I am shock shopping and am looking for some advice. After the initial sticker shock, I thought I would get some oppinions. I could put shocks and tires on my car for what some of these companies want for front shocks alone!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

I am only looking at upgrading the front shocks. The rear piggy-back shock I believe should be fine. I haven't ridden a quad with Works or any other aftermarket set-up to compair it to. The stockers on my 02 Raptor are nice, I just keep hearing that the ride would be SO MUCH better with some tripple rate shocks.

I'm not looking to sell the farm to buy shocks, but better is better. ELKA, Works, PEP or Ohlins what is your oppinion??[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I bought TCS shocks and had the rear revalved by TCS and I absolutely love them. The are definetly better than works, and just as good as PEP and nearly as good as Custom Axis(but for alot less $$$). Ohlins is good but you can't initially buy them custom valved for your needs. I paid 450 get the rear re-done, and 800 for the fronts. I hope this helps.

 

I was just like you until a week ago, I found some Axis on e-bay that haven't been used. I have got them on but have not been able to ride yet. They seem very soft. The guy I bought them from said they were set up for my weight. I hope I like them they sure are pricey. If not I'll get elka's heard they are great.

 

Check e-bay for a set of Elka shocks listed from The Quad Shop.

I would also check out DeRisi. They offer a setup for the Raptor. They are excellent to work with. They revalved the rear stock Honda shock for my girlfriend who weighs about 115lbs.

/Jon

 

How about WORKS Steelers?? They are cheaper, are they still a nice shock??

 

Works Steelers are just not as good as the rest of the higher priced shocks. They are better than stock, though. If you get the Steelers with rezzies, then it's OK I guess, but theres no substitute for one of the ZPS setups. The performance difference is night and day

 

The Works steeler are the best bang for the buck. You don't have to sell the farm for these shocks anyway. Is the extra perfromace of the other shocks worth the cost. That's up to you.....

 

......Works Steelers have the same hardware as the Works Performance and TCS shocks. They can be set up with any spring configuration you'd like, including zero-preload. I have 7 Works shocks altogether and they are all set up zero-preload. There is a larger shock rod, 5/8" instead of 1/2"
on the pro-piggybacks and the higher end Works shocks. TCS replaces the valveing with a shim stack instead of the little *****, springs and washers that Works uses. Then TCS uses their trick spring combo to bring it all together. You can achieve almost exactly the same thing with Works for less dough. You just have to know what to ask for.
.......Call Works direct. Order Works Steelers with non-adjustable rezzies, dual-rate for $489, I think. Be sure to get zero-preload, the 2.8" 240# helper spring with either a 175# or 210# mainspring (depending on your weight and your A-arms) A 200 lb guy with +2 A-arms that jumps is going to want 210# or more, A 150 lb trail rider will be happy with 175# mainsprings.
......That is very close to the TCS set-up for almost half price, using the same hardware. The TCS helper spring is a little longer, but the effect of having a soft spring transitioning into a higher rate mainspring is the same. You get the good ride, lots of sag lowers your center of gravity, they soak up the rough stuff, and you can still land big jumps. You can spend more and get adjustable compression, even more for adjustable rebound. If you go with triples you will have to transition into the stiffer rate springs sooner, with a shorter 240# helper, unless you can get a shorter mainspring so it all fits. So stick with the dual-rates on the Works Raptor shocks.
.......Works are good shocks. Good enough for TCS to rework. A bunch cheaper. Works is easy to work with, sending shocks back to get them readjusted happens with every brand. Riders, quads, and conditions have more variations than 4 questions about how you like your shocks are going to reveal. At least they are easy to work with, both the people and the shocks themselves. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

I am using elka's and one of my buddies is using works pro, very different shock but both are great, you can save money by getting non-adjustable shocks but this is something you could regret down the road. I find it is better to bite the bullet up front than to wish you had done so 6 months down the road. both compression and rebound adjustments are features I love on my shocks and yes it does take a while to dial them in "just right" but all they have to do is save your butt one time in the rough to make it all worthwhile

 

Adjustable compression and dampening on all these shocks is done by adding an adjustable restiction to and from the rezzies. The cheap Works Steeler without rezzies, for $329 can be upgraded to full compression and rebound adjustable dampening with adjustable rezzies. That will cost more than the shocks did in the first place, but you can send your shocks back to Works for the first month and get them revalved for free. Then add rezzies, or split the difference and just get adjustable compression rezzies.
The point is that these adjustable rezzies will add dampening but not subtract it. If you have too much dampening you have to send your shocks in anyway. Just adding rezzies will increase dampening a little bit because the rezzies eliminate the gas in the shock thereby making it a true oil shock instead of an emulsion shock. The rezzies also smooth out the dampening, making them more consistant and aid cooling.
......The adjustable rezzies should not be where your dampening comes from. The shock needs to be set up right in the first place, and the adjustments on the rezzies used only for fine tuning.
......So it is really not that bad an idea to start off with the cheapest non-rezzy Steelers and get them dialed in with the right springs and dampening, then later on add the compression adjustable rezzies to fine tune them. If you are trail riding one day and Jumping Big the next, compression adjustability can be a very nice feature. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]