Suspension Tuning Tips

Note:  Unless noted otherwise, these tuning tips apply to both forks and rear shocks.

Symptoms: Not using full travel; feels harsh, poor traction while making turns

• Cause: Overly stiff spring or compression damping
• Solution: Lower the air pressure or use softer coil springs; reduce compression damping

Symptoms: Bottoms out, soft throughout travel

• Cause: Spring rate too low throughout travel or too little compression damping
• Solution: Use more air pressure or stiffer coils springs; increase compression damping

Symptoms: Harsh over large bumps, but good over small ones

• Cause: Compression damping is too high
• Solution: Reduce compression damping

Symptoms: Excessive sag; feels soft initially but does not bottom out

• Cause: Initial spring rate or preload too low
• Solution: Increase air pressure or spring preload

Symptoms: Harsh over small bumps but uses full travel

• Cause: Initial spring rate or preload too high, or too much compression damping
• Solution: Lower air pressure or install softer springs; reduce compression damping; reduce spring preload

Symptoms: Takes first bump in a series well; harsh over later bumps, poor traction in washboard corners

• Cause: Too much rebound damping
• Solution: Reduce rebound damping, if adjustable

Symptoms: Front end springs back too quickly after bumps, poor traction in bumpy corners

• Cause: Not enough rebound damping
• Solution: Increase rebound damping, if adjustable

Symptoms: Lockout not working

• Cause: Not enough suspension fluid in the damper; RLC forks only: blowoff threshold knob is fully counter-clockwise
• Solution: Check damper suspension fluid level; RLC forks only: turn blowoff threshold knob fully clockwise then compression cycle the fork a few times

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