Okay I really think this is it !(?)!! This is the fifth spring set-up I have tried on my Works steelers, now with rezzies. The Shocks came way too stiff, with 240 lb mainspring, 500 and 600 lb helpers.
I put the old DS springs on the works shocks with one helper to make them fit. Then I discovered the 2.8" 240 lb helper spring. This is the one that gives you sag and a smooth ride. Then I dropped down to a 175 mainspring, which had an amazing ride, especially in the whoops, but was too soft for any kind of big landing.
.......So, Now, this is the trick set up for trails, desert. Soaks up all the little stuff, handles the nasty stuff and handles the big stuff, just like it's supposed to. I've got 210 lb mainsprings, 9" with 240 lb 2.8" helper with a little 500 lb 1.5" helper on top.
........Bring it on. Full test ride this weekend. And my Fourlix Quiet Core HMF slip-on too. Just can't leave well enough alone.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

fourlix,

Do you think you'll have your shocks perfectly dialed in within the next year or so? I'd like to buy some new shocks eventually, (based on your knowledge) but your making me wonder if I'll have to put it off till 2004. Just kidding. Thanks for the updates, and I'm always watching to see what your doing with your shocks. I do anticipate buying some eventually and I'd like to use whatever your preferred specs are at that point. This is the 'meat and potatoes' that keep people coming back to the forums.

 

Man I really think this is gonna do it.
9"x 210 lb mainspring + 2.8"x 240 lb helper + 1.5"x500 lb helper.
You know I always get a kick out of out- engineering the factory boys. Sometimes out-engineering the aftermarket is like shooting fish in a barrel. But here all I was after was great front shocks.
... I like Works shocks. They are quality built and extremely versatile, but like ALL of these overpriced racing shocks they rarely come set up right. So you've got to F**k with them if you want really good suspension. Works has a gazillion different pieces, parts and springs available so you can get what you want. But if you want it done right you have to do it yourself.
.... These so-called "shock experts" you talk on the phone with that take your order, I mean, they ask a lot of questions like how do you ride and stuff but they are dealing with a lot of different shocks and machines, and quite frankly they rarely get it right the first time.
.....My experience with Works shocks has been an education. I've installed my own rezzies, rebuilt and recharged them with a borrowed rig,
laid out and built the new rear shock set-up and built the whole front frame on my kids Raptor 80 to accomodate Blaster A-arms.
......I just ordered dual-rate Steelers for my other kid's 660 Raptor. I specified the springs, let's see if I get it right the first time. Of course I am going to make them into triples right away with spare parts I already have, and I have a set of lighter mainsprings if the 210's are too stiff for him.

 

Fourlix,
All this time for mods & setup & improvements etc.... I gotta wonder if you even have a job !!! And if so when do you have time to sleep[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I really enjoy tinkering with the quads. I love to weld, and making things work better than they were originally designed is very satisfying.
......What sucks my brain, wastes more time than anything I have ever been involved with is this stupid F**king Computer!! I enjoy writing, but this POS crashes multiple times daily. Trying to post pics has been such an ordeal for me. Dealing with posting pics on these internet sites
is frustrating and maddening. I was trying to get some pics on E-Bay for some scuba stuff we were selling, What a pain. I was trying to get my Kodak digital camera working after failing to get a Fugi digital camera working. I spent 7 hours banging my head against the wall. Finally after rebooting 20 times it just started working. It has a mind of its own. And it isn't as smart as it should be.
......So I just bought a new tower, which hopefully will be less infuriating and give me less time banging my head against the wall. But I am already planning on the set-up and switch over taking 2 days, with tech support and a friend who is considerably more adept at dealing with these things than I am. I am now consolidating files to transfer over, and hoping none of the crap that has plagued this computer slips into the new one. The tech support from Gateway has been good, boy, did they lose money on me. So for $599 I am getting a 20 gig, Celeron 1200 mgahrtz
tower with a new keyboard and laser mouse. I will gut my old tower of anything usefull and give it to a friend who doesn't have enough frustration in his life. I will do a GW scan on it, erasing everything, and load it with my new Windows OS for him. I wish him luck.
.......When I get frustrated with a mechanical project, usually a bigger hammer solves the problem. I haven't found a hammer big enough to deal with this damn computer thing yet.

 

I have a 16lbs sledge you can borrow...hehe

 

The remaining spring left to dial in is the third spring, the one that makes it a "triple rate". I just talked to Sandy at Works and I had it a little mixed up. The shorter, 1.6" spring is the 600#, while the 500# spring is the 2.3". The longer 500# is going to give a little more sag than the shorter 600#. Right now I have the shorter 600# on my DS with the 210# mainsprings and the 2.8" 240#. Switching to the longer 500# might be a good way to go as I have just stiffened up the mainsprings. Spacers and such permitting. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img] We ride tomorrow, testing both the same day would be ideal.

 

Okay this is really, really it this time. Sixth spring setup. Those longer, 2.3" 500# helpers really smooth things out. After going from the plush 175 mainsprings to the stiffer 210# a little more cush was needed.
But now it will handle big jumps as well as small bumps and everything in between. Big difference from the 240#/500#/600# springs it came with, ouch.
,,,,,Order your works shocks for your DS with 9" 210# mainsprings, 2.8" 240# helper and 2.3" 500# helper.
......I missed the plushness of the 175# mainsprings, they couldn't take a jump, but were awesome in whoops. Setup #5 was back to being a little harsh, especially after getting spanked by my boy on that very whooped out MX track we finally found on Sunday. But the Raptor was sprung a little stiff too, so it got the 175# mainsprings and may yet get those little 600# helpers to make them into triple rates and soften it up just a tad more. He only weighs 90 lbs.
......And the little Raptorette's shocks are back at Works getting revalved, lighter dampening in front and more dampening in the rear, along with upping the springs from 260#/600# to 300#/900#. The new rear shock will increase travel to 7". That's up from 2.2" stock.
,,,,,,,I've almost got it figured out......[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

Fourlix, I enjoy reading your posts. They're always somewhat humorous, as well as informative. You could've taken the easier way out with your shocks by adding a threaded preload. I have them on my Banshee. This setup allows you to change the stiffness of the shock whenever you need, depending on terrain.

Since you make frequent calls to Works, care to ask them how much it would cost for an Ultracross transplant for my 250R rear shock? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I think heart transplants are $175.....And hey, I got a new tower for my POS computer. I really wanted another year out of this POS, but my monitor and printer were okay, so I bought the Gateway tower and put all the goodies I had tried to upgrade my old computer with into the new tower. So now I've got 256 ram, and two 20 gig hard drives. This thing really rocks. It makes my Starband satellite internet service finally worth the money they suck out of me each month.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]