What does the PRELOAD setting do on your shocks ? Hopefully This explanation helps clear up some misunderstandings.
Пікірлер: 118
@Dr.Twisty4 жыл бұрын
This is the best explanation of preload I've heard. I finally understand the association between preload and ride height. Excellent job!!!
@billykirk15277 жыл бұрын
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I have been sooo confused with the mechanics of shock adjusting and couldn’t find a decent thread or video that explains how the shock components worked. It finally clicked in my head after viewing this video so again thank you for taking the time to make this demo/explanation video because it finally made sense to me. Hahaha it kind of seemed like you were getting a little frustrated yourself trying to come up with a way to explain how the complicated suspension mechanics work, but describing it in the easiest way or manner so that it could actually be understood and end up being useful and put to use!!! *** ANYONE NEEDING BEGINNERS INFO ON HOW A SHOCK OR HOW THE SUSPENSION WORKS, DEFINITELY WATCH THIS VIDEO FIRST!!!!!
@POHLHAMMER7 жыл бұрын
Billy Kirk Glad I was able to help. It's not the whole "scientific" explanation , and there are more factors beyond what I get into I'm sure.... but it helps to get a good basic concept.. I made this video after debating on a blog about the topic , so I was a bit frustrated at the time. lol. Thanks for watching !
@seedtosalvation96363 жыл бұрын
Thank you for doing such a good job at explaining preload. I picked up a used set of shocks to replace my leaky air shocks and was looking for instructions on how much preload to put on them for the weight of myself, or passenger combined weight, but I finally got it after listening to you explain it. My hangup was adjusting the shock on the bench. It looks like you are compressing it, but when you showed what happens to the shock when mounted on the quad, I got it. Thanks a bunch for doing the video
@POHLHAMMER3 жыл бұрын
Your welcome, thanks for watching!
@KennyGarland5 жыл бұрын
preload is the term used when force is applied prior to a jump in racing. what was described here is ride height adjustment or "squat".
@POHLHAMMER5 жыл бұрын
EXACTLY!
@bobseagull76003 жыл бұрын
They’re both called pre-load
@matjurica67335 ай бұрын
Slow ride motorcycle; preload throttle let out clutch apply rear brake- practice slow riding
@duanesnow4243 жыл бұрын
When tighten the spring preload , it increases the ride height. But it reduces sag and that can adversely affect the shock performance because the rod has less rebound length available . So when you go through a bump the shock will extend rapidly and abruptly. A couple inches of sag is needed for a proper suspension . Imo
@POHLHAMMER3 жыл бұрын
Yes , exactly!
@dana27502 жыл бұрын
You are correct and just want to add, spring rates can also be changed per rider weight, this is the reason why Elka asks what the rider weight is. They may also change valving inside the shock per rider weight. Sag is a must for a shock to preform correctly.
@jonbledsoe71582 жыл бұрын
Fantastic explanation that's just what I wanted to hear believe it or not it's for my lawn mower could not find anything but I came across your video
@POHLHAMMER2 жыл бұрын
Haha , you must have one of those nice new suspension ones , Sweet ! I am still bouncing around on old fashioned hard tail lawnmower. Glad this helped, thanks for watching !
@sucapizda6 жыл бұрын
The only reason to crank up that pre load is when you are hauling around a very fat mama, with a case of beer and a carton of cheap Indian smokes. Then you gotta crank that sucker way up. Big mama gotta to ride in comfort.
@jimmace61489 ай бұрын
Just to add to your video the stiffness in the ride people feel after adding preload is not from the shock. The increased angle of the a-arms result in increased tire scrub during suspension travel. That is why stock suspensions typical have as close to level a-arms without sacrificing clearance.
@AV8R_16 жыл бұрын
If you have 4 " of shock shaft showing under load, that gives you four inches of shock travel. if you add preload till you have 5" shock shaft showing under load, then you still have 5" of shock travel. if your shocks are bottoming out under a specific load, then adding a ton of preload should help it from bottoming out.
@PRBB253 жыл бұрын
This is true, but it will suck on rebound. He does have the Elka 4’s so he will be able to adjust the rebound rate with the bottom clicker. 👍
@brandenloudermilk90913 жыл бұрын
The spring you had off the atv is a progressive spring, the spring rate will increase the more it’s compressed. The shock/springs on the atv is a linear spring, that spring rate will not change until coil bind. Also measure shock eye to shock eye when referencing for better accuracy. Also you are affecting toe and bump steer when not at stock ride height so be careful.
@POHLHAMMER3 жыл бұрын
I get that. What I explain here is simply the ride height vrs spring tension, but I understand a progressive spring changes as compressed. What I am pointing out is the spring does not compress more , just because you add preload. It raises your ride height, which then effects your bump steer and toe. I am telling people NOT to crank preload to max in this video, or at least trying to help them understand why not to. Again , spring does not compress when you adjust ride height. it Simply adds or removes sag , regardless of spring rate.
@robbillpries61986 жыл бұрын
Thanks for making this video man, I've never owned an atv b4 but I just bought a polaris ranger 800 utv. I was really wondering how these adjustments work. ..
@POHLHAMMER6 жыл бұрын
Rob / BILL Pries Your welcome , glad I could help.
@zeltazirgs3 жыл бұрын
really liked the video! i observed when my bike was jacked, the springs went completely loose from seats. bike has 3 years. maybe the springs have compressed a bit during the time. i adjusted the springs till they got small compression with bike still jacked. then adjusted all springs to the one which had the least sping lenght. with increased height i was thinking that the bike wont be so stable anymore, but it all went completely opposite. it is more stable in corners now due to reduced sag.
@off-roadnpew2183 Жыл бұрын
Those Elkas look sweet
@artur84033 жыл бұрын
Spring won't get softer nor harder. It just lifts atv body. Shock will top out, it won't have enough travel to work
@jiggalojonski2 жыл бұрын
Made sense to me good explanation
@POHLHAMMER2 жыл бұрын
glad , and thanks for watching !
@andreicd37406 ай бұрын
Hi! How much shoud be The sag? 30% of the shock 40%?
@russelltaylor72476 жыл бұрын
Man I miss my ITP XTR's Wish they made them 32" for my.new SxS Polaris General
@williamconlon7317 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the reply, not sure how it effects handling on the Grizz, on a dirt bike it's a big difference, not sure if it's 2 vs 4 wheels thing. Let us know if you start experimenting with sag, appreciate the info you provided. (wgc on GC)
@blakew10267 жыл бұрын
It is true a little bit the higher the shocks the less leverage the a-arms have on the shocks
@Maga4Lyfe3 жыл бұрын
Any idea how to adjust the other adjustments? I have similar shocks as you but mine are kyb which came on my outlander 800x xc.
@antdx3163 жыл бұрын
So basically, for off-road you want to have as much sag as possible w/o it bottoming out?
@POHLHAMMER3 жыл бұрын
Ya , I would say that is pretty much the case. Unless you are racing, and then ride height may play a bigger role.
@seekter-kafa Жыл бұрын
actually it does what it says it is LOAD adjuster. so lets say your maximum carry load is 160kg and you have 5 steps, thats basically 20 kilos per step from 160 down, so if you weight only 60 kilos you should have it on 1, if you weight 100 on 3 and if you weight 140 like me, on 4 or 5... thats it... if you carry 160kg and have it on 1 youll sag your shocks all the way down and you wont have shock travel, converselly if you weight 40kg and have it on 5 your shocks will be so stiff you wont be able to compress them further
@POHLHAMMER Жыл бұрын
Not exactly. They don't get stiffer or softer. You simply lose range of motion or gain it. Yes the weight or load is what effects that ride height.
@seekter-kafa Жыл бұрын
@@POHLHAMMER actually, the spring does get stiffer or softer, but not the central part (rod) that is always the same
@POHLHAMMER Жыл бұрын
@Doc Lex I don't think you followed what I am trying to explain. The spring doesn't compress more when you change setting. It doesn't magically become stiffer of softer. It simply moves the dampening rod in or out , which alters ride height and amount of sag in your suspension. The coil spring never changes stiffness. It ALWAYS remains the same spring. You would need to change the spring to do that. You could also adjust the dampening to effect stiffness duringriding. However, most std suspension does not offer a dampening adjustment. This will also not affect spring stiffness , and will only be felt during riding. There is also a rebound adjustment on some shocks , which will also affect the ride. I do not cover any of that in this video. I get it's not what most people think , but trust me, I have a point here that you will likely grasp after you think this all through a few times. Once it clicks , you will get what I am trying to say. You are not alone in your thinking , as most people get misinformed on this by a general lack of understanding of suspension by the public in general. Thanks for watching!
@seekter-kafa Жыл бұрын
@@POHLHAMMER actually you dont follow what i am trying to say, and also i dont need to agree with you cause you are not some 'shocks' god, you dont have a monopoly on knowledge, i am twice as old as you and working as a car mechanic all my life, and i can tell that you explained it quite ok in the video, but still you refuse to see another point of view... if you compress a coil with those 5 steps, of course it becomes stiffer cause the more you compress it the more harder is to compress it more, that ring with 5 steps doesnt move both sides of the coil, it just moves one side so if you move one side of the coil and the other remains the same -you compress it -compressed coil is more stiff, if you dont understand that, than we dont have anything more to discuss... it's not magically more stiff like you say -of course it is the same coil with the same rate of rebound, but if your preload is cranked all the way, it is harder to compress more (i call that stiffer)
@POHLHAMMER Жыл бұрын
@Doc Lex Wrong. The rod moves. Only way to compress spring more would be by adding weight. You are thinking of the shock when not installed and not under load. Once installed, your concept of reality is mistaken. I respect your experience, and wisdom. However I am not wrong , nor need to be a God to be correct. I am no spring chicken myself , born in the late 70's. If you want to change spring rate , you change the coil. If you want to adjust ride height , you move preload settings. I am respectfully trying to help you understand what I am explaining in this video. Read other comments. Some guys have it click in their head , some don't. Old dogs CAN learn knew tricks ya know 😉 ✌️.
@michaelauthentic14198 жыл бұрын
I really enjoy the content keep it coming:)
@POHLHAMMER8 жыл бұрын
Glad your liking it , Thanks for watching !!
@kyle240977 жыл бұрын
so should i not touch mind like its set how i got it and my atv is alot losser like hiw it rides its set like how urs are set in this video if i would go down one knotch on all of them would that hurt like how it feels its not stiff any more when i sit on it and i want it back
@dixieamerican10515 жыл бұрын
Ummm its called preload for a reason
@POHLHAMMER5 жыл бұрын
Yuuup.. It really is that simple. Some guys just can't grasp it.
@hydro_rebel7741 Жыл бұрын
Awesome video! So question, I'm a big guy around 300 lbs I seem to bottom out sometimes when riding. I've had my 4 wheeler about a month shocks are at factory settings in the middle groove as seen on your factory ones. Would adjusting them stiffer help or better of spending the money on an aftermarket set?
@POHLHAMMER Жыл бұрын
Turn up the preload. It doesn't make them stiffer , it just gives you less sag due to your weight. Elka shocks will do wonders. Just make sure you contact them and give them your weight , luggage, and riding style. They will give you a custom setup when they build them.
@halfsmokedalaska84434 жыл бұрын
so how do I keep my wheels from rubbing on my plastics when I hit bumps? can I tighten them? or do I need new shocks?
@POHLHAMMER4 жыл бұрын
What size tires ?
@bradleymucher21015 жыл бұрын
I turned mine on my Polaris and it is alot stiffer. I put spacers on the front and it is stiffer to.
@PRBB253 жыл бұрын
Exactly, no matter how you look at it you are compressing the spring you’re adding stiffness .
@jimmace61489 ай бұрын
The shock is not stiffer. The angle of the a-arms and the resulting tire scrub cuase the bad ride.
@David_Palmieri5.98 жыл бұрын
all you need to do is get a tiger tail tow system, its a life saver if you ride with someone!
@POHLHAMMER8 жыл бұрын
I would like one ,, but man r they expensive ! Think I am going to try and make something myself someday...
@williamconlon7317 жыл бұрын
Little late to the party, but here is my question- what is the recommended sag setting or is there one? I know dirt bikes have recommend sag settings do ATV'S?
@POHLHAMMER7 жыл бұрын
William Conlon Very good question... I am not sure.. Might vary depending on riding style I would guess.. ?
@porn44067 жыл бұрын
William Conlon I would say yes as well. Snowmobile's are about 2". I would start there
@michaelhefford64202 жыл бұрын
Preload absolutely,.100% changes stiffness if you have the same weight on the bike.
@POHLHAMMER2 жыл бұрын
Wrong. Thanks for watching!
@michaelhefford64202 жыл бұрын
@@POHLHAMMER I'm not disagreeing that it changes sag, but my ass and whole body disagrees with you in the stiffness, so does the user manual and makers of aftermarket shocks.
@piquat111 ай бұрын
@@POHLHAMMER Your own video says he's right. This is exactly what you're saying at the 6:00 minute mark. Watch what you said again. If you crank up the preload too high, you'll end up running out of travel when the wheel drops into a hole and you'll end up with a stiffer ride.
@jimmace61489 ай бұрын
The increased angle of the a-arms and resulting tire scrub cause the stiffness.
@piquat19 ай бұрын
@@jimmace6148 That's not what you said in the video. Now there's really no reason to think you know what you're talking about.
@grizzly5fitty3018 жыл бұрын
ok thanks for the help
@grizzly5fitty3018 жыл бұрын
so do the shocks work better while pulling a trailer with the shock turned up or down
@POHLHAMMER8 жыл бұрын
Well ,, heres the deal..As I am still learning myself ... What the Highspeed/lowspeed compression does , is slow the rate the shock compresses , so if you have more weight , when you hit bumps , it wont compress as fast , or as far.. but the spring stays the same stiffness..You would add Preload ( the ring you spin) to help compensate for trailer load .. I hope that makes sense.. I personally have not towed with the new shocks yet.. Thanks for watching !
@jayz17196 жыл бұрын
Thank you
@POHLHAMMER6 жыл бұрын
Jay Z Your welcome , Thanks for watching!
@Whatsintheshop6 жыл бұрын
Hi! Would you say that the shocks were a great addition to the Grizz? I can't find any info on weather guys have found gas shocks to be a big ride improvement on the Grizz or not. Thanks
@POHLHAMMER6 жыл бұрын
chaparral285 Major upgrade , and improved ride. Money well spent !
@Whatsintheshop6 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your reply! Just saw your other video about your upgrades. Awesome
@mattmoore23138 жыл бұрын
that would be hard to do i love my grizzly 700
@derekmclv7 жыл бұрын
Do you have any issues with the piggybacks ever making contact with the muffler or gas tank at that angle? Or do they barely move?
@POHLHAMMER7 жыл бұрын
No they do not move , and I have no contact issues at all. I LOVE the Elka's ! Thanks for watching !
@derekmclv7 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@kc.70762 жыл бұрын
What kind of shocks are those?
@POHLHAMMER2 жыл бұрын
ELKA'S
@mattmoore23138 жыл бұрын
I got a question is there any way I can take scratches of my grizzly and prevent them
@POHLHAMMER8 жыл бұрын
Don't ride it.. lol J/K Not really , scratches add character anyways. Do you have a painted quad , or just plastic ?
@richardharris40616 жыл бұрын
Matt Moore This is a shock video. Burn the grizzly. No more scratvhes
@BITSANDBYTES9272 жыл бұрын
I have a question then is it still better to make it stiffer if i want to ride with my gf or leave it the same. My machine is a 2005 yamaha kodiak 400
@POHLHAMMER2 жыл бұрын
Adding a little preload , which raises ride height not make it stiffer , would be recommended if additional weight is added.
@ljkeeley66865 жыл бұрын
what kind of shock are you running in that video on the atv?
@POHLHAMMER5 жыл бұрын
Elka Stage 3 front , stage 4 rear.
@juliansaunders61638 жыл бұрын
nice vid. is there any particular reason you changed to ali skid plates
@POHLHAMMER8 жыл бұрын
You know ,, I was kinda anti alum skids... And I still think Heavy duty plastic may be the way to go... But I went to the mountains , and I had seen on Grizzlycentral that other guys have messed up the bottoms of their quads rock climbing , and I did not want it to happen to mine.. I will say the Yamaha alum Skids fit perfect , and have rubber between the Alum and the steel .. So I am liking them more than I thought I would.. I really dont require them here in WI , with no rock climbing , but they do look cool .. lol Thanks for watching !!
@juliansaunders61638 жыл бұрын
Are the much heavier than the plastic ??
@POHLHAMMER8 жыл бұрын
Yes , they are heavier than the stock plastic skids ,, by quite alot.. But being that the weight is down low , it does not effect performance that much.
@TheJahFather2077 жыл бұрын
So you recommend not adjusting them ? I just bought the spanned wrench and was gonna go up a notch or 2 in the rear since I'm a heavy dude. What are ur thoughts ?
@POHLHAMMER7 жыл бұрын
Vincent Dickhaut No , by all means play with the adjustments.. Hopefully you get a bit of a better idea of what happens when you do ,after watching. For heavier loads , you may need to raise your ride height to center your shocks back out , as you add more weight you increase sag , and eventually you may have too much.
@TheJahFather2077 жыл бұрын
ok so if turn the adjustment higher... that's best for heavier loads? thanks
@mattmoore23138 жыл бұрын
alright man thx
@mattmoore23138 жыл бұрын
have u ever had urs shut of in water?
@POHLHAMMER8 жыл бұрын
No
@Dennis-fs6zo3 жыл бұрын
The spring isn’t compressed ,the shock gets longer.
@POHLHAMMER3 жыл бұрын
yuuup
@vapourrevive23078 жыл бұрын
For 700 subs snorkel the grizzly
@jamesoliver5657 жыл бұрын
cubbex shirt lol I subscribe to them too
@POHLHAMMER7 жыл бұрын
James Oliver they are awesome !!
@dixieamerican10515 жыл бұрын
Lmfao
@POHLHAMMER5 жыл бұрын
Whats so funny Dixie ?
@mattmoore23138 жыл бұрын
just plastic my is the same model and kind as urs
@POHLHAMMER8 жыл бұрын
SWEET !! nice choice ! There really is not much you can do about it... I know its annoying at first , but as it gets "seasoned" it will bother you less.. Makes it look tougher IMO.. Thanks for watching!
@joshuagladis5 жыл бұрын
This is wrong on so many levels :( sadly one of the most popular shock adjustment videos. . .
@POHLHAMMER5 жыл бұрын
Explain how it is wrong on one level ? please enlighten..
@1MOA3084 жыл бұрын
This is very correct, josh g is sadly wrong..
@jrsoucy6 жыл бұрын
Nice wheeler bro. Terrible explanation. LoL
@POHLHAMMER6 жыл бұрын
Thanks ,Sorry it went over your head. Its not easy to follow.
@kvjlkajkj3 жыл бұрын
Whaaaat....???? Huhhhhhh????
@POHLHAMMER3 жыл бұрын
🤯🤯
@tv-cx8gv2 жыл бұрын
Do you really feel qualified to make videos like this?