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Tweeking FRA position and control rods

RX-1snow

Extreme
Joined
Dec 2, 2003
Messages
54
Location
Newfoundland, Can.
Went for a ride last night with my kids on ( extra 90 - 100 lbs) and noticed rear suspension was good , especially on small bumps. I then came home and went riding just myself and found the rear stiff and i felt nearly every bump larger than 3-4 inches!

I have read of some guys who sugest putting FRA to stiffest and rear spring to a very light setting so that the shock has a longer stroke and thus more effect with the spring having less rebound effect .This sounds logical in theory. Just wondering who has tried this and what was the difference?

As well, I was planning to increase my weight transfer to the rear as I read this also softens the suspension. Any suggestions ??? By the way, I weigh 190 lbs
 

I assume that you're referring to what I said....

This is not a total solution to the rear skid on this sled. It is a workaround for it having too soft a shock. Putting the FRA on max and the spring on weak should be reasonably comfortable for an agressive rider. The problem with this configuration is that the spring is absorbing the bumps instead of the shock. As such, the rear suspension will push back with the same amount of force whether your hitting a soft small bump, or a momma. I think that the key to putting the FRA high is getting the spring as soft as you can.

Now the FRA not only adjusts the spring rate, but the shock travel as well. When you put the FRA on max, it will try to drive the shock farther than it would with the FRA on min. What would work really well with this configuration would be a linear main spring.

Ideally, the main spring would be DECREASING rate with a progressive shock that responds to force against it. The shock should be nice and soft under slow compression, and nice and HARD under fast compression.
 
The FRA is at the front end of your rear shock. It has a splined bolt you have to rotate, after loosening the nut :!: Your owners manual shows you how to adjust it on page 8-24.
 
I have my suspension out now. The front arm spring is under a lot of preload at the stock setting. If you pull up the limiters like most have it is worse. I think the front arm is a major cause of the ski lift,darting and ride problem. It may be the reason that the sliders tend to wear at the front of the rail so fast.I am going to try reducing the preload as much as I can on the front arm and then have it couple to the rear earlier to make up for the loss of load capacity. You can loosen the preload as much as the adjustment allows and there will still be some preload on the spring with the limiters at stock. I have a front arm spring from a 98 SRX. It is shorter than the RX1 spring and much stiffer. Later I am going to install it and compare. I have said before that the ProAction is much like an M10.The front arm shock of an M10 has a very weak spring with little preloadand virtually no damping in the middle of its travel. The rear shock is almost exactly what LB has described and accomplishes this by adding a second spring to the rear shock to prevent bottoming.
 
Sorry guys I have no maual this week I left it at work and I am "cough cough" sick until tuesday we are going riding again tomorrow. I will try and sneak into work today and get it so no one knows I am faking being sick.
 
I changed from Hard FRA/Soft spring to Medium FRA/#2 position. Works awesome in the studders, not too bad in the bigger-stuff. I'm going to try one more notch on the spring.
 
JDKRXW said:
LazyBastard said:
What would work really well with this configuration would be a linear main spring.
I think another clicker shock in the rear would be even better.

"clicker" is just a buzzword for "adjustable". Not only that, but it needs a very, VERY good one that responds to impact. In fact, without a proper shock, a better spring would be useless. Same goes the other way. Need them both.
 


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