I'm told to enhance the sportiness on the King that a shock preload adjustment is in order right from the start. My questions are these: Which way is softer and which way is stiffer? Also, what is the easiest tool to use on the "clickers?" Thanks!

 

I'v got mine cranked down all the way. Seems to improve handling and helps eliminate body roll at high speeds. You sacrafice the cadillac ride but for fast riding, I like the stiffness. I tried using the factory spanner wrench and wound up with bloody knuckles. Now I use 10" Knipex Cobra Pliers, (like a Channel locks pliers), to adjust the springs. The big pliers make it easy.

 

Which way is "down" (clockwise or counter)? Are you supposed to jack up the end you are adjusting?

 

I belive more spring tension is clockwise. You can tell by looking at it. the preloaders are stepped so as to compress the spring, giving it more tension. I had mine set at the factory settings and it was good for putting around, but after some hard, fast trail riding I prefer the stiffness. When riding in the rain, the quad would pitch and roll every time I hit a puddle. It got sideways on me a couple of times. Then I adjusted the springs and it felt like a whole new machine. It seemed to dance over the same holes that pitched it before. The machine feels a lot more stable at high speeds now. I think it took out the twitchyness that many complain about on the king. I dont do much rock crawling or mud bogging, but for that I suppose lighter springs would be better. Also, I rode mine alongside a Prarie 650 and the king did a lot better in the whoops. when I drove the prarie through the whoops, the back end kept flipping up on me, It felt like I was riding a bucking bronk. The king was much easier for me in the whoops. just pull back and bounce over the top. The P650 had better low end punch and may corner a touch better, but the king is superior IMO. the gentleman who owned the P650 said he preferred the prarie. I guess it's what your used to.