functional concept and turning it into durable shocks proven to hold up to triple digit temperatures in the harshest environments.
Technology
FOX’s 3.0 Live Valve X2 Internal Bypass shocks deliver race-dominating and position-sensitive damping technology and performance in a hassle-free package. This patented technology contains internal passages that allow fluid to bypass the piston through regulated ports as it moves through the travel. They also provide a plush, predictable ride over normal off-road driving conditions with the ability to ramp up damping force in extreme use.
Internally, X2’s dual base valves independently adjusting compression and rebound have been amplified by Live Valve’s electronic control so that Polaris’ DYNAMIX DV system can act independently and simultaneously on the compression and rebound oil circuits in real time, multiple times per second.
Read “Maximizing Your UTV’s Performance“
You stay comfortable in the seat and in control of your vehicle. The DYNAMIX DV system is able to detect real-time data from accelerating, braking, steering and inertial sensors every few thousands of a second and independently adjust the Live Valve X2 compression and rebound base valves to their optimal settings for that moment. And the one after that. And the one after that.
Boost valve addition
FOX has used boost valves in several ways for years. The way a boost valve works is based on hydraulic pressure. When pressure increases in the cavity of the boost valve it pushes against the valve shim stack making the stack harder to open. On the Live Valve (original or X2) the boost valve system is set up so that when the Live Valve needle is closed, pressure builds behind the boost valve and the valve shims are hard to open.
Scenario applications of Live Valve X2’s function
This independent adjustment over compression and rebound ensures that the vehicle maintains a level body position from start to finish in a corner. The inside shocks will absorb bumps by decreasing compression damping and simultaneously maintain a lower inside ride height by adding rebound damping. The outside shocks will stop body roll by adding compression damping and maintain a raised outside ride height by opening rebound damping. With each shock independently adjusting compression and rebound, the vehicle stays level at the optimal place in its travel, keeping you comfortable and in control.
The independent adjustment over compression and rebound also delivers braking performance like never before. To ensure the vehicle maintains traction and does not nose-dive during braking, the front shocks and rear shocks are each adjusted to have optimal compression and rebound settings. How?
The front shocks add compression damping to slow forward chassis movement and decrease rebound damping to absorb bumps and keep front ride height up. The rear shocks decrease compression damping maintain a level ride height and absorb bumps, while adding rebound damping to slow forward chassis movement and keep the whole vehicle level. During acceleration, adjustments are reversed to keep the chassis level and while maintaining maximum traction and comfort.
Read “We’re Never Done Testing“
Built to last
All these enhancements seamlessly work to stabilize the new Polaris RZR Pro R Ultimate over the roughest obstacles and through the biggest whoops at speed. And since they wear the FOX name you know they’ve been designed with the highest quality material, put through lengthy dyno evaluations in FOX’s state-of-the-art test labs, and out in the worst real-world situations during field durability tests before they met FOX’s seal of approval and commitment to quality. This is cutting-edge technology, born in racing, built to last!
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