All suspension updates.

[LazyBastard]

After waiting all summer, I finally got to test out the suspension tweaks I did to my RX1 121.

Changes as follows;

Front:
11mm, longer links.
130 straight rate springs set at no preload
simmons flexi skis.

Rides like its on razor blades. Corners so flat that I can agressively powerslide it on hardpack with a 1.25" track. Some push in the corners where there's no snow, this I expect to correct with meaner wearbars.


Back:
FRA to maximum,
Main spring preload to minimum,
lower nylon washers to half thickness,
straps in a hair,
front spring preload reduced.

Small/stutter bumps: What bumps? I can see them but I can't feel them.
Whompers: Of course you can feel a 2 foot bump with a 1 foot suspension. A** kicker? No! The pain is all gone.




Theory on back-end adjustments:
Putting the preload to maximum increases the shock stroke, effectively like having a harder shock. Having the preload set so light allows the suspension to suck up the small bumps with half-strokes, but on the whompers, it builds spring pressure FAST due to the FRA. Because of the increased shock stroke and harder effective spring at deep stroke, it doesn't hit the bottom hard like it would otherwise. The spring doesn't build too far for the hit with the reduced preload.



Now the big question: Would I be willing to pay ANYTHING to modify the suspension further? No, if it was $10 it would be too much.


Overall level of satisfaction:

 

[4Fighter]

Right-on 8)

It's a pretty good suspension if you tweak it a little

Thanks to everyone on TY for your tips 8)

 

[Honk]

I agree! Just keep playin with it! It will ride as well as any sled out there! My 2 cents Honk

 

[Mjnova]

LB-- Just curious--What is your riding style? I have been very unhappy with mine. It rides like a brick in the small bumps and bottoms in lots of the larger holes. I would like to soften the ride, but I am afraid I will bottoms even harder---Which my back cannot take anymore.

I plan on giving yours a try--except if you came back with being more of a casual rider--non agr.

Thanks for the help.

 

[littleboyblue]

LB, just got back from a canada ride and had a chance to read your suspension tweaking post. iwould like to aske a couple questions

first, you say no preload on the front springs? does that mean the adjusterrrrrs are at the top of the threads. i also installed the staight rate springs the 12mm sway bar and the longer links and this thing was still lifting bad in the corners


second i do not have the simmons skis i opted for the bergstrom skegs ,ski savers and shims and to be honets with you they SUCKED this thing darted like you read about!! are the simmons that much better? do they have down falls?

lastly, i have done nothing to my rear suspension except tighten my limiters when i put the shock to your setting should i change my limiters?

 

[nhrxrider]

After reading an earlier post about setting the FRA at firmest and the spring at softest, I finally tried it Saturday. I have to say I was very happy with the results. Unfortunately I didn't enounter any really big bumps, but I no longer bottom harshly on the big G-outs. Here is what I used to have with the FRA on medium and the spring a couple notches from firmest:

Felt every little stutter bump. Bigger bumps really shook me around. BIG bumps and especially G-outs made it bottom so harshly I would feel it all the way from the bast of my spine to my neck.

NOW: Very plush in the stutters and small bumps. Rides great through medium sized stuff. Works well in the biggest stuff I encountered, and I did get some of the G-out types of bumps, and it hardly ever bottomed. When it did I would barely feel it, unlike the harsh hit it used to take.

I have more fine tuning to do to get it perfect, but its damn close now! I no longer feel the need to change out the suspension or shocks. I'm considering a 136" extension, but only because I will be replacing the track anyway...I wouldn't pay the money otherwise.

Jim

 

[LazyBastard]

LB-- Just curious--What is your riding style? I have been very unhappy with mine. It rides like a brick in the small bumps and bottoms in lots of the larger holes. I would like to soften the ride, but I am afraid I will bottoms even harder---Which my back cannot take anymore.

I plan on giving yours a try--except if you came back with being more of a casual rider--non agr.

Thanks for the help.

I ride agressively on trails at night (when you can see other sleds and its safe to ride agressively), and leave the trail whenever possible. During the day on trails I tend to be somewhat conservative - never know when a moron on something green will whip around a corner.

The adjustment I did to the back softened the lower part of the ride for the smaller bumps, but adding a high FRA prevents it from bottoming, in effect, the best of both.

 

[LazyBastard]

first, you say no preload on the front springs? does that mean the adjusterrrrrs are at the top of the threads. i also installed the staight rate springs the 12mm sway bar and the longer links and this thing was still lifting bad in the corners

It doesnt mean the adjusters are at the top, it means that with the front lifted off the ground, that the springs are snug, but completely non-compressed. You need to make sure that when the front lifts, that the spring won't flop around - they could fall off and that would be dangerous.

second i do not have the simmons skis i opted for the bergstrom skegs ,ski savers and shims and to be honets with you they SUCKED this thing darted like you read about!! are the simmons that much better? do they have down falls?

I have yet to find any downfalls to the simmons skis. Even looking at the bottom, there is very little wear to the plastic compared to standard skis. When following any single keel skis OR skidoo precision, they do NOT dart (the precision skis are narrower and shallower, so they don't line up), but in following my own tracks, they can fall in somewhat. You can do this to eliminate darting: http://www.totallyamaha.com/snowmobiles ... r_Shim.htm

lastly, i have done nothing to my rear suspension except tighten my limiters when i put the shock to your setting should i change my limiters?

No, there is no need to change the limiters to improve the rear skid's ability to handle bumps. The limiter is purely to control front-end handling. Make note that sucking up the limiters can cause increased darting.

 

[Mjnova]

LB --Two questions. Where do you have the control rods at?

I plan to mimic your setup tonight...

I am blowing the fuses for the ign. every time when I load the sled into my trailer. FULL left turn(againest the stops) ever heard of that? I have not had time to look for the ground out yet.

Thanks for the help---I would not have tried it. I only have stiffened in general..


Mike

 

[LazyBastard]

I'm continually changing the control rods. When I'm running trails on low snow, I tend to go for more ski pressure. When fast lake runs, ski lift. They're so easy to adjust that you might as well set them for what you're riding on.

The fuse blowing on hard turns is a known problem from bad wire routing. Get the (brown, I think) wire out of the stopper and you won't blow any more fuses.

 

[LazyBastard]

Check out this thread for the fuse blow problem:
http://www.rx1.info/viewtopic.php?t=2764&start=15

 

[Snorover]

LB,

I just adjusted my suspension and I hope I got it right.

Front ski shocks (stock) tried to adjust the springs preload to book and there isn't enough thread left :?: I could only adjust them to 3 threads left at 9 1/4 inches :?: The manual says that the max is 10 1/4 inches :?: Do I have the right shocks installed or is the manual wrong :?:

I loosened the front shock spring max (7.48")(190mm) and went to softest preload on the main shock. The FRA to hard (C position).

Will test this out this weekend. I question the ski shocks as to what is correct :?:

 

[mrbunder]

LB I've been playing with my rear susp. also. I weigh 290lbs w/out gear and would bottom out on anything bigger than 1-footers at speed. The only different adj. that I have is more preload on the rear-shock spring. The sled is really good over all the bumps now, and the transfer is AWESOME whenever it's pegged. (9833 camo.,extros,bottom spacer 1/2 thickness, and stage 2 clutch kit from Matt) Straight-Rate front springs are on the way, ..still a bit Tippy!!! Thanks for ALL of your informative posts....

 

[LazyBastard]

LB,

I just adjusted my suspension and I hope I got it right.

Front ski shocks (stock) tried to adjust the springs preload to book and there isn't enough thread left :?: I could only adjust them to 3 threads left at 9 1/4 inches :?: The manual says that the max is 10 1/4 inches :?: Do I have the right shocks installed or is the manual wrong :?:

I loosened the front shock spring max (7.48")(190mm) and went to softest preload on the main shock. The FRA to hard (C position).

Will test this out this weekend. I question the ski shocks as to what is correct :?:

The weight of the sled MUST be off the skis when making your adjustments. They should be fully extended. The ideal way to adjust the front suspension is NOT by the book. When it is fully extended, loosen the nuts off ALL THE WAY until the spring is slack, then tighten them *just enough* that they're no longer slack.

Counter-intuitively, the looser the front springs are, the flatter the sled handles.

 

[LazyBastard]

LB I've been playing with my rear susp. also. I weigh 290lbs w/out gear and would bottom out on anything bigger than 1-footers at speed. The only different adj. that I have is more preload on the rear-shock spring. The sled is really good over all the bumps now, and the transfer is AWESOME whenever it's pegged. (9833 camo.,extros,bottom spacer 1/2 thickness, and stage 2 clutch kit from Matt) Straight-Rate front springs are on the way, ..still a bit Tippy!!! Thanks for ALL of your informative posts....

Glad to help, and I hope you're going with fairly firm front springs. You weigh more than most of us who are going with 130 and 140 lb/inch... I would guess that you would be best with something 150+ lb/inch and 13mm swaybar.