Suspension

Due to the large variety of suspension components available, there is a lot of setup related problems and conditions that the Dirt bike guys don’t need to address when setting up suspension. Every a-arm builder has his own idea of how the a-arms should be built, and the shock companies need to work around this to give you the best suspension possible. There are several shock companies that work very closely with a chassis builder when designing a-arms and you will find that if you spend a little more money and buy a matching setup you will have a better handling bike in the long run for less money. Mix and match your components in an effort to save money, and you will spend a lot of time and money to get a good setup if you ever get a good setup. I have listed below a few of the measurements needed to properly setup or adjust a pair of custom shocks for your bike. Feel free to let me know of other measurements that your shock builder may ask for and I will post it here. Some of these measurements may not apply to all quads based on the type of componants they have and there may be more needed for others.

How accuratly you measure all of this will have a bearing on how well your shocks are setup. Also while you are taking these measurements you may find problems that can effect your ride quality such as parts hitting other parts and ball joints with to little travel or installed incorrectly.

From these measurements your shock company can calculate many things including travel ratios, weight at the shocks, desired spring rates and many more things.

1. Wheel base.
2. Axle to footpeg length.
3. A-arm length and brand.
4. Swingarm length and brand.
5. Size and type of tires both front and back.
6. Type of riding.
7. Weight of rider without gear.
8. Weight of the front of the bike.
9. Weight of the rear of the bike.
10. Heigth of the rider.
11. Desired ride height.
12. The center to center distance of all the shock mount holes at 1.5 inches of the ground. (on 2x4s) (Must have this measurement)
13. At 12 inches off the ground. (Must have this measurement)
14. At 8 inches off the ground. (desired but not essential)
15. Wheel dimensions and offset.

With the above information I can also Dyno your shocks with the springs installed and help you find the setup that is best for you. I would need to Dyno your shocks with the spring preload set that gives you the ride height that you desire.

What I will check for:
1. Overall bottoming resistance.
2. Spring rates - both individual and combined.
3. Compression valving - slow speed, transisions, high speed, overall and give you an idea of how that relates to your ride quality.
4. Rebound valving - overall, whether it matches your setup, and how it relates multiple stage spring setups.
5. Front to rear shock balance - big issue here.
6. Cornering stability.

Note: For your suspension to work correctly you must have.

1.The correct amount of up travel of your wheels.
2. The correct amount of down travel of your wheels.
3. The correct progression ratio in your rear suspension.

Without these - your suspension is not nearly what it could be - Please do not ask us to setup your suspension, if you are not willing to address these issues.

First you remove all the shocks.

Then you set the bottom of the bike on 12 inch blocks.