I wrecked at silverlk a couple of months ago and finally got to go back.Had a blast but
i noticed that my suspension was very harsh.The smallest bump seemed huge. What
are some sighns of damaged shocks?When i wrecked it hit with enough force to break the seat latch
and bead on rear tire.Thanks for the help
Also bounced wicked on the woops.

 

Well first things first ... stick with the obvious stuff and look for damage to the a-arms and swingarm to see if there would be anything getting in the way of them moving freely. That costs you nothing but your time. Thats a good time to check the condition of the rest of the quad. Sometimes a good crash will loosen things up or cause problems in areas you may not think about.
If all looks well then check to see if you have any fluid draining from any of the shocks front or rear. If things still look ok then I would take off the shocks and remove the springs, then move them by hand to see if there may be some internal problem. If its suspennsion related then you will find it..

Good luck !

 

Thanks you Prozak. I did all the check exept removal .Nothing except the obvious was
damaged.There is no leakage from the shocks,but they do squeek now.

 

The Shocks squeek??? Hmmmm.. are you sure that its not the bushings for the swingarm / a arms ?
Heres what Im thinking .... If you havnt had the a-arms or swing arm off or lubed recently ( you live in Michigan and last time I checked its muddy & wet up there ..[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] ) then I would say its due for a good service. How long did you quad sit after your crash?

How old is your DS?
Heres a long shot too... When I bought both of my DS the suspension sucked. long story short.. The rear swingarm bolt was way too tight and not letting the swingarm move freely. Shure I could push up and down on the seat and it LOOKED ok but when I removed the shock and moved it by hand HOLY SH*T It was tight. Took them back to the Disbelieving Dealer and they ended up agreeing and correcting it.

Take you time and check it out .. youll find it !

 

Lets see,the quad only sat for maybe a month only long enough to get the parts
and install them.Since August last year ive greased the fittings i think 4 times
It is an 04 x
How easy should the shock move when removed? And what is the best way to do this?
I did read in a search to loosen the bolts a quarter turn to stop the squeaks Have you
ever done this.Are the stockers on the x rebuildable?

 

The front shocks should move with some effort and be smooth in the process. I forget if the rear is under pressure froon the nitrogen or not Sorry. Either way it too should be smooth through the entire stroke. I can move them by hand .. without the spring on mind you.

As far as loosening the bolts to get rid of the queeks .. sure that would work if thats the problem. Then you wouldnt have to mess with the shocks!

Sorry but the stock front shocks are not serviceable. The rear however is and can be taken down to a local motorcycle shop and serviced there. If you decide to upgrade then you can get some new aftermarket front shocks and depending on who you buy from, you can send in the rear shock to have it upgraded to compliment the new set in front. Works Shocks does this, Im not sure about the other makers.

 

Thanks for the help prozac.What tool do i need to adjust the shocks.Also if i loosen the spring
will it soften the ride?And what exactly does adjusting the rez do?Clockwise for faster rebound
and counter clockwise for slower?

Its always been such a nice ride ive been hesitant to mess with it.

 

Well to adjust the front First youll need to remove the retaining clip right below the adjusment nut/ring at the bottom of the spring. A screwdriver is what i use to pry it out. Carefull not to mess up the threads. Support the front end so the wheels are off the ground. Then you can spray some silicone on the threads where the adjustment ring is and some at the top of the spring where it rests against the flange. Doing this will allow the spring to rotate smoothly when you turn it. Grab the spring and turn it. Make sure the nut at the bottom is turning too. After make the change take a measurement to match the adjustment on the other side. I measure from the bottom of the side of the shock to the bottom of the adjustment ring. Make the adjustment to the other side. Then replace the retaining clip below the adjustment ring. Tap in with a hammer if needed.... a small hammer should do.

The rear shock is somewhat the same except it has two rings/nuts at the top of the shock spring. The top ring is a lock washer and if you get a heavy screwdriver and a larger hammer you can tap the ring loose. once done, you can support the rearend and spin the spring to adjust the ring/nut. Re tighten the top locking ring by tapping it tight. If when your adjusting the spring you cannot turn it by hand you may need the screwdriver & hammer to turn the adjustment ring. There is tool made just for doing this you can buy I just didnt think it was too much trouble to use a hammer & screwdriver. Your call on that one.

Tightening the spring will translate to a rougher ride but more resistance to bottoming out. However you still be able to bottom out if pushed hard enough. Making the spring loose will translate to a smoother ride .. like a sponge. It will bottom out easy and be mushy in the turns. too much in either direction will cause its own problem in handling.

Keep track off each adjustment so you can change it back if needed.

As far as the Compression and rebound for the rear shock Ill try my best to tell you what they do ... There are other people on this board that could tell you how to set it up better. Hightower comes to mind. You out there Hightower ??
The rebound adjustment at the bottem of the rear shock is what controlls how fast or slow the shock returns to the extended position.
The compression adjustment on the rezzie controlls how fast or slow the shock will compress.

Clear as mudd ???