Sure why wouldnt they be, and its many times a matter of budget or just how much someone wants to invest etc.

Plus depending on the exact model of the works it can be a damn good shock, but the better they are the more they are too just like all the rest of these overpriced goodies.

I remember when trying to comapre shocks and prices when I first decided to upgrade mine I had looked into the base works non rez, the pro series (much like all the other high end stuff and priced similar too) and then the steelers with rez and upgraded 5/8 shafts and threaded preload adjusters. Only thing that killed the last idea was that it was almost as much as the elkas, and back then the pro series were even above that so I went with the elka.

The trick seems to be truely understanding your needs for your riding and knowing if you would be able to use the non rez shock without over heating them. IT would save a fair amount of $$ to go with either the works or even elka without rez. I think Elka started offering them that way only to be able to better compete with the rez style works, and it would seem they figured some would prefer a better shock minus the extra cooling and adjustment.

Do let us know what you decide or what ever other questions you have

 

what ever my decision may be i am going to be gettin +2 arms, and a +4 axel, that alone should help.

i guess my real question is that i have been wondering for 3 years is this(no one can answer it straight up)

ok here it goes- i actually just got inturupted while typeing this [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

i know there is so many different assortments of shocks setups and such, with my stock shocks the ride is not bad, but when i hit a rock i can feel it, with properly setup aftermarket shocks, will the ride degrade or improve over small hits on the trail. i like to use the term beat your body, will the aftermarket shocks provide a smoother more comfortable ride, while being able to absorb the big impacts or moderate jumping?

i just dont want to go spend all this $$$ and have it ride like cr@p, or worse that what i have now. i want to not feel the bumps.....! lol i know thats unrealistic but it would be nice.

i have heard to get the shocks setup for 10lbs less than you weigh is that true?

Rezzies- if i only race on the weekends, and occasionally will i need them it adds a chunk of change to the price. how much is the ride going to be better if i put works tripple rates on vs. tripple rates with rezzies. vs Elka Elites? all on a +2 arm?

thanks alot

v581

 

i think i can answer your question on this. if you get your shocks set-up perfectly you should be able to hit descent sized rocks and have very little, or no feedback through the bars. a steering damper would really help with this as well. if you call works, for example, and tell them exactly what type of riding you do, ie: 'i mostly ride trails with some moderate jumping. i ride in a rocky area and want a super smooth ride, but still want to be able to jump.' or whatever it is, then they'll be able to set the springs up appropriately. when i ordered my shocks i told them that i mostly ride dunes but that i love to slam through long desert whoop sections, and that i do lots of big jumps with flat landings. they reccomended the remote rezzie since it holds more oil and cools better, for those long whoop sections. they gave me a stiff main spring for the jumps and whoops, and fairly soft middle and first springs for the smaller stuff. honestly, i would reccomend getting triple rates and some kind of rezzie if your going to upgrade shocks.

you probably wont notice a difference in feel with or without the rezzies, but the rezzies can help a lot with keeping your shocks from wearing out or boiling the oil. the elka elites would probably give u the best ride overall, if i remember correctly they are the quad rate shocks. if your looking to save money on the shock set-up, you might consider not getting some of the adjustables. i knew that i wouldn't use the re bound or compression, so i didn't get them, that saved me like $200. it's all up to you, just make sure that u decide what you want/need before you order. and once u get the shocks, work with the company to get them set up perfect, if something doesn't seem right, call and see what they'll do about it.

that was kinda long and drawn out, but i hope it helped you. good luck.

 

yea thanks alot man.

v581

 

A note on rezzys

They add additional oil capacity, additional cooling, and mostly help keep your shocks from fading due to built up heat. As an added benefit they also cause the oil to last longer due to reduced heat.

Heat is the number one cause for any oil to break down, and contamination is another problem for any oil so be sure to keep it as cool and clean as you can. That goes for shocks or engines or what ever.

Have to wonder if they use a std petroleum base oil or a superior synthetic product, so if anyone knows for sure let us know.

 

i belive its neither, arent they nitrogen charged?

or if not then its a poly synthetic blend.

v581

 

The nitrogen charge is to pressurize the system, but the oil is what moves thru the valving and rezzy etc.

I am going to try and look into the actuall oil base types since it makes as much difference as anything else if not more.

 

I'm trying to learn about shocks too, and have gathered a lot of good info from this thread. Thanks!

I CAN shed some light on the oil issue though.

The resistance the oil provides is from one main factor: viscosity, which is affected in turn by two sub-factors: molecule size, and molecule uniformity.

Background:
Oil manufacturers can change an oils viscosity by using larger or smaller oil molecules. Conventional oils use parrifin molecules, whereas synthetic oils use poly-olefin molecules. The more refined a synthetic oil is, the more of a uniform size the parrifin molecules are, (and less dinosaur bone fragments [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] ) and the more consistent its use will be. Fully synthetic oils have (by design) virtually all of their molecules the same size, and therefore would be the best choice for a hydrolic system requiring consistent and predictable dynamics.

Synthetic oils also have the added benefit of being able to hold their viscosity longer under a wider range of temperatures.

Application:
The more viscus (thick) the oil is, the more resistance it will provide, and the less viscus (thinner) the oil is, the less resistance it will provide. So, for a practical application, you would use different viscosity oil to fine tune your valve stack settings.

Hope that helped. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

SO...I have a TRX450R, which from what I've been told, comes with some pretty decent shocks. All's I know is that they are fully adjustable (compression, rebound, and TPL), and have a piggyback resivoir. I mostly ride very rough desert trails (4-6 inch holes and ruts), and do some decent jumps (4-6 feet high) with flat landings. I also love the dunes, but usually only get to ride them about once or twice a year at best, due to my distance from them. The stockers on my quad are beating the crap out of me in the desert...to the point of angering me while riding, because I get so tired so quickly. I went riding with my buddy (who has a CRF450R dirtbike) and he was still going strong about the time that I was ready to sell my brand new quad.

So, I've been debating either ordering some new tripple rate rezzy shocks, that are designed for my application...or, having Works rebuild my stockers to my application...or just switching to a bike altogether. I don't want to throw a bunch of money at my quad, only to find out that I'm still going to get my a$$ kicked, and wish I had just bought a bike.

So what do you guys think. If I have Works rebuild my stock shocks, with double/tripple rate springs, and adjust the valving, do you think I'd be happy? Or should I just save my money, and buy a bike?

 

it really comes down to how much your willing to spend. u can have works re-build the stock front shocks with triple rate springs, and re-valve them for your type of riding, for about what it would cost you to buy tripple rate remote rezzie shocks with no adjustables (from works). if u use the adjustables, then re-build the stock ones, if u don't use the adjustables, u could buy better shocks, without the adjustables. as for the rear, get it re-valved, and re-sprung if necessary. the baja team that won on the 450r just re-valved all the shocks.