OK, we seem to have problems with 300 shocks lately. Had two go bad in the last 3 months. One was replaced with an old 300 shock off of a junker. The other shock, off of dads 94 300 4X4 was replaced with a new one. It is adjustable, with the thing under the spring that screws up and down, shortening or lengthening the spring.

BOTH atvs would sink down in the back, until the fender well would be within and inch or less of rubbing the rear tire. Now the one with the brand new adjustable is doing it again. I noticed it sagging in the back just a couple of minutes ago. I climbed onto it and sat down and you felt like the front end was pointing uphill. I walked to the back, grabbed the rear rack, lifter the back tires off the ground and sat it down again. Now it is sitting like it should. So either I got a bad shock, it needs adjusted ( I don't know what lengthening and shortening the spring does) or something else weird is happening. I know the frame pivots right behind the footpegs, could something be binding it up there? What else could the problem be?

 

Is there something cracked off on the frame or rear suspension?

Give it a good look over in the upright position and a good look over in the squat position to see if anything else is way out of line.

 

OK, Action450s that was a reasonable guess. I would tend to agree something sounds broke. If you don't find anything binding, I would look at your springs. I can't imagine all of them being bad, but this sounds like broke or wore out springs.

 

That "thing" under the spring that screws up and down is the preload adjustment. A shock by itself does not hold the rear, or front end up, that is what the coil spring is for. These are coil over shocks. Meaning the coil springs are over the shocks. If you have unscrewed the preload adjustment, loosening the tension on the spring, you will have increased the sag.
I suggest you tighten the preload adjustment ring to put more tension into the spring on the shock and see if that helps hold the rear end up.

 

OK, I will try the adjustment again. I just assumed the shock must be bad to let it sag down while it is sitting still like that. Thanks! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Shock adjustment procedure: http://atv.off-road.com/atv/ar...eDetail.jsp?id=192286


If you google "ATV Shock Adjustment", there will be a number of other articles as well.

First you have to set the "ride height" or "sag", then you can fine tune it with the compression and rebound damping (is it has those).

Perhaps, you did not get a spring that is right for your machine??? But, if it goes down and does not return, might be a broken mount or something, like has been suggested.

 

Everything checks out as it should, no broken mounts. 3 Honda 300 shocks and springs off of working machines were took on and off all with the same result. I don't know guys, I almost think something in the driveline is holding tension or something.