A Suspension Tuning Guide

 

The following guide is actually the basis for a
"Suspension Tuning Wheel"

Something you can carry in your pocket, whip it out,
line up the marks with the symptoms et voilé
you have the solution in your hand.

 

It is setup by way of Sag, rebound and compression damping.
Within those three adjustment criteria you have front and rear suspension
adjustments divided into two categories. One being "too much"
and the other "not enough" (of the adjustment criteria).

Under each potential adjustment error (not enough or too much) you will find
a symptomatic description with which you can relate to.
 

Improper Sag:

Too much sag in the front forks (insufficient fork spring preload):

  • Head to shake especially during deceleration
  • Forks bottom under hard braking
  • Nervousness front end, and turns too quickly into corners

Too much to sag in the rear suspension (insufficient shocked preload):

  • Bike wallows during hard acceleration
  • Consistently tries to drift in the middle of corners
  • Light, and vague steering, especially when with a passenger

Not enough sag in the front forks (too much pre load and/or too stiff a spring):

  • Consistently tries to drift in the middle of corners
  • Front tire may skitter and lose traction under hard braking
  • Headshake, especially during hard acceleration coming off corners

Not enough sag in the rear suspension (too much preload and/or too stiff a spring):

  • Rear wheel hop over bumps while decelerating
  • Oversteer into corners with rear end feeling nervous
  • Loss of traction during hard acceleration, especially over rises in the road

 

Rebound Damping:

Too much rebound damping in the front forks:

  • Front end harsh after encountering consecutive bumps
  • Oversteers (turn in too sharply) after completing braking before corners
  • Headshake may develop while slowing in bumpy sections

Too much rebound damping in the rear shock:

  • Drifts wide into the middle of moderately bumpy corners
  • Shock may feel harsh or bottom out after encountering consecutive bumps
  • Rear tire loses contact with pavement, while traveling over elevation rises

Not enough rebound damping in the front forks:

  • Drifts wide upon releasing brakes while the trail breaking into a corner
  • Nervous feeling, and undesired line corrections occurring in turns
  • Front-end instability when encountering mid corner surface irregularities

Not enough rebound damping in the rear shock:

  • Excessive front-end dive during hard braking with rapid forward weight transfer
  • Lack of stability  mid corner, with weaving behavior
  • Excessive and/or abnormal rear tire wear

 

Compression Damping:

Too much compression damping in front forks:

  • Very sharp shock felt through handlebars on  potholes' or abrupt pavement seams
  • Lack of full fork travel despite extreme riding conditions and hard braking
  • Chattering front tire, loss of traction, on pavement irregularities while cornering

Too much compression damping in rear shock:

  • Loss of rear tire traction during hard acceleration
  • Oversteering on corner entrances
  • Rear tire chatter and loss of traction during braking

Not enough compression and damping in front forks:

  • Excessive front end dive during hard braking
  • Lack of front end feedback while cornering
  • Excessive front end movement while cornering

Not enough compression damping in rear shock:

  • Bike may run wide at corner as throttle is being rolled on hard
  • Wallowing during sudden throttle roll off a deceleration
  • Lack of feedback from rear tire at throttle roll-on during cornering

 

How did you like the tutorial? Click below!

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This page was last modified on: 05/21/05
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