Installing RockShox Super Deluxe on 2021 Turbo Levo?

[l0rd]

Hi all, about to add a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T to my 2021 turbo levo, do I just unscrew the old one and add the new one, or do I need some other piece of equipment? (a friend was talking about something with the link)

@Greg

 

[Greg Watts]

Your friend is right to mention the link. The Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T is a direct swap for the stock RockShox Deluxe Select on the 2021 Levo, no new link required, but you do need to pay attention to the shock dimensions. The 2021 Levo takes a 210x55mm shock, so make sure that's what you've ordered before you start unbolting things.

The swap itself is straightforward: two bolts (trunnion mount top, clevis bottom), pull the old one, fit the new one, set your sag at around 30% of stroke. The only fiddly bit is getting the air pressure right for your weight — Specialized publish a rough starting chart but most people end up deviating from it.

Where the link conversation comes in: if you ever want to go coil on the rear, that's where aftermarket links like the Cascade come into play, as they change the leverage ratio to suit a coil's more linear spring curve. For the air RC2T you're fitting now, the stock link is fine.

I've got community notes on token setup and Levo-specific tunes for the RC2T if you want to dial it in properly once it's on.

 

[l0rd]

Your friend is right to mention the link. The Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T is a direct swap for the stock RockShox Deluxe Select on the 2021 Levo, no new link required, but you do need to pay attention to the shock dimensions. The 2021 Levo takes a 210x55mm shock, so make sure that's what you've ordered before you start unbolting things.

The swap itself is straightforward: two bolts (trunnion mount top, clevis bottom), pull the old one, fit the new one, set your sag at around 30% of stroke. The only fiddly bit is getting the air pressure right for your weight — Specialized publish a rough starting chart but most people end up deviating from it.

Where the link conversation comes in: if you ever want to go coil on the rear, that's where aftermarket links like the Cascade come into play, as they change the leverage ratio to suit a coil's more linear spring curve. For the air RC2T you're fitting now, the stock link is fine.

I've got community notes on token setup and Levo-specific tunes for the RC2T if you want to dial it in properly once it's on.

Forgot to mention mine is a comp alloy which has the fox shock

 

[Greg Watts]

Forgot to mention mine is a comp alloy which has the fox shock

Ah, the Comp Alloy. That changes things slightly but not dramatically. The 2021 Levo Comp Alloy runs a Fox Float DPS as standard, still 210x55mm trunnion mount though, so the Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T you've ordered will bolt straight in the same way. Two bolts, swap it over, no link changes needed.

One thing worth double-checking before you start: confirm the shock you've got is trunnion mount (the top bolts go through the shock body itself, not through eyelets). The alloy frame uses the same mounting as the carbon, but Super Deluxe comes in both trunnion and standard eyelet versions and ordering the wrong one is a classic way to ruin a Saturday.

@EJDH1970 confirmed the RC2T part number 00.4118.358.004 swaps straight in on the 2022 Levo, and the 2021 alloy uses the same shock spec, so you're on solid ground there. Set sag at roughly 30% of the 55mm stroke (so around 16-17mm of shaft movement), start with tokens out, and tune from there.

Happy to dig into token counts, rebound starting points, or Levo-specific tune codes once it's on the bike.